ortant an occasion, just because she happened to be the best dressed
and prettiest girl in the Hill crowd.

The next afternoon most of the girls were at gym or the library, and
Betty, who was still necessarily excused from her daily exercise, was
working away on her Latin, when some one knocked imperatively on her
door. It was Jean Eastman.

"Good-afternoon, Miss Wales," she said hurriedly. "Will you lend me a
pencil and paper? Eleanor has such a habit of keeping her desk locked,
and I want to leave her a note."

She scribbled rapidly for a moment, frowned as she read through what she
had written, and looked doubtfully from it to Betty. Then she rose to
go. "Will you call her attention to this, please?" she said. "It's very
important. And, Miss Wales,--if she should consult you, do advise her to
resign quietly and leave it to me to smooth things over."

"Resign?" repeated Betty vaguely.

"Yes," said Jean. "You see--well, I might as well tell you now, that
I've said so much. The faculty object to her taking the debate. Perhaps
you know that she's very much in their black books but I didn't. And I
never dreamed that they would think it any of their business who was our
debater, but I assure you they do. At least half a dozen of them have
spoken to me about her poor work and her cutting. They say that she is
just as much ineligible for this as she would be for the musical clubs
or the basket-ball team. Now what I want is for Eleanor to write a sweet
little note of resignation to-night, so that I can appoint some one else
bright and early in the morning."

Betty's eyes grew big with anxiety. "But won't the girls guess the
reason?" she cried. "Think how proud Eleanor is, Miss Eastman. It would
hurt her terribly if any one found out that she had been conditioned.
You shouldn't have told me--indeed you shouldn't!"

Jean laughed carelessly. "Well, you know now, and there's no use crying
over spilt milk. I used that argument about the publicity of the affair
to the faculty, but it was no go. So the only thing for you to do is to
help Eleanor write a nice, convincing note of resignation that I can
read at the next meeting, when I announce my second appointment."

"But Eleanor won't ask my help," said Betty decidedly, "and, besides,
what can she say, after accepting all the congratulations, and having
the supper?"

Jean laughed again. "I'm afraid you're not a bit ingenious, Miss Wales,"
she said rising to go, "but fortun