Her eyes wandered toward where Eleanor sat, looking bored and indifferent, and then she looked toward Grace, whose steady gray eyes were fixed on the principal's face with respectful attention.
"I don't believe Grace is guilty, at any rate," thought Miss Thompson; then she addressed the assembled girls.
"Something has come to my ears, girls," said the principal, "that I find hard to credit, but before you leave here this afternoon I must know who is innocent and who is guilty." Miss Thompson paused and a number of girls stirred uneasily in their seats, while a few glanced quickly toward Eleanor, who was looking straight ahead, the picture of innocence.
"You all know," continued the principal, "that it is strictly forbidden for any pupil to absent herself from school for the purpose of attending a circus, matinee or any public performance of this nature.

I have so severely disciplined pupils for this offence that for a long time no one has disobeyed me.

I was, therefore, astonished to learn that a number of girls, regardless of rules, have taken matters into their own hands and have decided to absent themselves from school to-morrow in order to attend the matinee to be given in the theatre.

Such a decision is worse than disobedience--it is lawlessness.

Unless a severe example is made of the offenders, the standard of the school will be lowered.