she had obtained some idea of how the accident had occurred.

"I'll tell Squire Sanders," answered the girl on the couch, "and then
you will be arrested, every one of you who--who tried to kill me!"

"Come!" whispered Tavia to Dorothy as Mrs. Ford appeared. "It only makes
matters worse for us to be here."

Then as the mother fell weeping by the couch Tavia and Dorothy left the
room.




CHAPTER VIII

SQUIRE SANDERS AT SCHOOL


Dorothy had always been able to influence Tavia, and to show her that to
do right would be best in the end, although the doing of it might, at
the time, seem very hard, and very unreasonable; but all her efforts now
to induce her friend to go with her to school that afternoon and make
the necessary explanation to Miss Ellis, were without avail--Tavia
absolutely refused to go.

"No matter what comes of it," Dorothy told herself, as she walked sadly
along the path, through the lane back to the schoolyard alone, "I'll
stand by Tavia. She meant no harm, and was no more to blame than any one
else. But I do wish, she had come this afternoon. It looks as if she