ed in her heart. She did not notice the dainty room into
which she was conducted. She ignored the offered chair, and with a
dismal face turned toward Miss Allen.

"Oh, please! What have they been doing? Is it very awful?"

Miss Allen laughed gaily. "Oh, sit down and don't look so distressed.
It's nothing at all. They haven't been doing anything. I just want to
discuss them on general principles, you know. It's my duty to confer
with the parents and guardians of my scholars."

Immensely relieved, Prudence sank down in the chair, and rocked
comfortably to and fro a few times. General principles,--ah, blessed
words!

"I suppose you know that Carol is quite the idol of the high school
already. She is the adored one of the place. You see, she is not
mixed up in any scholastic rivalry. Lark is one of the very best in
her class, and there is intense rivalry between a few of the freshmen.
But Carol is out of all that, and every one is free to worship at her
shrine. She makes no pretensions to stand first."

"Is she very stupid?" Prudence was disappointed. She did so want both
of her twins to shine.

"Stupid! Not a bit of it. She is a very good scholar, much better
than the average. Our first pupils, including Lark, average around
ninety-six and seven. Then there are others ranging between ninety and
ninety-four. Carol is one of them. The fairly good ones are over
eighty-five, and the fairly bad ones are over seventy-five, and the
hopeless ones are below that. This is a rough way of showing how they
stand. Lark is a very fine scholar, really the best in the class. She
not only makes good grades, she grasps the underlying significance of
her studies. Very few freshmen, even among the best, do that. She is
quite exceptional. We hope to make something very big and fine of
Larkie."

Prudence's eyes shone with motherly pride. She nodded, striving to
make her voice natural and matter-of-fact as she answered, "Yes, she is
bright."

"She certainly is! Carol is quite different, but she is so
sweet-spirited, and vivacious, and--un-snobbish, if you know what that
means--that every one in high school, and even the grammar-grade
children, idolize her. She is very witty, but her wit is always
innocent and kind. She never hurts any one's feelings. And she is
never impertinent. The professors are as crazy about her as the
scholars,--forgive the slang. Did the twins ever tell you what
happened the fir