But the address of Mark Anthony over the dead body of Caesar was not more effective than this simple schoolgirl’s speech.  Every girl there melted into tears of remorse and sympathy.

“Oh, Grace,” cried Marian Barber, “won’t you forgive us?  We never dreamed it would hurt you so.  Now that I look back upon it, I can’t see how we could have asked you to do it.  We did believe that Miss Pierson betrayed us; but after all, that had nothing to do with your being captain of the team.  I think you have been a great deal more loyal than we have.  I want to say right here, girls, that I apologize to Grace and scratch my name off the list.”

She took a pencil, dashing it through her signature, which was the first one on the letter.

One by one each of the other girls put a pencil stroke through her name.

Then they pinned on their hats, slipped into their coats and left the room as quickly as possible.  They were all desperately ashamed; each in her secret heart wished she had never entered into the conspiracy.

They had given the captaincy to Grace, and after all, they had no right to take away what they had freely given, and for no better reason than that Grace was loyal to a friend whom they distrusted.

It was a cruel thing that they had done.  They admitted it to each other now, and wished they had never listened to Miriam Nesbit.

Speaking of Miriam, who was to tell her that she had not supplanted Grace after all, as captain of the team.

“You are all cowards,” exclaimed Marian Barber still buoyed up by her recent emotions, “I am not afraid of Miriam, or anyone else, and I’ll undertake to tell her.”

But at the last moment she determined to break the news by letter.

In the meantime, Miss Thompson had quietly entered the locker-room, where Grace and her three chums were still standing.

“Grace,” said the principal, “I was passing by and I could not help overhearing what has been said, and while I don’t care to enter into the little private quarrels of my girls, I want to tell you that you made a noble defense of your position.  I am very proud of you, my child.”  Miss Thompson put her arms around the weeping girl and kissed her.  “I wish every girl in my school would make such a stand for her principles.  You were right not to have resigned.  Always do what your judgment tells you is right, no matter what the result is, and don’t give up the captaincy!”

CHAPTER XIII

A SKATING PARTY

The holidays had come and gone, and the pupils of Oakdale High School had resigned themselves to a period of hard study.  The dreaded mid-year examinations stared them in the face, and for the time being basketball ardor had cooled and a surprising devotion to study had ensued.

Since the day that Grace had refused to give up her captaincy there had been considerable change in the girls’ attitude toward her.  She had not regained her old-time popularity, but it was evident that her schoolmates respected her for her brave decision and treated her with courtesy.  They still retained a feeling of suspicion toward Anne, however, although they did not openly manifest it.