“T-E-R-R-O-R-S!  Wa-ar!  Fam-ine!  Pes-ti-lence!  That’s us!  That’s us!  G-R-I-D-L-E-Y H.S.!  Rah! rah! rah! rah!  Gri-i-id-ley!”

The girls grouped on the steps parted, letting the leaders and followers through.

With the rush as of an army the excited youngsters bore Dick Prescott up a flight of stairs.  Half a dozen of the fellows sprang ahead of Badger and Thompson, throwing open one of the doors of the general assembly room.

Again the High School yell broke loose, sounding, in that confined space, as though it must jar the rafters loose.

Dr. Thornton had risen from his chair behind the desk.  It was before coming-in-hour, and there was no rule that commanded quietude before the bell rang.  Yet such a din had never before been heard in the room.

But just then Dr. Thornton caught sight of red-faced, happy-looking Dick Prescott on the shoulders of Badger and Thompson.  Then the principal laughed in sheer good humor.

Wheeling, Badger and Thompson carried Dick straight up to the platform, where they deposited their human burden at the edge.

“Welcome to our city!” yelled Badger, sonorously.

“Mr. Prescott,” greeted Dr. Thornton, holding out his hand, “I am heartily glad to see you back here.”

“No more pleased, sir, than I am to be here,” returned the young freshman.  “And I must thank you, doctor, for the promptness with which you sent the note around to me informing me that the suspension had automatically ended.”

While the cheering was going on out in the yard, and while Dick was being carried in triumph into the building, Fred Ripley and Clara Deane had just turned in out of a side street and come within view of the demonstration.

“They’re shouting out something about Prescott,” murmured Clara.

“Oh, I suppose the mucker has been allowed to sneak back into school,” returned Ripley, in disgust.

“It’s a shame to allow that class of young fellows in a high school,” declared Miss Deane.  “If a higher education is necessary for such people, they ought to be sent to a special school of their own.”

“If Gridley H.S. goes on being cheapened I shall go to some good private prep. school somewhere,” hinted Fred.

“That would be a splendid idea,” glowed Clara.  “I wouldn’t mind going to some good seminary myself.”

“If we do, let us hope we can find a town that will contain both schools,” suggested Fred, with an attempt at gallantry.  “For that matter, Clara, there are co-ed private schools, you know.”

“I don’t want to go to one,” retorted Miss Deane, promptly.  “Co-ed schools are just like co-ed colleges.  The boys may have a good enough time, but the co-ed girls are shoved into the background.  Co-ed boys pretend they don’t know that the co-ed girls are alive.  The High School is better, for a girl, than any co-ed private school, for in the High School girls are treated on an even footing with boys.”