Marjorie's eyes flashed her contempt of the anonymous missive. She
folded it quietly, then, reaching into her desk, drew forth a sheet of
note paper and wrote:

"Miss La Salle:

"Although the note I found on my desk is not signed, I am sure that you
wrote it. I do not think you have the slightest right to dictate to me
in a personal matter. Miss Stevens and I are perfectly capable of
settling our own affairs without the help of any member of the freshman
class.

"Marjorie Dean."

Mignon's pale face flushed crimson as she read the note which Marjorie
lost no time in sending to her via the student route, which was merely
the passing of it from desk to desk until it reached its destination.
With a scornful lifting of her shoulders she flung the note on her desk,
then snatching it up, tore it into tiny pieces.

When school was dismissed she lingered and twenty minutes afterward
emerged from Miss Archer's office in company with Marcia Arnold, an
expression of triumph in her black eyes.

When she reached home that afternoon she took from the drawer of her
dressing-table something small and shining and examined it carefully.
"It looks the same, but is it?" she muttered. "Where did the other come
from? I don't understand it in the least. Just the same, Marjorie Dean
thinks Miss Smarty Stevens took her pin. She was thunderstruck when she
saw that Stevens girl wearing it this morning. She's too much afraid of
not telling the truth to deny it in her letter. There's something gone
wrong with their friendship, too. I'm sure of it from the way they have
been acting. I don't know what it's all about, but I do know that this,"
she touched the small, shining object, "shall never help them solve
their problem."

CHAPTER XXII

PLANNING FOR THE MASQUERADE

On the morning following Mignon's visit to Miss Archer's office,
Marjorie was unpleasantly startled to hear Miss Merton call out
stridently just after opening exercises, "Miss Dean, report to Miss
Archer, at once."

A battery of curious eyes was turned in speculation upon Marjorie as she
walked the length of the study hall, outwardly composed, but inwardly
resentful at Miss Merton's tone, which, to her sensitive ears, bordered
on insult.

"Good morning, Miss Archer; Miss Merton said you wished to see me,"
began Marjorie, quietly, as she entered the outer office where Miss
Archer stood, reading a letter which her se