shall have nothing to
do this evening but work on the neckties," said Aggie, as she made her
preparations for leaving the room. II You girls go, and I'll arrange it
with the Deacon, so that we can get in here in the morning ahead of
the boys."

Of course girls don't cheer, when anything pleases them, as boys do,
but this particular
party of girls were strongly tempted to do so as they left the room, so
thoroughly convinced were they that they would soon triumph over those
who had tried to humiliate them.


CHAPTER III
TOM 'S SCHEME

DESPITE all efforts, not a boy had been able to learn what course the
girls had decided upon during the meeting in. the classroom. Several
of those who were in favor of the sleigh-ride had sisters among the
"ten-centers," and they used every effort to learn what had been the
result of the meeting; but, in each individual case, before the boy had
asked very many questions, he found that his sister was more successful
in getting information from him than he from her.

During that evening the girls kept their secret closely guarded, while
more than one of
the boys had inadvertently divulged enough of Si's great scheme to
enable the girls to judge quite clearly what they proposed to do. Si
had notified his friends and adherents that he would meet them at half-
past eight in the schoolroom, when he expected that each one would be