down the road.

Margaret went to the door and watched. Presently she saw the rider wheel
and come galloping back to the door. He had forgotten to tell her that
an escort would be sent to bring her as early on Friday afternoon as she
would be ready to leave the school, and he intimated that he hoped he
might be detailed for that pleasant duty.

Margaret looked into his face and warmed to his pleasant smile. How
could she have thought him like West? He touched his hat and rode away,
and a moment later she saw him draw rein beside Rosa and Amanda, and
presently dismount.

Bud rang the bell just then, and Margaret went back to her desk with a
lingering look at the three figures in the distance. It was full half an
hour before Rosa came in, with Amanda looking scared behind her; and
troubled Margaret watched the sly look in the girl's eyes and wondered
what she ought to do about it. As Rosa was passing out of the door after
school she called her to the desk.

"You were late in coming in after recess, Rosa," said Margaret, gently.
"Have you any excuse?"

"I was talking to a friend," said Rosa, with a toss of her head which
said, as plainly as words could have done, "I don't intend to give an
excuse."

"Were you talking to the gentleman who was here?"

"Well, if I was, what is that to you, Miss Earle?" said Rosa, haughtily.
"Did you think you could have all the men and boys to yourself?"

"Rosa," said Margaret, trying to speak calmly, but her voice trembling
with suppressed indignation, "don't talk that way to me. Child, did you
ever meet Mr. Forsythe before?"

"I'm not a child, and it's none of your business!" flouted Rosa,
angrily, and she twitched away and flung herself out of the
school-house.

Margaret, trembling from the disagreeable encounter, stood at the window
and watched the girl going down the road, and felt for the moment that
she would rather give up her school and go back home than face the
situation. She knew in her heart that this girl, once an enemy, would be
a bitter one, and this her last move had been a most unfortunate one,
coming out, as it did, with Rosa in the lead. She could, of course,
complain to Rosa's family, or to the school-board, but such was not the
policy she had chosen. She wanted to be able to settle her own
difficulties. It seemed strange that she could not reach this one
girl--who was in a way the key to the situation. Perhaps the play would
be able to help her. She spent a