he absurd thing for a moment in silence. Then her eyes
met Miss Thompson's, and both teacher and pupil burst out laughing.

The young girl never knew how far that laugh went to soften her present
predicament. As a matter of fact, Miss Thompson had never liked the
teacher in mathematics, while the small, shabby pupil appealed strongly
to her sympathy.

"Were you not the originator of this outrageous plot, Miss Pierson?"

Anne was silent. She could hardly say she was the originator and still
she had participated.

"I will put the question in another form," said the principal. "If you
were not the originator, who was?"

Still Anne made no reply.

"Miss Leece," continued the principal, "alleges that she distinctly saw
you standing by the figure. She did not recognize the other faces. Do
you think, Miss Pierson, that such an escapade as you engaged in last
night was entirely respectful or worthy of a pupil of Oakdale High
School?"

"No," replied Anne at last.

"Do you know that suspension or expulsion are the punishments for such
behavior?"

Anne clasped her hands nervously. She saw the freshman prize floating
away, and her eyes filled with tears, but she said nothing.

Instead of being angry, however, Miss Thompson was pleased with the
girl's pluck and loyalty. But she was puzzled to know how to proceed.
Her judgment and her sympathies revolted against punishing this prize
pupil, and still it looked as if Miss Leece had everything on her side.
A tap at the door interrupted her reflections, and Anne opened it,
admitting Mrs. Gray escorted by David and Grace.

"My dear Miss Thompson," said the old lady, "I know you will consider me
an interfering old woman, but when I heard that my particular child,
Anne Pierson, was in trouble, I came straight to you. I want to talk the
whole matter over comfortably; since it's my own freshman class that's
on the rampage, I feel as if I had a right to put in a word."

"You are most welcome, Mrs. Gray," replied Miss Thompson, cordially.

She was exceedingly fond of the lonely old lady who had been a
benefactor to the school in so many ways. "But what's this you say about
the freshman class? I have heard nothing about it."

"Grace," said Mrs. Gray, "suppose you tell Miss Thompson what you have
just finished telling me."

Then Grace related the incident in the algebra class and the long
succession of insults Anne had endured from the terrible Miss Leece.

"Dear, dear," murmu