tainly gone wrong. She had had so many pleasant little thrills of anticipation that she had quite forgotten Miss Merton and the teacher's unreasoning dislike for her, whic

rtunity presented itself. Marjorie even had her suspicions that Miss Merton had known th

or Mary, her eyes fastened on the big study-hall door. Then her thoughts switched from Miss Merton to Co

ary emerged from the hall, looking like a young thundercloud. She closed

laimed, as she hurried toward Marjorie. "

her. Tell me, are you or are you not a sophomore?

ss Archer said, and after that she treated me more civilly. Such a teache

a natural dislike, I suppose. Sometimes, after a teacher has taught school a great many years, she t

y patted Marjorie's hand w

m in Mary's. "The girls will be waiting for us outside. We are all going down to Sargent's for ice cream. Then we'll go home and report to Captain. After luncheon, I think we had

y Gables with you. I must write to mother. Beside

d we?" she asked. "You know you are always fi

er conclusions. "I wish you would tell me all about yoursel

had hung so heavily over her freshman year. "I'd love to tell you about it now, Mary, but I think I had better ask Constance first if she is willing for me to do so. You see, it concerns

managed to say with a brave assumption of indifference. "I

nd I will if Connie says I ma

d the double entrance doors to the building and were

ried out delightedly. She had

before. I've been to the train. Father is here. He's going to be

y with him?" asked Mar

for him. It isn't anything so serious. He proposed that as lo

ry Macy. "Hurrah for Mr.

bles by himself, while I rushed over here as fast as I could come. I wanted to catch you girls together so I could invite you in a body. Jerry, do you suppose

th you. What is mere ice cream when compared to a dance? Besides, it's fattening-the ice cream, I mean. I've lost five p

sion of the coming festivity. A little later they trooped down the street to th

r luncheon," commented Marjorie to Mary, w

ed that she was going to give a party in honor of her, the very person she had robbed of her best friend! It was insufferable. What could she do? If she refused to go, Marjorie and all those girls would wonder. She could give no reasonable excuse for declining to go at this

Mary who slipped into her

ed Mrs. Dean, noting the girl's

ade reply, torturing her so

tain," explained Marjorie. Then she launched fo

daughter's recital progressed. She had m

arjorie had finished, "but I will not hear of either of you being imposed upon. If Miss Merton continue

having her army abuse

cer," was her mother's reply. "To change the subject,

vances for the moment. As little girls they had always

rt of the afternoon, and it was after fi

ared Marjorie, finishing her dessert in a hurry. "It's almost s

of absence," reminded Mr. Dean. "Y

hat it is to-morrow," retorted Marjorie. "Come

e girl she now believed she disliked. Marjorie's praise of her pretty white chiffon evening frock almost r

ey alighted from the machine at the gate to Gray Gables, waving her a gay good night, M

sentiment Constance Stevens had chosen to wear the blue chiffon dress-Marjorie's gracious gift to her.

arjorie declared over and over again that she would never part with it? And now she had deliberately given it to Constance. This proved beyond a doubt where Mar

to co