“I wish to withdraw my story,” she announced still at the same strained pitch, “I have changed my mind. Here is the ten-dollar bill.”
“But it went to press three days ago,” I exclaimed.
“And the Annual has gobbled up second choice,” said Jo triumphantly.
“We jumped at it,” corroborated Berta.
“To take out the prize story now would spoil the magazine,” cried Adele.
“Impossible!” declared Janet.
“Nonsense!” said Laura under her breath.
The little freshman stared from one to another. Then suddenly her round face quivered and crumpled. Throwing up one arm over her eyes she turned, snatched at the door knob and stumbled out into the corridor.
I looked at Adele.
“Yes,” she replied to my expression, “you’d better go and find out now. It’s for the honor of the Monthly. It would be awful to print a—a—mistake,” she concluded feebly.