It is all so foolish." "But I want to know," said the old lady positively.

"Anne is so very dear to me, and I can't allow these hare-brained girls to make damaging statements about her.

Tell me at once, Grace." Grace reluctantly gave a brief account of her recent disagreement with her class and the unpleasantness to which Anne had been subjected.
"What does ail Miriam Nesbit?
She used to be such a nice child!" exclaimed Mrs.Gray.

"Really, Grace, I feel that I ought to go straight to Miss Thompson with this." Grace's heart sank.

That was just what she did not want Mrs.Gray to do.
"Dear Mrs.Gray," she said, patting the old lady's hand, "it is better for us to fight it out by ourselves.