t, Madam," he said to the stricken one
courteously. "There's a doctor at the Junction, I'm sure. What makes you
think you're paralyzed?"

"My good man," said the woman majestically, "when a person in good health
and accustomed to normal activity suddenly loses the power to use
her--er--feet, isn't that an indication of some physical trouble?"

Her unfortunate and un-American phrase, "my good man," had nettled the
conductor, and besides his train was losing time.

"We'll miss connections at the Junction if we fool away much more time,"
he said testily. "I wonder--Why look here! No wonder you can't use
your feet!"

To the elderly woman's horror he had swooped down and laid a not
ungentle hand on her ankle in its neat and smart-looking shoe. Now he
took out his knife, slashed twice, and held up the pieces of a stout
length of twine.

"You were tied to the seat-base by the heels of your shoes," he informed
the patient grimly. "One foot tied to the other, too. Well, Jim, take in
your signals--guess we can mosey along."

"And who would have expected her to wear high-heeled boots!" exclaimed
Bobby, with real amazement showing in voice and look.

The few passengers in the car, aside from the school contingent, were
openly laughing. The victim of this practical joke turned a dull red and
the glare she turned on the back of the luckless Tommy's head was proof
enough that she knew exactly where to lay the blame.

However, she said nothing, nor did she make another trip down the aisle
and as Tommy philosophically whispered, this was worth all he had dared
and suffered. Sydney and Winifred finished their game before the Junction
was reached and that brought a wild charge to get on the train that would
carry them to Shadyside station.

To their relief, there was no sign of the elderly woman in the new car,
and as they were all a bit tired from the journey and excitement the
hour's ride to Shadyside from the Junction was comparatively quiet.

Betty looked eagerly from the window as the brakesman shouted,
"Shadyside! Shadyside!"

CHAPTER X

SHADYSIDE SCHOOL

"Isn't it a pretty station!" said Louise Littell.

Betty agreed with her.

The lawn was still green about the gray stone building and the tiles on
the low-hanging roof were moss green, too. The long platform was roofed
over and seemed swarming with girls and boys. Evidently a train had come
in from the other direction a few minutes before the Junction tra