“Then you may remain in your seat,” snapped the frowning teacher. “Miss Dean, do you intend to give me that note?”
“I have destroyed it,” came the calm reply.
“You are determined to defy me, I see. Very well, you may tell me the contents of it. I saw you read it after I had returned to my desk.”
“I have nothing to say,” Marjorie replied with terse obstinacy.
“Miss Harding, you may tell me what you wrote.” Miss Merton suddenly swung her attack from Marjorie to Muriel.
“I will not.” Muriel spoke with hot decision. “Neither Miss Dean nor I are grammar school children. I see no reason why we should be treated as such. I think it very ridiculous, and I will not submit to it. You may send me to Miss Archer if you like. I am quite ready to say to her what I have just said to you.”
As Muriel’s challenge of defiance cut the storm-laden atmosphere, a most unexpected thing happened. Almost as if the mere mention of her name had served to bring her to the scene, Miss Archer walked into the study hall. She had come in time to catch Muriel’s last sentence, and her quick faculties had leaped to conclusion.
“What is it that you are quite ready to say to me, Miss Harding?” was her grave interrogation.
Miss Merton’s sallow cheeks took on a lively tinge of red. She was not specially anxious to bring Miss Archer into the discussion. Had the recipient of the note been other than Marjorie Dean, she would have allowed the incident to pass with a caustic rebuke. But her dislike for the winsome girl was deep-rooted. She could never resist the slightest opportunity to vent it publicly.
“I wrote a note to Miss Dean, Miss Archer,” burst forth Muriel. “Miss Merton asked Miss Dean for it and she wouldn’t give it to her. So Miss Merton said she must stay here until she did. Miss Dean tore the note up. I stayed because I wrote it. Miss Merton says we must tell her what was in that note. I won’t do it. Neither will Marjorie. I just said that I did not think we ought to be treated like grammar school children. I said, too, that I would be willing to say so to you, and I have.”