"There isn't much to tell," laughed Grace. "The life of a school-girl is
not crowded with many stirring events."

"You have no idea of how much has happened to Grace, Mrs. Allison, since
we began High School," interposed Nora. "She never will talk about the
splendid things she has done for other people. She is the president of
her class, the captain of the senior basketball team, too, and the most
popular girl in Oakdale High School."

"I refuse to plead guilty to the last statement!" exclaimed Grace.
"Believe me, Mrs. Allison, there are a dozen girls in High School who
are far more popular than I."

"There is only one Grace Harlowe," said Anne, with conviction.

"It is a case of two against one, Miss Grace," laughed Mrs. Allison. "I
insist upon hearing about some of your good works."

"It's really time for us to go, girls," said Grace, laughing a little.
She rose and held out her hand to the older woman.

"You are very cruel," smiled Mrs. Allison. "You arouse my curiosity and
then refuse to satisfy it. But you cannot escape so easily. You must
come to see me again before I leave here. I shall not try to return to
the Gibsons before Wednesday. I expect Mr. Gibson here to-morrow and he
will attend to my New York business for me. If I had accepted his offer
in the first place, I might have spared myself this accident. However, I
am glad, now. It has brought me charming friends. For I feel that we
shall become friends," she added, stretching out both hands. "When will
you come again?"

"On Tuesday afternoon after school," replied Grace promptly. "And we
will bring Miss Bright, too, unless she and Mabel have some other
engagement."

There was purpose in Grace's last remark. She wished to see if the name
"Mabel" made any impression upon her listener, and therefore kept her
eyes fixed upon Mrs. Allison.

As Grace carelessly mentioned the name she saw an expression of pain
flit across Mrs. Allison's fine face.

"I shall be glad to see Miss Bright," she said quietly. "Is the 'Mabel'
you speak of her sister?"

"No," replied Grace hastily, "she is a girl friend. May we bring her
with us?"

"Do so by all means," rejoined Mrs. Allison. "She bears the name I love
best in all the world." An expression of deep sadness crept into her
face as she uttered these words, and she looked past her callers with
unseeing eyes. "Good-bye, Mrs. Allison," said Grace, and the older woman
roused herself with a start.

"Good-bye, my d