Anne and Grace walked along silently beside the weeping girl. They thought
it better to let her have her cry out. She really deserved to spend a
brief season in the Valley of Humiliation.

They had now left the fields and were turning into one of the smaller
streets of Oakdale.

"Miriam," said Grace, "try and brace up. We'll soon be on Main Street and
you don't want people to see you cry, do you? Here," extracting a little
book of rice powder paper from her bag, "rub this over your face and the
marks of your tears won't show."

Miriam took the paper gratefully, and did as Grace bade her. Then she
straightened up and gave a long sigh, "I feel like that man in Pilgrim's
Progress, after he dropped his burden from his back," she said. "The mean
things I did never bothered me until just lately. After I saw that my own
brother had nothing but contempt for me, I began to realize what a wretch
I was, and the remorse has been just awful."

It was David, after all, who had been instrumental in holding up the
mirror so that his stubborn sister could see herself as others saw her.
Although she had quarreled frequently with him, she had secretly respected
his high standard of honor and fine principles. The fear that he despised
her utterly had brought her face to face with herself at last.

"Anne has always wanted to be friends with you, Miriam," Grace said
earnestly as they neared the Nesbit home. "You and I used to play together
when we were little girls in the grammar school. It's only since we
started High School that this quarreling has begun. Let's put it all aside
and swear to be friends, tried and true, from now on? You can be a great
power for good if you choose. We all ought to try to set up a high
standard, for the sake of those who come after. Then Oakdale will have
good reason to be proud of her High School girls."

They had reached the gate.

Miriam turned and stretched out a hand to each girl. There was a new
light in her eyes. "My dear, dear friends," she said softly.

A shrill whistle broke in upon this little love feast and the three girls
looked up. David was hurrying down the walk, his face aglow.

"I whistled to attract your attention. I was afraid you girls would go
before I could reach you. Mother wants you girls to come in for dinner.
She saw you from the window. Don't say you can't, for I'm going to call on
the Piersons and Harlowes right now and inform them that their daughters
are dining out to-