s. I won't see
Johnny-jump-up to-day."

Edna laughed. "Won't they be disappointed?"

"They will that. Now come along and let's get out of here."

"Which way shall we go?"

"Oh, we will take the back road and come out there below the MacDonald
barn so they won't get a hint of our coming home, for the barn is below
the woods, you know. It is a little further, but I hope you don't mind
that."

"No, indeed, I am so glad to have you get out of the way of those boys."

"If I can manage to side-track them for a while perhaps they won't be so
keen. I thought they had it in for me, and have been rather expecting
an onslaught."

They cut through the woods, coming out the other side and taking a short
road not much used, which brought them out a little distance from the
main road which was then easily reached. "Now we're safe," said Edna
with satisfaction as she saw her own gate.

"We? You don't suppose they'd haze you, do you?"

"Oh, no, but I feel safer when I am near home."

Ben dropped his bantering tone when they came up to the gate. "I say,
Edna," he said, "you are a real Trojan to do this for me, and I shall
not forget it in a hurry. Lots of big girls and boys, too, would have
let the thing go, and not have taken the trouble. I am a thousand times
obliged to you."

"Oh, but I wanted to do it, you know. I should have been very unhappy
if anything had happened to you."

"I believe you would," returned Ben seriously; and they went in the
house together.

This was the last Edna heard of hazing and if Cousin Ben was ever caught
he did not tell her or anyone else.

Monday came around quite soon enough and Edna started off with her
sister Celia to go to the city. It seemed quite natural to be back in
the room which she had occupied the year before, only now Celia would
share it with her. Ada was put in her old place on a little chair, her
trunk by her side, and then the two girls went down to the school-room
where a number of the pupils had already gathered. One of these was
Clara Adams, a little girl whom Edna was sorry to see entering the
school that year. She was a spoiled, discontented child who was
continually pouting over some fancied grievance, and was what Dorothy
and Edna called "fusty." For some reason she was always trying to pick a
quarrel with Edna, and by the whispering which went on when Edna entered
the room and the sidelong looks which were cast at her, as two or three
girls, with hands to mouth