une, and at that same time Nancy would become a
full-fledged junior. Bob was going to Cornell; but that was not too far
away, as he often told her, for him to come back to Clintondale to see
both the girls and boys there.

The only thing that troubled Nancy about this semi-intimacy between
herself and the Academy boy was the fact that Grace Montgomery was so
angry. She seemed to have an idea that the only person who had any right
to speak to her cousin was herself.

Nancy was not so afraid to demand her rights as she once had been. If
Grace and Cora scowled at her, and belittled her behind her back, Nancy
had learned to go serenely on her way and pay no attention to them.

What if they _did_ say she was a "nobody?" Nancy knew that she was
popular enough with her classmates to win the high position of class
president twice in succession.

"Let the little dogs howl and snarl," Jennie said. "What do _we_ care?"

Yet the slur upon her identity could always hurt Nancy Nelson. Many a
night, after Jennie was sound asleep in her bed, Nancy bedewed her
pillow with tears.

She reviewed at these times all the important incidents in her short
life.

The few brief notes that Mr. Gordon had sent to her she treasured
carefully. She could not admire that peculiar gentleman; yet he was the
one link that seemed to bind her to her mysterious fortune.

She received characteristic notes from Scorch O'Brien, now and then;
they got past the Madame's desk unopened because they were addressed on
the typewriter, and purported to come from the office of Ambrose, Necker
& Boles.

So the weeks sped. Spring came and then the budding summer, and again
the long line of white-robed girls walked the winding paths of Pinewood
Hall. The school year seemed to have fairly flown and Nancy and her
mates found themselves facing the fact that they were no longer
sophomores, but juniors!

The Montgomery clique "got busy" again and tried to balk the election of
Nancy for a third time to the office of president of the class. To be
president in junior year was just as good as an appointment to the
captaincy of a Side in senior year.

But Nancy had kept on the even tenor of her way. Her marks were just as
good as ever, and she stood at the head of most of her classes. The
teachers liked her and most of her own class considered her a bright and
particular star. So there was little chance of Grace and Cora
accomplishing their ends.

The graduating exer