nnet made no remark.

"She's so fond of Miss Elton, too. I don't see how she could have meant
to be rude to her."

"I'm afraid there is not much doubt about that," was the answer.

"It seems to me," went on Ruth nervously, "that there's some mystery
about it. Maysie won't tell me anything."

"Maysie has no reason to be proud of herself," replied Miss Bennet
coldly.

"It seems so horrid her not going in for the exhibition, and she's so
good at painting."

"There are various ways of making use of one's talents," said Miss
Bennet, rising. "Now this----"

Ruth jumped to her feet, and stood gazing. There, on Miss Bennet's
writing-table, lay the identical scrap of paper that she had shown to
Maysie the Friday before. "Miss E. in a tantrum!" There, too, was
Maysie's name in the corner. In a moment everything was clear.

"That!" she exclaimed. "Maysie didn't do that!"

Miss Bennet looked at her doubtfully.

"I did it!" she went on. "Oh, if I'd only known! Why didn't some one
tell me about it?"

"My dear child," began Miss Bennet.

"Yes, I did it!" repeated Ruth passionately. "It's Maysie's drawing, but
I altered it, I made up the words. Poor little Maysie! And she was so
keen on trying for the exhibition! It's so horribly unfair, when I did
it all the time!" She broke off with a sob, hardly knowing what she was
saying.

"But why----"

"I didn't know, and of course she wouldn't sneak about me--catch Maysie
sneaking! I told her I should be expelled if I got into another row."

Miss Bennet tried to calm her.

"Come, dear child," she said gravely; "if Maysie has been punished for
your fault, we must do our best to set things right at once. Tell me how
it happened."

Ruth explained as well as she could.

"And now Maysie's gone to bed," she added regretfully.

"Then I will go up to her. You can go back to your class-room."

Miss Bennet found Maysie asleep, with flushed cheeks, and eyelashes
still wet with tears. She stooped down, and kissed her gently. Maysie
opened her eyes with a sigh, and then sat up in bed. It had seemed
almost as if her mother were bending over her. "I am going to scold you,
Maysie," said Miss Bennet, but her smile belied her words.

Maysie smiled faintly in answer.

"Why have you allowed us to do you an injustice?"

The child was overwrought, and a sudden dread seized hold of her.

"Why--what do you mean, Miss Bennet?" she faltered.

"Ruth has explained everything to me. It is a