She's
awfully determined, you know. I'm going to put my faith in her and not
worry any more about it. I dare say if a thorough search were made of
Marian's and Maizie's room the lost jewelry would be found," she
predicted bitterly.

"That's precisely my opinion," nodded Jane. "If it comes to it I shall
tell Mrs. Weatherbee so. I'd rather wait a little, though, to see how
things pan out. This is Wednesday. I hope it will be settled and off our
minds before Saturday. We'd hate to go into the game with the least bit
of shadow hanging over us."

"Oh, I guess it will be settled before then." Nevertheless Judith looked
a trifle solemn. Despite her declaration that she did not intend to
worry, Jane's prediction had taken uncomfortable hold on her.

"I think she ought to have settled it to-night," was Norma's blunt
opinion. "It wouldn't surprise me if she really wrote to Edith Hammond.
Mrs. Weatherbee's peculiar. I know, because I've worked for her. She
probably believes Jane, yet she's in doubt about something. I could
tell that by the way she acted."

"You don't believe she suspects me of stealing those girls' jewelry, do
you?" questioned Judith in quick alarm.

"I hardly think that," Norma said slowly. "I only know she's not quite
in sympathy with you, Judy. If she had been she wouldn't have hesitated
to settle things then and there."

Norma's surmise was more accurate than not. Marian Seaton's sneering
assertion that alleged absent-mindedness on Judith's part cloaked a
grave failing had not been entirely lost on the matron. She could not
forget the missing sweater. Was it possible, she wondered, that there
might be truth in Marian's accusation?

Privately she resolved to do three things before passing final judgment.
She would write to Edith for corroboration of the gown story. She would
make further inquiry, concerning Judith's absent-mindedness, of Dorothy
Martin. She would have a private talk with Elsie Noble. This last was
solely to determine whether Marian had spoken the truth in regard to
Elsie's having overheard the fateful conversation. She was as doubtful
of Marian as she was of poor Judith.

Mrs. Weatherbee intended to delay making inquiry of either Dorothy or
Elsie until she had received a reply to a special delivery letter which
she had dispatched to Edith Allison, nee Edith Hammond.

In the interim Judith had gone from hopefulness to anxiety and from
anxiety to nervousness. In consequence, she faile