e were High School yells and class yells until
Miss Thompson was obliged to cover her ears to deaden the noise.

Miss Thompson made her way through the crowd to where Grace was standing
in the midst of her admiring schoolmates. The principal took the young
captain in her arms, embracing her tenderly.

Surely no one had ever seen Miss Thompson display so much unrestrained and
candid emotion before. There were tears in her eyes, her voice trembled
when she spoke.

"It was a great victory, Grace, I congratulate you and your class. You
have fought a fine, courageous battle against great odds. Many another
girl who had climbed out of a third-story window, without even a rope to
hold by, would have little strength left to play basketball much less to
win the championship. I am very proud of you to-day, my dear," and she
kissed Grace right on the deep, red scratch that marred her cheek.

"She is a girl after my own heart," Miss Thompson was thinking, as she
hurried to her office. "Grace has faults, of course, but on the other
hand, she is as honest as the day, modest about her ability, unselfish and
with boundless courage. Certainly she is a splendid influence in a
school, and I wish I had more pupils like her."

It was with difficulty that Grace extricated herself from her admiring
friends and, accompanied by her chums, made for the locker room to don
street attire.

Now that it was all over the reaction had set in, and she began to feel a
little tired, although she was almost too happy for words. She walked
along, dimly alive to what the girls were saying.

Nora was still upset over Miriam Nesbit's lawless attempt to score, and
sputtered angrily all the way down the corridor. "I should think Miriam
Nesbit would be ashamed to show her face in school, again, after this
afternoon's performance," Nora declared.

"Did you see what David did?" queried Jessica.

"Yes, I did," said Anne.

"What was it?" asked Grace, coming out of her day dream.

"The minute the girls began to hiss Miriam, he got up and walked out of
the gymnasium," Jessica replied. "I believe he was so deeply ashamed of
what she did that he couldn't bear to stay."

"Well, he found Grace, and rescued her in time for the game," said Anne.
"That must be some consolation to him. I don't see how you got locked in,
Grace. Are you sure you didn't close the door after you. It has a spring
lock, you know."

"I thought I left it open," mused Grace, "but I might