wish it. We think you showed a great deal of the
right kind of courage in making the public apology
you did both to Miss Thompson and to us. Won't
you come back to the Phi Sigma Tau?

"YOUR SINCERE FRIENDS."

At recess Grace showed the note to her friends. She had signed her name
to the note and requested the others to do the same. Here she met with
some opposition. Nora, Marian Barber and Eva Allen were strongly opposed
to sending it. But Jessica, Anne and Miriam agreed with Grace that it
would be in fulfillment of the original promise to Mrs. Gray to help
Eleanor whenever they could do so. So the Phi Sigma Tau signed their
names and the note was passed to Eleanor directly after recess.

She opened it, read it through, and an expression of such intense scorn
passed over her face that Nora, who sat near her and who was covertly
watching her, knew at once that Grace's flag of truce had been trampled
in the dust.

Picking up her pen, Eleanor wrote rapidly for a brief space, underlined
what she had written, signed her name with a flourish, and, folding and
addressing her note, sent it to Grace.

Rather surprised at receiving an answer so quickly, Grace unfolded the
note. Then she colored, looked grave and, putting the note in the back
of the text-book she was holding, went on studying.

By the time school was over for the day, the girls of the Phi Sigma Tau
knew that Eleanor had once more repudiated their overtures of friendship
and were curious to see what she had written.

"Don't keep us in suspense. Let us see what she wrote," exclaimed Nora
O'Malley as the seven girls crossed the campus together.

"Here it is," said Grace, handing Nora the note.

Nora eagerly unfolded the paper and the girls crowded around, reading
over her shoulder, Grace walking a little apart from them. Then Nora
read aloud:

"TO THE PHI SIGMA TAU:

"Your kind appreciation of my conduct in the
matter of apology is really remarkable, coupled
with the fact that your inability to refrain from
discussing my personal affairs with Mrs. Gray
forced this recent humiliation upon me. To ask me
to return to your society is only adding insult to
injury. I am not particularly surprised at this,
however. It merely proves you to be greater
hypocrites than you at first seemed.