of the house as though on air. Her cup of
happiness was full to the brim. She carefully tucked the precious paper
away in her bag and sped down the street on winged feet.

The incredible had come to pass. Her old-time enemy had become her friend.
She wondered if it could have ever come about by any other means. She
doubted it. She had always heard that "Desperate cases require desperate
remedies." The happenings of the past week seemed conclusive proof of the
truth of the saying. Furthermore, she believed in the sincerity of Julia
Crosby's repentance. It was more than skin deep. She felt that
henceforward Julia would be different. Best of all, she had the reward of
her own conscience. In being true to Anne she had been true to herself.

CHAPTER XVI

AN OUNCE OF LOYALTY

When the girls of the sophomore class entered their locker-room the next
day they found a notice posted to the effect that a class meeting would be
held after school in the locker-room at which all members were earnestly
requested to be present.

There was considerable speculation as to the object of the meeting, and no
one knew who had posted the notice. Grace kept her own counsel. She wished
to take the class by surprise, and thus make Anne's restoration to favor
complete.

At recess Nora and Jessica brought up the subject, but found that Grace
apparently wished to avoid talking about it.

"You'll attend, won't you, Grace?" asked Anne.

"Of course," said Grace hastily. "Will you excuse me, girls? I have a
theorem to study."

She felt that if she stayed a minute longer she would tell her friends the
good news and spoil her surprise.

"What makes Grace act so queerly to-day?" said Jessica. "I believe she
knows something and won't tell us."

"I'll make her tell it," said Nora, and ran after Grace. But just then the
gong sounded and recess was over.

As soon as school was dismissed for the day, the entire sophomore class
crowded into the locker-room. They were curious to know what was in the
wind. Every member was present, and Grace felt a secret satisfaction when
Miriam Nesbit, looking rather bored, sauntered in.

There was a confused murmur of voices. The girls chattered gayly to each
other, as they waited for some one to call the meeting to order. When
Grace left the corner where she had been standing with her three friends,
and stood facing her classmates, the talking instantly ceased.

"Girls," she said, "I suppose you wonder