h suppressed excitement. Jerry caught sight of the
tell-tale locker and emitted an indignant snort.

"Mary took her advice, Susie! If I were the President of the United
States I'd have that Mignon La Salle deported to the South Sea Islands,
or Kamchatka, or some place where she couldn't get back in a hurry. It
would be a good deal farther than boarding school, I can just tell you,"
she ended with an angry sputter.

Marjorie faced the battery of indignant young faces. "What is the
trouble, girls?" She tried to keep her voice steady, though she was at
the point of tears.

"What's the matter with your friend, Mary Raymond, Marjorie?" continued
Jerry in a slightly lower key. "Has she gone suddenly crazy or--or----"
Jerry hesitated. She could not voice the other question which rose to
her lips.

"Girls," Marjorie viewed her friends with brave, direct eyes, "you know
something that I don't about Mary. What is it?"

"It's about Mignon," blurted Jerry. "Susie says that the minute she
landed in her seat she began talking to Mary."

"I made signs to Mary to pay no attention to her," broke in Susan
Atwell, "but she didn't understand what I meant and I couldn't explain,
with Mignon sitting right there. The next thing I saw, they were walking
down the aisle together as though they'd known each other all their
lives."

"Yes, and they came into geometry together, too," supplemented Jerry.
"But that's not the worst. Tell Marjorie what you overheard, Susie."

"Well," began Susan, looking important, "when I came back to the study
hall just before the last class was called, they were both there ahead
of me. Just as I was going to sit down at my desk I heard Mignon tell
Mary she'd love to have her share her locker. Mary was looking awfully
sober and pretty cross, too, as though she were mad about something. I
heard her say, 'How can I get my wraps?' and Mignon said, 'Go to Marcia
Arnold and see if you can borrow Miss Stevens' key for a minute. If she
hasn't come back to school yet, very likely Marcia has it. Tell her you
want to take something from it and don't care to bother Miss Dean. You
can easily do it, because you haven't a recitation at this hour. I'd get
it for you, but I haven't any good reason for asking her for it.' I
couldn't hear what Mary said, but she left her seat and I saw her stop
at Miss Merton's desk. Miss Merton nodded her head and Mary went on out
of the study hall. Mignon saw me looking after her and smiled