te her case. Then she
said quietly, "Mr. Sills, I have heard of key books but I have never
seen one."

"Then how did the book get into your desk! Don't make matters worse by
trying to lie out of it. Make a full confession and take the
punishment. Since you are away from your parents, we will make an
exception in your case and not expel you if you say you did it."

"Mr. Sills, I cannot make a confession of something that I never did.
I tell you I never saw that book until Miss Owens took it from my desk."

"Let me see her test paper, Miss Owens. Then you may go back and
dismiss your class, but come here again."

The principal took the test paper in his hand and commenced to go
through it. He did not look surprised when he came across sentences
that usually proved stumbling blocks to the pupils, to find them
perfectly translated by Kit. He tapped the paper as if he were saying
to himself, "I told you so!"

"Have you ever studied Latin before?" he asked her just as Miss Owens
returned.

"No sir, this is my first year."

"Then I do not believe that you could have turned in such a good paper
without help. It has never been done before and we do not expect
anyone to answer more than half of the questions. Your mistakes are so
slight that the paper may be counted perfect. That seems to me
evidence enough of your guilt."

Kit did not answer for a moment, but her eyes were blazing. "You
accuse me of copying without real proof! How dare you!"

The principal flushed. "Don't you think the fact that you had a key
book in your desk during examination period is proof enough?"

"I know it looks bad, Mr. Sills, but it isn't proof. It can't be proof
because I never saw the book before."

"Yet where the name is erased, it looks strangely like your initials."

Mr. Sills passed the book to Kit. The tracings of the first letter
although dim, certainly looked like a "K."

"It doesn't make any difference. Even if my name was written in full
on that page, I still tell you I never saw the book before."

And through all the questioning, Kit remained firm. Every moment Miss
Owens became more excited and indignant against Kit. She felt that the
good papers the girl had passed in daily, had been copied, and she
disliked the idea of having had such a thing put over in the class.

Kit stood the grilling with patience for a long time, then suddenly she
jumped to her feet:

"I have a right to have a friendly person