The Girls of Central High

CONTENTS

CHAPTER		PAGE
I	A blow at the High Cost of Living	[1]
II	Athletics—Pro and Con	[11]
III	A Real Alarm	[21]
IV	“Poor Bobby”	[31]
V	Whom Do You Believe?	[38]
VI	False Evidence	[46]
VII	The Committee on Organization	[54]
VIII	Laura and the Principal	[62]
IX	“The Day of the Touch”	[74]
X	The Joke on Hester	[80]
XI	The Man on the Spire	[86]
XII	The M. O. R. Initiation	[95]
XIII	The Haunted House	[104]
XIV	The Test	[112]
XV	A Very Real “Ghost” Indeed	[119]
XVI	Where Is Laura?	[126]
XVII	The Mystery	[135]
XVIII	On the Eve of the Contest	[143]
XIX	Hester Fouls the Game	[151]
XX	The Eight-oared Shell	[159]
XXI	The Finish of the Boat Race	[166]
XXII	Staging a Thunderstorm	[178]
XXIII	The Unveiling of Hester	[186]
XXIV	The First Field Day	[194]
XXV	“Mother Wit”	[202]

THE GIRLS OF CENTRAL HIGH

CHAPTER I—A BLOW AT THE HIGH COST OF LIVING

“Hey, Laura!”

The side window of James Belding’s jewelry store was open behind the grillwork of strong steel bars. Laura had just finished dusting the inside of the last show case in the row on that side of the wide shop, and had replaced the trays. This was Laura Belding’s usual Saturday morning task; her father would not trust Chet to do it, although the lad often waited on customers.

Just now Mr. Belding was at the front of the store, showing a tray of his most valuable rings to a customer. The shopper was a stranger to both the jeweler and his daughter, who were alone in the place; therefore Mr. Belding’s eyes did not leave the tray before him.