e taking
too much upon yourself."

"As usual, too," agreed Grace Montgomery, with scorn. "Just because you
happen to be class president----"

"And quite by a fluke," interjected Cora.

"You needn't suppose that you can boss us in every single particular. If
I want to make one of these greenies 'fag' for me, I'm going to do it."

"We have always agreed to be governed by the majority, you know,"
observed Nancy, softly. "Let us put it to vote. If the bulk of the
class believe it better and kinder to help these younger girls instead
of making them miserable for the first few weeks they are at Pinewood,
let us all agree to be governed accordingly."

"Well, that's fair," said Jennie Bruce.

"Oh, she knows she's got the majority with her," snapped Cora, shrugging
her shoulders. "The minority have no rights at all in this class."

"I am glad--or would be so--if I believed I was so popular," Nancy said,
with some warmth. "But I believe with the majority of us girls my
suggestion is popular. It isn't _I_."

Then she put the question and the Montgomeryites were in a very small
minority.

Nevertheless, outside of class matters, Grace Montgomery was still
something of a leader. She and Cora paid more attention to dress than
other girls in the school. They spent more money on "orgies," too, and
had hampers arrive from home more frequently. They were even more
popular among the juniors than they were in their own class.

And soon a certain number of the new girls at Pinewood Hall began to ape
the manners and quote the sayings of Grace Montgomery. The present class
of seniors paid little attention to Grace and her growing clique; but
Nancy and Jennie often spoke of the possibility of her having a large
following before she was through her senior year.

"Unless she does something for which to be shown up before them all, the
time will come when Grace Montgomery will divide the school. She'll
never have much influence in her own class," said Jennie; "but in the
school as a whole she will be a power if she can."

In athletics that fall, however, neither Grace nor Cora cut much of a
figure. Cora tried hard for the school crew, but Miss Etching turned her
back to the second boat for another year.

To make Cora all the angrier, Nancy "made" Number 6 in the eight-oared
shell. It was something for the sophomore class as a whole to be proud
of; for it was seldom that one of their number got into the "varsity"
crew.

But Cora d