"Just the size of my paper, and the wax—you see I was right. There is wax, and a seal-stamp that looks like my stamp, but isn't," exclaimed Marian. "Now for the handwriting!" One glance at the address on the envelope; then, pulling out the note, she bent breathlessly over it for a moment. In another moment she was calling out triumphantly: "I know it! I know it! She tried to imitate mine, but I know these M's and r's and A's. They're Nelly Ryder's! they're Nelly Ryder's! Look here;" and running to her desk, the excited girl produced another note, and placed it beside the one that Angela had received. It was Nelly Ryder's acceptance of her invitation; and Mary, looking at the peculiar M's and r's and A's saw as clearly as Marian herself the proof of the same hand in each note.
"And I should know her 'hand' anywhere, for I've had hundreds of notes from her, first and last," Marian went on. "But to think of her playing such a trick as this! I never had any admiration for her, or her cousin either; but I didn't think either one of them could do such a mischievous, vulgar thing. But you did, Mary, for this is the girl you suspected."
"Yes, because I had known more of her than you had,—going to school with her every day;" and then Mary told what she had known, and what she had seen herself, winding up with, "But I didn't like to tell you all this before I had certain proof, for I wanted to be fair, you know."
"And you have been fair, more than fair; and now—"
"Well, go on, what do you stop for—now what?"
"Wait and see;" and Marian nodded her head, and compressed her lips into a firm, resolute line.
"Oh, Marian, are you going to punish Nelly?" cried Mary, a little alarmed at these indications.
Marian nodded again.
"Yes, I'm going to punish her."
"Oh, how, when, where?"