the same punishment. Circumstances were against the girl who
had practically been turned out of her own room while the party was
having a glorious time eating salad, macaroons, ice cream, and various
other indigestible combinations of "sweeties."

Cora Rathmore had escaped. How? Her mates did not stop to investigate
_that_ mystery.

If Cora could have explained she did not set about it. Instead, in first
recitation, where she sat behind Nancy, she poked her in the back with a
needle-like forefinger and hissed:

"You're a nice one; aren't you?"

Nancy merely gave her a look, but made no reply.

"Don't play the innocent. We all know that you went to the Madame and so
got square with us."

"I--did--not!" declared Nancy, sternly.

"Miss Nelson!" exclaimed Miss Maybrick, suddenly.

Nancy whirled around, "eyes front."

"Demerit--talking in class," said the teacher.

That was the first time such a thing had happened to Nancy. It did seem
as though everything bad was tumbling on top of her at once. She would
not look around again when Cora poked her, but kept at her books--or
appeared to!

What little joy she had had in school heretofore was all gone now.
Lessons dragged; she thought the instructors all looked at her
suspiciously.

Just the recreation room in the basement between lessons, or a demure
walk with Miss Etching, the physical instructor, over the snowy lawns
and wood paths about Pinewood. Extra gym work was denied her, and when
the other girls ran with their skates to the river after release from
studies, she could only go to Number 30 and mope.

Nancy could not see Bob Endress again. _That_ was something beside a
mere provocation of spirit. The girl felt that it was serious.

As Jennie had suggested, she wished to warn Bob to say nothing about
where he had met her before. Of course, Grace Montgomery could not see
the boy, either. But Cora was free to pump Bob, and Nancy was sure her
roommate would worm out of him the whole story of how he had first met
Nancy.

"He's been looking for you," whispered Jennie to Nancy at supper, the
first night following the imposition of the punishment. "I saw him
skating with Corinne and some of the other big girls. I don't know
whether he saw Cora, or not."

"Oh, dear, Jennie!" cried Nancy. "I wish you would warn him."

"I?" exclaimed the other. "I never was introduced to him."

"Oh!"

"But that wouldn't make any difference," declared the fun-loving girl,
wi