no idea where it came from?" said Mr. Perkins,
with his frightful, sardonic grin. "Well, perhaps Cecily can tell us.
You may take your seat, Emmeline, and you will remain at the foot of
your spelling class for a week as punishment for passing the note.
Cecily, come here."

Indignant Em sat down and poor, innocent Cecily was haled forth to
public ignominy. She went with a crimson face.

"Cecily," said her tormentor, "do you know who wrote this letter to
you?"

Cecily, like a certain renowned personage, could not tell a lie.

"I--I think so, sir," she murmured faintly.

"Who was it?"

"I can't tell you that," stammered Cecily, on the verge of tears.

"Ah!" said Mr. Perkins politely. "Well, I suppose I could easily find
out by opening it. But it is very impolite to open other people's
letters. I think I have a better plan. Since you refuse to tell me who
wrote it, open it yourself, take this chalk, and copy the contents on
the blackboard that we may all enjoy them. And sign the writer's name at
the bottom."

"Oh," gasped Cecily, choosing the lesser of two evils, "I'll tell you
who wrote it--it was--

"Hush!" Mr. Perkins checked her with a gentle motion of his hand. He
was always most gentle when most inexorable. "You did not obey me when
I first ordered you to tell me the writer. You cannot have the privilege
of doing so now. Open the note, take the chalk, and do as I command
you."

Worms will turn, and even meek, mild, obedient little souls like Cecily
may be goaded to the point of wild, sheer rebellion.

"I--I won't!" she cried passionately.

Mr. Perkins, martinet though he was, would hardly, I think, have
inflicted such a punishment on Cecily, who was a favourite of his, had
he known the real nature of that luckless missive. But, as he afterwards
admitted, he thought it was merely a note from some other girl, of such
trifling sort as school-girls are wont to write; and moreover, he had
already committed himself to the decree, which, like those of Mede and
Persian, must not alter. To let Cecily off, after her mad defiance,
would be to establish a revolutionary precedent.

"So you really think you won't?" he queried smilingly. "Well, on second
thoughts, you may take your choice. Either you will do as I have bidden
you, or you will sit for three days with"--Mr. Perkins' eye skimmed over
the school-room to find a boy who was sitting alone--"with Cyrus Brisk."

This choice of Mr. Perkins, who knew nothing o