ste without high school, wouldn't it?"

Marjorie's soft hand found Irma's. She was very fond of this quiet,
fair-haired girl, who, with Jerry Macy, had stood by her so resolutely
through dark days.

"Here she comes--our dear teacher. Look out, girls, or you'll be ushered
out of Sanford High before you've had a chance to look at the bulletin
board," warned Muriel Harding's high-pitched voice. Her sarcastic
remarks carried farther than she had intended they should, as a sudden
hush had fallen upon the study hall. Miss Merton, Marjorie's pet
aversion, had stalked into the great room. She cast a malignant glance,
not at Muriel, but straight at Marjorie Dean.

"Oh," gasped Muriel and Marjorie in united consternation.

"That's the time you did it, Muriel," muttered Jerry Macy. "I always
told you that you ought to be an orator or an oratress or something.
Your voice carries a good deal farther than it ought to. Only Miss
Merton didn't think it was you who made those smart remarks. She thought
it was Marjorie. Now she'll have a new grievance to nurse this year."

"I'm awfully sorry." Muriel was the picture of contrition. "I didn't
intend she should hear me--but to blame you for it! That's dreadful.
I'll go straight and tell her that I said it."

Muriel made a quick movement as though to carry out her intention.
Marjorie caught her by the arm. "You'll do nothing of the sort, Muriel
Harding. My sophomore shoulders are broad enough to beat it. Perhaps she
didn't really hear what you said. She can't dislike me any more for that
than she did before she thought I said it."

"Young ladies, I am waiting for you to come to order. Will you kindly
cease talking and take seats?" Miss Merton's raucous voice broke
harshly upon the abashed group of girls. They scuttled into the
nearest seats at hand like a bevy of startled partridges.

"What a horrid woman," was Mary Raymond's thought, as she slipped into a
seat in front of Marjorie, and stared resentfully at the rigid figure,
so devoid of womanly beauty, in its severe brown linen dress, unrelieved
by even a touch of white at the neck.

With a final glare at Marjorie, the teacher proceeded at once to the
business at hand. Within the next few minutes she had arranged the girls
of the freshman class in the section of the study hall they were to
occupy during the coming year. Marjorie awaited the turn of the
sophomores to be assigned to a seat with inward trepidation. She had had
no op