Miriam accepted the chair and the cup of chocolate tendered her, ignoring the plate of cakes offered by Anne.  She looked about her like a marksman taking aim before he fires.  There was a danger signal in either eye.

“She is out for slaughter,” thought Nora.

“Well, Miriam, what’s the news?” said Marian Barber good-naturedly.  “You have a mysterious, newsy look in your eye.  Is it good, bad or indifferent?”

“How did you guess that I had news?” inquired Miriam.  Then without waiting for an answer she went on.  “I certainly have, and very unpleasant news, at that.”

“Out with it,” said Nora, “and don’t keep us in suspense.”

“Well,” said Miriam, “I suppose you all noticed how the juniors outwitted us at every point last Saturday?  We put up a hard fight, too.  The reason of it was that they knew every one of our signals.”

“How dreadful!” “How did they get their information?” “Who told you so?” were the exclamations that rose from the assembled girls.

Grace had raised herself to a sitting position and was steadily regarding Miriam, who, well aware of that keen, searching gaze, deliberately continued: 

“What makes the matter so much worse is the fact that we were betrayed by a member of our own class.”

“Oh, Miriam, you don’t mean that?” said Jessica.

“I am sorry to say that it is true,” replied Miriam, “and I am going to put the matter before the class.”

“Tell us who it is, Miriam,” cried the girls.  “We’ll fix her!”

“Miriam,” said Grace in a tone of quiet command that made every girl look toward her, “you are to mention no names while in my house.”

Miriam’s face flamed.  Before she could reply, however, Grace went on.  “Girls you must realize the position in which Miriam’s remarks place me.  She is sure that she knows who betrayed our signals, and is willing to name the person.  Suppose she names some girl present.  Think of the feelings of that girl, my guest, yet not safe from accusation while here.  I should prove a poor sort of hostess if I allowed the honor of any of my friends to suffer while in my house.

“The place to discuss these things is in school.  There every girl stands on an equal footing and can refute any charges made against her.  I wish to say that I have a communication to make which may put a different face on the whole matter.  I know something of the story of those signals.  When I go back to school I shall call a meeting of the basketball team and its subs. and tell them what I know about it; but not until then.  Furthermore it is not strictly a class matter, as it pertains to the basketball players alone.  Therefore any one outside the team has no right to interfere.  Please don’t think me disagreeable.  It is because I am trying to avoid unpleasant consequences that I am firm about having no names mentioned here.”

[Illustration:  “You Need Mention No Names While in My House.”]