CHAPTER IV.
"Just look, Miss Layton, how Ella Clinton has torn my book," said Sallie Barnes, displaying her arithmetic, several leaves of which were missing.
"How do you know that it was Ella that did it?" asked Miss Layton.
"Why, because she hates me; and I heard her say, the other day, that she'd tear my books or do something to spite me, and when I came to school this morning, she was standing right beside my desk, and Abby Reed says she saw her turning my things over before I came, so I'm sure she must have done it."
"It does look like it, certainly," said Miss Layton, "but still I can hardly believe Ella would do such a thing. Come here, Ella. Did you tear this? or do you know how it came to be torn."
"No, ma'am," said Ella, indignantly, "I didn't touch it, and I don't know anything about it."
"Did you go to Sallie's desk, and turn over her things, this morning before school commenced?"
"I didn't turn over the things, Miss Layton. I went to her desk, and looked in her pencil box to see if my slate-pencil was there, but I didn't touch anything else."
"What made you think of looking for your pencil in Sallie's box?"
Ella coloured, and remained silent.