roof piled high of Judith Stearns' "fatal failing."

There was but one thing more to be done before winding-up summarily an
affair that had been to her vexatious from the beginning. She had
obtained plenty of evidence for the defense. Now she turned her
attention to the prosecution. She had yet to hold a private word with
Elsie Noble. This she resolved to do directly the freshman in question
had returned to the Hall from her afternoon classes.

Elsie, on her part, had been looking forward to this very interview
with a degree of sullen satisfaction. On the day following the scene in
Mrs. Weatherbee's room, Marian had informed her cousin of all that had
taken place. As a result, Elsie had flown into a tempestuous rage over
having been dragged into the trouble by Marian.

"You've got to do as I say, Elsie. If you don't, you'll be sorry,"
Marian had coldly threatened. "Maiz and I will drop you. Besides, I'll
tell Mrs. Weatherbee all about that register business. Then she'll
believe you listened outside the dressing-room, no matter how much you
may deny it."

"I'll do as I please," Elsie had furiously retorted, and flung herself
out of Marian's room.

Not at all alarmed by her cousin's anger, Marian had confidently
remarked to Maizie: "Elsie doesn't dare go back on us. She'll do as I
tell her. She always fusses a lot, then gives in. She has no more time
for those three prigs than we have."

For once she was mistaken. Elsie had changed, though she alone knew it.
Her secret admiration for Norma had paved the way to better things. She
now rebelled at the thought of facing this sweet, truthful-eyed girl
with a lie on her own lips. Marian's threat to expose her fault had
awakened her to a bitter knowledge of her cousin's unbounded malice. She
experienced a belated revulsion of feeling toward Judith Stearns. Jane
Allen's explanation of the gown incident, scornfully repeated to Elsie
by Marian, now stood for truth in Elsie's mind.

Having gone thus far, Elsie next mentally weighed Marian's bolder
accusation against Judith concerning the missing jewelry. Face to face
with her cousin's utter lack of principle, for the first time it
occurred to her to wonder whether Marian might not know better than
anyone else the whereabouts of the missing pin and ring. She decided to
do a little private investigating of her own.

When, at five o'clock on the fateful Monday afternoon, the maid brought
her word that Mrs. Weatherbee wished to