The Head had asked if Miss Groome suspected any of her girls in the matter of cribbing.
“I do not,” replied the Form-mistress. “Dorothy Sedgewick has, of course, the hardest work to keep up with her Form, but she is doing it by means of steady plodding. She is not brilliant, but she is not to be beaten at steady work, and it is that which counts for most in the long run.”
The Head nodded thoughtfully, then she asked in a rather strange tone, “Did you wonder why I did not bring that tattered book into the Form-room when I came to talk about it?”
“Yes, I did,” replied Miss Groome.
“I did not dare bring it because of the commotion which might have sprung up.” The Head laughed softly as she spoke, and unlocking an inner drawer of her desk, she produced the torn old book which had made so much discomfort among the Sixth. “Look at this.” As she spoke she put the dirty old thing into the hands of Miss Groome, pointing to a name written in faded ink on the inside of the cover.
The name was Amelia Herschstein, and when she had read it Miss Groome asked with a little gasp, “Why! what does it mean?”
“That is just what I want to find out,” replied the Head crisply. “It looks as if we are up against a full-sized mystery.”
CHAPTER X
FAIR FIGHTING
The weeks flew by. There had been no clue to the mystery of that torn book which had Amelia Herschstein’s name written inside the cover, and in the rush of other things the matter had been nearly forgotten by most of the girls. The Head and Miss Groome did not forget; but whereas Miss Groome frankly admitted herself scared stiff by the uncanny character of the find, and refused to be left alone in the sitting-room on the upper floor when the others had gone to bed, the Head got into the habit of walking quietly up the stairs most nights, going along the passage, opening the doors of the different rooms, and coming down the other stairs.