she said to herself as the door closed
between them. "Poor girl; my heart aches for her. If she stays here the
girls have just got to be nicer to her--that's all! And she's going to
stay--she _must_, even if I have to send for Uncle Cliff to help
straighten things out."

CHAPTER XII

INITIATED

It was the next afternoon after Blue Bonnet's interview with Joy Cross
that she ran up to Carita's room to chat a moment during visiting hour.

"Whew!" Mary Boyd said, blowing into the room breezily and tossing an
armful of books into the middle of her bed, "what's up? There's been a
Faculty meeting. The seats of the mighty were filled to overflowing. I
just saw every teacher in the building filing out. You should have seen
Fraulein! She had Madam de Cartier buttonholed in the hall talking to
her like mad. She dropped her voice as I passed, so I couldn't get a
word."

"Mary!" Carita exclaimed, "you wouldn't have listened, would you?"

"Oh, I don't know. Yes, I think I should if I'd had the chance. I'd like
to know what's the matter--there's something, all right."

"Mary, you're so curious," remarked Peggy Austin from the couch. "It was
a regular meeting, wasn't it?"

"Indeed it wasn't. Faculty's met on Tuesday since time began. Guess I
ought to know. I've just escaped being up before it twice."

Blue Bonnet was silent. She could have enlightened Mary; but she guarded
the secret of Joy Cross's trouble. Blue Bonnet had been called to Miss
North's office just before Faculty convened, but not a word as to the
outcome of Joy's difficulty had been mentioned. Miss North had merely
told her what she already knew; that Joy had put the book in the drawer
and that Blue Bonnet was exonerated from all blame. Miss North
complimented her on her patience, as well as her silence. She wished the
matter to be kept as quiet as possible.

Blue Bonnet had gone out of the office with a lighter heart than she had
known in some days--and yet she was troubled for Joy. She hoped Joy
would not be sent home--hoped it with all her heart; and once while Miss
North was talking, she had almost ventured to speak with her about it;
but it seemed rather presumptuous--as if Miss North might not quite
understand her own business.

She was wondering as Mary spoke how it would all end, and a little frown
wrinkled her brow.

"What's the matter with you, Blue Bonnet?" Mary asked. "You're as sober
as a judge. They weren't discussing you in the meet