who ought to be expelled from it, and I for one
declare openly that I will not submit to associate with a girl who is
worse than unladylike. If you will permit me, Miss Good, I will carry
these things at once to Mrs. Willis, and beg of her to investigate the
whole affair, and bring the culprit to justice, and to turn her out of
the school."

"Stay, Miss Russell," exclaimed the English teacher, "you strangely and
completely forget yourself. You are provoked, I own, but you have no
right to stand up and absolutely hoist the flag of rebellion in the faces
of the other girls. I cannot excuse your conduct. I will myself take away
these parcels which were found in your desk, and will report the affair
to Mrs. Willis. She will take what steps she thinks right in bringing you
to order, and in discovering the author of this mischief. Return
instantly to your desk, Miss Russell; you strangely forget yourself."

Miss Good left the room, having removed the plum-cake and "Turkish
delight" from Dora Russell's desk, and lessons continued as best they
could under such exciting circumstances.

At twelve o'clock that day, just as the girls were preparing to go up to
their rooms to get ready for their usual walk, Mrs. Willis came into the
school-room.

"Stay one moment, young ladies," said the head-mistress in that slightly
vibrating and authoritative voice of hers. "I have a word or two to say
to you all. Miss Good has just brought me a painful story of wanton and
cruel mischief. There are fifty girls in this school, who, until lately,
lived happily together. There is now one girl among the fifty whose
object it is to sow seeds of discord and misery among her companions.
Miss Good has told me of three different occasions on which mischief has
been done to different girls in the school. Twice Miss Russell's desk has
been disturbed, once Miss Thornton's. It is possible that other girls may
also have suffered who have been noble enough not to complain. There is,
however, a grave mischief, in short a moral disease in our midst. Such a
thing is worse than bodily illness--it must be stamped out instantly and
completely at the risk of any personal suffering. I am now going to ask
you, girls, a simple question, and I demand instant truth without any
reservation. Miss Russell's desk has been tampered with--Miss Thornton's
desk has been tampered with. Has any other girl suffered injury--has any
other girl's desk been touched?"

Mrs. Willis l