fin with
Doris Leighton and Miss Green came quickly in.

Doris Leighton, who was flushed and animated, went directly up to
Elinor.

"It's a shame," she said, with a marked effort to subdue her own
complacency. "Everybody knows you are much too conscientious to do
such a thing. I've told everybody how shocked I am that Mr. Benton
should make such a horrid mistake. It's simply a thought wave, and
I've told everyone that you're not at all to blame."

Elinor looked at her very calmly, and said with a tinge of amusement in
her level voice, "You must be very thankful that you got your study in
first, for then you would have had to congratulate me instead of
commiserating me."

Patricia felt rather ashamed of Elinor's lack of response to what she
considered Doris' loyal support, and she broke out gratefully, "You'll
tell them all, won't you? They'll soon understand if you tell them!"

She had her reward in Doris' dazzling smile, and her assurances that
she would do all she could to make Elinor's vindication speedy and
thorough.

Elinor was more cordial to Miss Green's solemn and indignant protest
against the powers that be. The stout monitor had so much genuine good
feeling that the sincerity of her wrath could not be doubted.

"It is most unfair, unfair, Miss Kendall," she reiterated, with her two
dewlaps solemnly wagging to and fro. "It is most unprofessional of Mr.
Benton, and, even if you had copied (which of course no one dreams of
saying), it would still be most indelicate to expose a student directly
to the publicity of such a reprimand. I deplore it. I deplore it most
heartily. And your manner of receiving the unmerited rebuke has made
me admire you more than I can say."

Elinor thanked her with pretty gratitude.

"I shall make it a personal matter to report to the committee," said
Miss Green, as she prepared to follow the vanishing skirts of the prize
bearer. "I shall certainly bring the matter to their notice before the
next meeting," and with a cordial shake of Elinor's hand she sailed
out, with her black cloak billowing behind her and her plume quivering
with suppressed indignation.

"Isn't she the good old sport?" cried Griffin, in lively admiration.
"She'll do the work of a half dozen niminy-piminy dolls like Leighton.
Margaret Howes and your humble servant will back her up, too, and that
committee will sit up and take notice before it's a week older, or my
name's not Virginia Althea Frigil