she had something on her mind."

Presently the door opened and Miriam was ushered in. Grace wondered a
little at her call, considering the unfriendly spirit Miriam had recently
exhibited toward her. She greeted Miriam cordially. The laws of
hospitality were sacred in the Harlowe family, and not for worlds would
Grace have shown anything but the kindest feeling toward a guest under her
own roof.

Miriam accepted the chair and the cup of chocolate tendered her, ignoring
the plate of cakes offered by Anne. She looked about her like a marksman
taking aim before he fires. There was a danger signal in either eye.

"She is out for slaughter," thought Nora.

"Well, Miriam, what's the news?" said Marian Barber good-naturedly. "You
have a mysterious, newsy look in your eye. Is it good, bad or
indifferent?"

"How did you guess that I had news?" inquired Miriam. Then without waiting
for an answer she went on. "I certainly have, and very unpleasant news, at
that."

"Out with it," said Nora, "and don't keep us in suspense."

"Well," said Miriam, "I suppose you all noticed how the juniors outwitted
us at every point last Saturday? We put up a hard fight, too. The reason
of it was that they knew every one of our signals."

"How dreadful!" "How did they get their information?" "Who told you so?"