he conclusion that she had not even the vaguest
suspicion that anything was wrong; still, she sedulously avoided her,
and when Dorothy noticed and asked her about it, answered crossly,
"She never had liked that girl, and she never should to the longest
day of her life."

"And Marion certainly does not approve of Susan. How unfortunate!"
thought this kind Dorothy.

CHAPTER XVII.

NOVEMBER SNOWSTORM.

When November had fairly begun, the grove was leafless; the boats
taken out of the little lake and stored carefully away, to await the
return of birds and leaves; the days grown short, dark, and cold; the
"constitutionals" matters of dire necessity, but not in the least of
pleasure; study assumed new interest, and the worried teachers,
relieved for a time of their anxieties over half-learned lessons,
began to enjoy their arduous work, finding it really pleasant to teach
such bright girls.

The girl who made the best recitation was the heroine of the hour,
rules were observed more faithfully, a tender spirit went with them
into the morning and evening devotions, Faculty meetings became
cheerful. This seemed to Miss Ashton one of the most prosperous and
successful fall terms she had ever known; she congratulated herself
constantly on its benign influences, and often said, "I have fewer
black sheep in my flock than I have ever gathered together before."

There was one reason for this prosperity which she fully realized.
Thanksgiving was not far distant, and on that happy New England
festival, the school had a holiday of three or four days.

It was a practice to send then to the parents or guardians of the
pupils an account of their progress in their studies. The system of
marking had not been abandoned in the school; and many a lazy scholar,
whom neither intreaties nor scolding seemed to touch, was alarmed at
the record which she was to carry home. Such a thing had been known as
girls refusing to leave the academy even for Thanksgiving, rather than
to face what they knew awaited them with their disappointed parents.

But from whatever cause the change had come, it was destined to have a
severe shock before the festival day came.

Montrose Academy had been purposely built within a few miles of the
old and famous school for boys in Atherton. The reasons for this were,
the ease with which the best lecturers could be obtained from there in
many departments (a competent man finding plenty of time to lecture in
bo