and that
Madame Schakael had trusted her.

"So Nance wouldn't break her word, and I found her crying in the back
hall there, and told her I would bring back her bag. That's the truth!
You girls have driven her to all that.

"And now," continued the wrathful Jennie, "I'm going in there to tell
Madame Schakael all about it. You girls don't want to associate with
Nancy because she is an orphan and has no home? Well, _I_ don't want to
associate with _you_ because you are all too mean to bother with! There
now!"

And the excited Jennie came down the steps, strode across the hall and
entered the anteroom of the principal's office, closing the door with a
bang.

CHAPTER XVIII

BETTER TIMES

It was seldom that Madame Schakael seemed so stern as on this occasion.
She perched herself upon her cushioned chair behind the desk table in
her inner office, while the three girls--the senior and the two
freshmen--lined up before her.

"Now, Corinne, tell me all about it," was her command to the older girl.

"I am not sure that I _can_ tell you all, Madame," said Corinne, slowly.
"For I did not hear it all."

But the black-eyed Cora was getting back her courage now, and she
suddenly burst out:

"_I_ can tell you, Madame!"

"Perhaps--as it was your voice which I first heard--you had better tell
me your side of it, Miss Rathmore," agreed the principal.

"There's only one side to it, Madame!" exclaimed Cora. "I was just
telling those girls--and Miss Pevay, who interfered----"

"Corinne is the captain of the West Side. You belong on the West Side.
By no possibility could your captain have interfered if you chose the
public hall for any discussion," said the Madame, with sudden sharpness.
"I want all you freshmen to understand that: The school captains must be
respected and obeyed."

"Well--I--I didn't mean to be disrespectful," murmured Cora, suddenly
abashed.

"Perhaps not. But, Miss Rathmore, I fancy you will have to watch
yourself closely to correct a tendency in that direction," observed the
Madame, drily. "Now, you may continue your statement."

Cora was quite put out for the moment. She had taken her first plunge
into the matter, had been brought up short, and now scarcely knew how to
carry on the attack on Nancy which had seemed so easy the minute before.

"Well--well--I--I----"

"Why do you stammer so, Miss Rathmore?" asked the principal. "Is it a
fact that that which seemed so desirable to say just n