s imminent. St. Ursula's had been beaten the year
before; it would mean everlasting disgrace if defeat met them a second
time, for Highland Hall was a third their size. The captain harangued
and scolded an apathetic team.

"It's Mae Mertelle and her beastly violets!" she disgustedly grumbled to
Patty. "She's taken all the fight out of them."

The teachers, meanwhile, were uneasily aware that the atmosphere was
overcharged. The girls stood about in groups, thrilling visibly when Mae
Mertelle passed by. There was a moonlight atmosphere about the school
that was not conducive to high marks in Latin prose composition. The
matter finally became the subject of an anxious faculty meeting. There
was no actual data at hand; it was all surmise, but the source of the
trouble was evident. The school had been swept before by a wave of
sentiment; it was as catching as the measles. The Dowager was inclined
to think that the simplest method of clearing the atmosphere would be to
pack Mae Mertelle and her four trunks back to the paternal fireside, and
let her foolish mother deal with the case. Miss Lord was
characteristically bent upon fighting it out. She would stop the
nonsense by force. Mademoiselle, who was inclined to sentiment, feared
that the poor child was really suffering. She thought sympathy and
tact--But Miss Sallie's bluff common-sense won the day. If the sanity of
Saint Ursula's demanded it, Mae Mertelle must go; but she thought, by
the use of a little diplomacy, both St. Ursula's sanity and Mae Mertelle
might be preserved. Leave the matter to her. She would use her own
methods.

Miss Sallie was the Dowager's daughter. She managed the practical end of
the establishment--provided for the table, ruled the servants, and ran
off, with the utmost ease, the two hundred acres of the school farm.
Between the details of horseshoeing and haying and butter-making, she
lent her abilities wherever they were needed. She never taught; but she
disciplined. The school was noted for unusual punishments, and most of
them originated in Miss Sallie's brain. Her title of "Dragonette" was
bestowed in respectful admiration of her mental qualities.

The next day was Tuesday, Miss Sallie's regular time for inspecting the
farm. As she came downstairs after luncheon drawing on her driving
gloves, she just escaped stepping on Conny Wilder and Patty Wyatt who,
flat on their stomachs, were trying to poke out a golf ball from under
the hat-rack.

"