“They are awfully mean, I think,” said Nora O’Malley.  “They weren’t at all nice to us last year when we were freshmen and they were sophomores.  Even the dignity of being juniors doesn’t seem to improve them any.  They are just as hateful as ever.”

“Most of the juniors are really nice girls, but it is due to Julia Crosby that they behave so badly,” said Jessica Bright thoughtfully, “She leads them, into all kinds of mischief.  She is a born trouble-maker.”

“She is one of the rudest girls I have ever known,” remarked Nora with emphasis.  “How Miriam Nesbit can tolerate her is more than I can see.”

“Well,” said Grace, “it is hardly a case of toleration.  Miriam seems really fond of her.”

“Hush!” said Anne, who had been silently listening to the conversation.  “Here comes the rest of the team, and Miriam is with them.”

Readers of the preceding volume of this series, “Grace Harlowe’s plebe year at high school,” need no introduction to Grace Harlowe and her girl chums.  In that volume was narrated the race for the freshman prize, so generously offered each year by Mrs. Gray, sponsor of the freshman class, and the efforts of Miriam Nesbit aided by the disagreeable teacher of algebra, Miss Leece, to ruin the career of Anne Pierson, the brightest pupil of Oakdale High School.  Through the loyalty and cleverness of Grace and her friends, the plot was brought to light and Anne was vindicated.

Many and varied were the experiences which fell to the lot of the High School girls.  The encounter with an impostor, masquerading as Mrs. Gray’s nephew, Tom Gray, the escape from wolves in Upton Woods, and Mrs. Gray’s Christmas ball proved exciting additions to the routine of school work.

The contest between Grace and Miriam Nesbit for the basketball captaincy, resulting in Grace’s subsequent election, was also one of the interesting features of the freshman year.

The beginning of the sophomore year found Miriam Nesbit in a most unpleasant frame of mind toward Grace and her friends.  The loss of the basketball captaincy had been a severe blow to Miriam’s pride, and she could not forgive Grace her popularity.

As she walked across the gymnasium followed by the other members of the team, her face wore a sullen expression which deepened as her eyes rested upon Grace, and she nodded very stiffly to the young captain.  Grace, fully aware of the coldness of Miriam’s salutation, returned it as courteously as though Miriam had been one of her particular friends.  Long before this Grace had made up her mind to treat Miriam as though nothing disagreeable had ever happened.  There was no use in holding a grudge.

“If Miriam once realizes that we are willing to overlook some things which happened last year,” Grace had confided to Anne, “perhaps her better self will come to the surface.  I am sure she has a better self, only she has never given it a chance to develop.”