"You have disgraced your office," he declared, "but the most outrageous
of your offenses was that of bringing into this office two innocent
schoolgirls--doctoring up a charge against them, trying to force them
to acknowledge they had taken part in an affair that they had absolutely
nothing to do with--and all this you did for the paltry fee that goes
with each case on your books. Now, Sanders, I have spoken to the members
of the board here present and the verdict in your case is--that you
leave Dalton inside of ten days. The penalty for contempt in the matter
will be a public trial, and, no doubt, imprisonment."

It was a difficult matter to restrain the boys present. They wanted to
cheer--to shout, but were not allowed to do so. Ralph had quite
recovered himself now, and so insisted on going alone to the drugstore
to have his slight wounds dressed if necessary. Two of the selectmen
looked after Sanders, releasing him of the handcuffs, and advising him
"to make himself scarce" around Dalton, until the feeling against him
had quieted down some. All the defiance had left him now; he scarcely
raised his head as he crept out the back way to his rooms next door.

Upon hearing the school story in full Mr. MacAllister decided to take
his daughter and Tavia back to the school room himself, and set every
thing right with Miss Ellis and her pupils.

"You have had a rough time of it lately," he commented as he and the two
girls made their way to the school.

"But Alice is a--a brick!" declared Tavia, in appreciation of her
friend's assistance. "She helped us splendidly."

"Glad to hear it," answered the father, "Alice is our tom-boy, but she