Never had the disagreeable teacher at Central High been so little liked as
at this time. They blamed Miss Carrington more than they did Hester.

As the party of troubled girls left the school-house on this particular
afternoon, Lily Pendleton ran after them.

"What do you think has happened?" she cried.

"It's something bad, of course," groaned Nellie Agnew.

"Who is hurt?" asked Laura.

"It isn't that," said Lily. "But poor Purt Sweet!"

"Now what has he done?" asked Jess.

"It is what they say he has done, not what he really has done," wailed
Lily. "The police have been to his house. And what do you think?"

"I bet his mother's had a fit!" exclaimed Bobby, in an undertone.

"The police accuse Purt of running down that man on Market Street the other
Saturday night," said Lily warmly. "And Purt doesn't know anything more
about it than a baby! Isn't it awful, girls?"




CHAPTER XVIII