then to
Miss Merton. Say to Miss Merton that Miss Dean is a freshman, and that I
wish her assigned to a desk in the freshman section."

With a last glance of pleasant approval, which Marjorie's pretty face,
dainty attire and frank, yet modest bearing had evoked, the principal
retired to her inner office, and Marjorie obediently followed her guide,
who, without speaking, set off down the corridor at almost unnecessary
speed. "This way," she directed curtly as they reached the main
corridor. They passed down the corridor, descended a second stairway and
brought up directly in front of long rows of lockers. Within five
minutes Marjorie's hat had been put away, and she had received a locker
key. This done, her companion hurried her upstairs and down the wide
corridor through which they had first come.

Then she suddenly opened a door, and Marjorie found herself in an
enormous square room, which contained row upon row of shining oak desks,
occupied by what seemed to her hundreds of pupils. In reality there were
not more than two hundred and forty persons in the room, but in the eyes
of the little stranger everything was quadrupled. How different it was
from Franklin! So this was the study hall, one of the things on which
the school prided itself. In front of the rows of desks was one large
desk on a small raised platform, reminding Marjorie of an island in the
midst of a sea. At the desk sat a small, gray-haired woman, who peered
suspiciously over her glasses at Marjorie as she was lifelessly
introduced by Miss Arnold.

"I don't like _her_ at all," was the young girl's inward comment as she
walked behind the stiff, uncompromising, black-clothed back to a desk
almost in the middle of the last row of seats on the east side. But
Marjorie experienced a little shiver of delight as she seated herself,
for directly in front of her, and gazing at her with reassuring, smiling
eyes, was the Picture Girl.

CHAPTER V

GETTING ACQUAINTED WITH THE PICTURE GIRL

"Welcome to Sanford," whispered the girl, "and to the freshman class. I
was sure when I saw you the other day you couldn't be anything other
than a freshman."

Marjorie flushed, then smiled faintly. "I didn't think any of the girls
would remember me," she confessed.

"Oh, I remember you perfectly. You were across the street from school on
three different days, weren't you?"

Marjorie nodded. "I just had to come down and get acquainted with the
outside of the sc