At the unexpected meeting, the girl flushed, then dropped her head with the evident intention of passing without speaking.
But Fred did not propose to let her.
"I say, Al—Miss Montgomery, it was mighty good of you to enroll for the Scholarship," he exclaimed impulsively. "If you hadn't come in, I don't believe the others would—and the award would have been passed for this year."
"Then your winning it means a great deal?" queried the girl, deciding from the earnestness with which Fred spoke, that he probably had entered more for the money involved, than for the honor.
"Indeed, it does, Miss Montgomery."
"I'm so glad—I mean I'm glad my entering gives you a chance to win the Scholarship," she corrected hastily. "And—Fred—I wish you'd keep on calling me Alice. 'Miss Montgomery' is my name to those I don't like."
And with this glimpse of her attitude upon the rivalry existing between her brother and Fred, the girl hastened on her way to the classroom.
For a moment, Fred gazed after her in speechless amazement.
"Well, of all things!" he murmured to himself, when at last he had recovered from his surprise. "It's lucky Bart wasn't round. He's brute enough to be mean to his own sister."
Further consideration of Alice's words was prevented by the noisy appearance of several boys from the basement.