them back as she found
them--"

"She has opened every blessed thing and peeked at it," was Tabitha's
indignant comment as she saw the mussed-up contents of the lower drawer,
now restored to its place in the dresser.

"Tabitha!" Miss Pomeroy's lips twitched, but her voice was very stern,
and the maid from Silver Bow flushed redder than ever, and contritely
cried,

"That was very hateful of me, but really, Miss Pomeroy, she never put
those things back as she found them, because I had that drawer looking
very neat and now see the muddle it is in!"

"We will discuss that later. I am shocked to think any of my girls would
act in such an unladylike manner as you have. Whenever any dispute
arises over your possessions, you are to come straight to me, or to
Madame DuBois, who has charge of this floor. Don't ever let me hear of
such actions again. Now, in order to prevent any further dissension, we
will decide which bed and chairs each of you is to have and which hooks
in the closet."

Tabitha's eyes sought the open closet as Miss Pomeroy spoke, and now she
burst out angrily, "She has taken all the hooks but seven on one end! I
should have fourteen because there are twenty-eight in all."

"Tabitha, if I have to speak to you again for interrupting, I shall send
you to the office to stay until bedtime. Chrystobel, take your clothes
off seven of those hooks and give them to Tabitha. Now, Tabitha, which
bed do you want?"

"I can't sleep near the window; mamma never allows it," spoke up the
haughty Chrystobel.

"That suits me all right," thought Tabitha, but aloud she merely said,
"It makes no difference to me."

"Then you may have the bed by the window. As for the chairs, they are
exactly alike--"

"I want this rocker," interrupted Chrystobel again, "the other squeaks,
and I can't bear that."

"Perhaps," observed Miss Pomeroy sarcastically, "it would be advisable
to mark your chairs with strings or ribbons, or something so there will
be no possibility of a recurrence of this dispute. Come now to the
dining hall and have your tea. I won't punish you this time, but if such
a disgraceful scene occurs again, I shall not be lenient with either
one."

"I don't care where my things are put," said irrepressible Tabitha, "and
I'm not trying to be a pig, either, even if I was here first; but I do
want what belongs to me by rights!"

Miss Pomeroy smiled in the dimness of the stairway, as she replied with
emphasis, "I expect