ies, young ladies; she has no more brains than one or two
of the rest of you, but she has something that more than half of you
woefully lack--application and conscience."

"Perhaps she expects to teach," returned Miss Parks, in her most
courteous tone, as she turned the diamond upon her engagement finger.

"I hope she may teach--this class," retorted the master with equal
courtesy.

Miss Parks smiled at Marjorie with her lovely eyes and acknowledged the
point of the master's remark with a slight inclination of her pretty
head.

At the noon intermission a knot of the girls gathered around Marjorie's
chair; Emma Downs took the volume of "Bridgewater Treatises" out of her
hand and marched across the room to the book case with it, the others
clapped their hands and shouted.

"Now we'll make her talk," said Ella Truman. "She is a queen in the midst
of her court."

"She isn't tall enough," declared Maria Denyse.

"Or stately enough," added Pauline Hayes.

"Or self-possessed enough," supplemented Lizzie Harrowgate.

"Or imperious enough," said Clarissa Parks.

"She would always be abdicating in favor of some one who had an equal
right to it," laughed Pauline Hayes.

"Oh, Miss West, who was that lovely little creature with you in Sunday
school Sunday?" asked Miss Denyse. "She carries herself like a little
princess."

"She is just the one not to do it," replied Miss Parks.

"What do you mean?" inquired Miss Harrowgate before Marjorie could speak.

"I mean," she began, laying a bunch of white grapes in Marjorie's
fingers, "that her name is _Holmes_."

"Doesn't that belong to the royal line?" asked Pauline, lightly.

"It belongs to the line of _thieves_."

Marjorie's fingers dropped the grapes.

"Her father spent years in state-prison when he should have spent a
lifetime there at hard labor! Ask my father. Jerome Holmes! He is famous
in this city! How dared he send his little girl here to hear all about
it!"

"Perhaps he thought he sent her among Christians and among ladies,"
returned Miss Harrowgate. "I should think you would be ashamed to bring
that old story up, Clarissa."

Marjorie was paralyzed; she could not move or utter a sound.

"Father has all the papers with the account in; father lost enough, he
ought to know about it."

"That child can't help it," said Emma Downs. "She has a face as sweet and
innocent as an apple blossom."

"I hope she will never come here to school to revive the old scan