MPSON.

Grace read the letter over twice. What in the world could Miss Thompson
want to discuss with her? Perhaps she had not been doing well enough in
her classes. But Grace rejected the idea. She always kept up to the
average, and it was only those who fell below who ever received warnings
from the principal.

Perhaps it was--well, never mind, she would wait and see. As soon as
school was over she hurried to the principal's office and tapped on the
door.

"Well, Grace, my dear," said Miss Thompson, as the young girl entered,
"did my note frighten you?"

"No, indeed," replied Grace; "I had a clear conscience and I don't
expect to fail in exams to-morrow, although I am not so studious as Anne
Pierson or Miriam."

"Of course you don't expect to fail, my dear," said the principal,
kindly, for, of all the girls in the school, Grace was her favorite. "I
didn't bring you here to scold you. But I have something very serious to
talk about. While I have threshed out the matter with myself, I believe
I might do better by talking things over with one of my safest and
sanest freshman."

"Why, what has happened, Miss Thompson?" asked Grace curiously.

"First, let me ask you a few questions," answered the principal. "Tell
me something about the competition for the freshman prize. Which girl do
you think has the best chance of winning it?"

"I know whom I want to win," replied Grace innocently. "Anne, of course,
and I believe she will, too. While Miriam is more showy in her
recitations, Anne is much more thorough, and she studies a great deal
harder. The fact is, I am afraid she is making herself ill with
studying. But she is determined to win not the little prize, but the big
one, which is more than even Anne can do, I believe. Whoever heard of
having every examination paper perfect?"

"It has not been done so far," admitted Miss Thompson, "but why is Anne
so bent on winning the prize? Is it all for glory, do you think?"

"Anne is very poor, you know, Miss Thompson," said Grace simply.

"So she is," replied the principal, "and the child needs the money."
Miss Thompson paused a moment, looking thoughtfully out over the smooth
green lawn. "Grace," she resumed, finally, "I have something very
serious to tell you. Two days ago I made a discovery that may change the
fate of the freshman prize this year considerably. You know I keep the
examination questions here in my desk. That is, the originals. A copy is
now at the print