"Well, what do you want?" asked Stella, when Janice came within hearing. "Are you begging more old clothes for that protegee of yours, Amy Carringford?"
"I have come on my own business, Stella," said Janice gently.
"It is something that I want to know, and you can tell me."
Stella was smiling broadly; but it was by no means a pleasant smile. She was spiteful. She had found since coming back from her summer vacation that the girls had not forgotten her behavior toward Amy Carringford and some of them still resented it. She was nowhere near as popular as she had been; and even her father's motorcar could not regain the friendship of many of her schoolmates whom she wished to be chums with.
Stella laid all this to "that sly Janice Day." She dared not so speak of Janice before her mother; for Mrs. Latham liked Janice. Just now, however, Stella's mother was not at home, and she felt free treat Janice in any way she chose.
"Of course, you expect me to tell you everything you want to know, Janice Day," said Stella. "But I don't know why I should."
"You will tell me, won't you, Stella, if you really know that the Swedish girl who broke your mother's dish is the same girl who used to work for daddy and me?"
"Why should I?"
"Because it is the right thing to do, isn't it? You do not know what it means to us if we can find that girl—"
"And why should I care?" snapped Stella "You never did anything for me, Janice Day."
"I think I tried to—at least once," her schoolmate said mildly.