red Miss Thompson, "this looks like persecution and
very strong favoritism on the part of Miss Leece. A thing we wish to
keep out of the school as much as possible. But what about this!" and
she opened the door of the closet where the pumpkin face of the effigy
grinned at them grotesquely from the shadows.

"I have something to say about that, Miss Thompson," declared David. "I
am the author of this 'crime' and I intend to take the blame for it.
Miss Pierson had so little to do with it that we had fairly to drag her
out of her own house to make her join the crowd."

"I think, Miss Thompson," put in Mrs. Gray, "that a teacher must have
been exceedingly sharp and disagreeable to have inspired such nice
children to this," and she pointed to the figure.

"I believe you are right," admitted the principal after a moment's
thought, "and I trust, under the circumstances, that the whole affair
can be settled without the interference of the School Board. Suppose you
leave Miss Leece to me. And young people," she added, "if you will
promise to say nothing more about the subject, I think Miss Leece may be
persuaded to let the matter drop."

And so ended the Hallowe'en escapade. Miss Thompson paid a visit to Miss
Leece that evening, at the teacher's rooms in Oakdale, and was closeted
with her for more than an hour. No one ever knew what happened. Miss
Thompson was a woman to keep her own counsel; but the affair never came
up before the School Board and Miss Leece, after that, though somewhat
stiff in her manner, had no more outbursts of rage for some time.
Undoubtedly her display of favoritism in the algebra class had lost her
the day.

Miss Thompson was a woman of fine judgment and broad and just views. She
was proud of the Oakdale High Schools and the splendid classes they
turned out year after year. She realized perfectly what a disturbance a
woman like Miss Leece could cause and she determined to check her at
every point, especially when the most prominent and finest pupils of the
two schools were implicated.

Therefore the offenders went scot-free and Anne was once more safe to
pursue the freshman prize.

Miss Leece, however, was only biding her time. While Anne had won this
battle she might lose the next.

CHAPTER IX

THANKSGIVING DAY

"Oh, how I love Thanksgiving!" cried Grace.

"Oh, how you love turkey, you mean," exclaimed her bosom friend, Nora
O'Malley.

"Yes," admitted Grace, "the turkey is a gran