"I want an answer, Ella," said Miss Layton. "You must have had some reason for supposing your pencil was there; what was it?"
"I thought may-be she had hidden it; because the other day I told her something she said was a lie, and she was very angry, and said she would pay me for it," replied Ella.
"And were your suspicions correct? did you find your pencil there?"
"Yes, ma'am," said Ella.
"If she did, she must have put it there first, for I never touched it," said Sallie.
"Hush, Sallie," said Miss Layton. "Ella, are you sure it was your pencil? slate pencils are very much alike, you may have been mistaken."
"No, ma'am, I know it was mine, because I had cut some letters on it," replied Ella.
"I wish you'd look in her desk, Miss Layton," said Sallie, "and see if she hasn't got the leaves of my arithmetic hid there."
Miss Layton rose and went to Ella's desk, raised the lid and examined the contents, while the two girls stood looking on. Presently moving a pile of books, she found several leaves, which had been tucked away behind them, and which, on being compared with Sallie's book, proved to be evidently the missing portion; though one of them had been torn in half, and, from the stains of ink upon it, seemed to have been used for wiping a pen. "I told you so! I knew she'd done it!" exclaimed Sallie, exultingly; while Ella gazed at the leaves in her teacher's hand with an expression of unfeigned astonishment that did not escape Miss Layton's quick eye.
"And she's been using this leaf for a pen-wiper," continued Sallie, "she's always wanting a piece of paper to wipe her pen, because she's so careless she can never keep a pen-wiper."