culprits beheld the principal.
And that gentlemen certainly looked almost angry about something.
The weather indications were for squalls in the High School.

"Go to your seats in the assembly room," said the principal, coldly,
as the head of the line neared him. As the boys wore no overcoats
it was not necessary to file down to the locker rooms first.
They marched into the hat room just off of the assembly room.
And here they found Mr. Drake on duty.

"No conversation here. Go directly to your seats," ordered Mr.
Drake.

The few girls who were not at classes looked up with eyes full
of mischievous inquiry when the boys entered the big room. The
principal and Mr. Drake took their seats on the platform. The
late swimmers reached for their books, though most of them made
but a pretense of study. Almost at once there was another diversion
made by the girls who were returning from recitations.

Then the bell was struck for the beginning of the next period.
Out filed the sections. The boys began to feel that this ominous
quiet boded them no good. Not until closing time did the principal
make any reference to the affair.

"The young ladies are dismissed for the day," he remarked. "The
young gentlemen will remain." Clang!

Then a dead silence fell over the room. It was broken, after
a minute, by the principal, who asked:

"Where were you, young gentlemen, when the end of recess bell
rang this morning!"

No one being addressed, no one answered.

"Where were you, Mr. Purcell?"

"Swimming at Foster's Pond, sir."

"All of you?"

"All of us, sir, I think."

"Whose idea was it?"

"As I remember, sir, the idea belonged to us all."

"Who made the first proposal?"

"That would be impossible to say, now, sir."

"Do you remember anything about it?"

"Yes, sir."

"What was it?"

"I believe the fellows voted that Mr. Grady, who is studying to
be a lawyer, should represent us as counsel."

"Ah! I shall be very glad, then, to hear from Judge Grady," the
principal dryly remarked.

"Judge" Grady bobbed up, smiling and confident---or he seemed
so. As for the rest of the fellows, the principal's frigid coolness
was beginning to get on their nerves.

"Mr. Principal," began Grady, thrusting his right band in between
his vest buttons, "the illustrious, perhaps immortal Burke, once
elucidated a principle that has since become historic, authoritative
and illuminating. Among American and English jurists a