d! There was unbroken silence in the roomy chapel
of the girls' school, where the commencement exercises were being held.
Suddenly some one in the back part of the room jumped to his feet. A
hoarse voice shouted, "Madge!"

Madge started in amazement. Her manuscript dropped to the ground. Every
face but hers blanched with terror. The swaying arch was now visible to
other people besides Phil. Tom leaped to his feet, but he was tightly
wedged in between rows of women. Phil Alden made a forward spring just as
the arch tumbled. She was not in time to save Madge, but some one else
had saved her; for, before Phil could reach the front of the stage,
Madge's name had been called again. Although the voice was an unknown
one, Madge instinctively obeyed it. She made a little movement, leaning
out to see who had summoned her, and the arch crashed down just at her
back.

The quick cry from the audience frightened Madge, whose face was turned
away from the wreck. She swung around without discovering her rescuer.
Some one had fallen on the stage. Phyllis Alden had reached her friend's
side, not in time to save her, but to receive, herself, a heavy blow from
the great bell that was suspended from the arch.

Madge dropped on the stage at Phil's side, forgetting her speech and the
presence of strangers.

Miss Tolliver and Miss Jenny Ann lifted Phyllis before Dr. Alden had had
time to reach the stage. There was a dark bruise over Phil's forehead. In
a moment she opened her eyes and smiled. "I am not a bit hurt, Miss
Matilda; _do_ let the exercises go on," she begged faintly. "Let Madge
and me go up to the front of the stage and bow, Miss Matilda. Then I can
show people that I am all right. We must not spoil our commencement in
this way."

Miss Matilda agreed to this, and Madge and Phyllis went forward to the
center of the stage. A storm of applause greeted them. Madge and Phil
were a little overcome at the ovation. Madge supposed that they were
being applauded because of Phil's heroism, and Phil presumed that the
demonstration was meant for Madge's valedictory, therefore neither girl
knew just what to do.

It was then that Miss Matilda Tolliver came forward. She was usually a
very severe and imposing looking person. Most of her pupils were
dreadfully afraid of her. But the accident that had so nearly injured her
two favorite graduates had completely upset her nerves. Instead of making
a formal speech, as she had planned to do, she s