On the way out they encountered several of the victorious juniors, who managed to make their presence felt.

“Oh,” said Nora O’Malley, “those girls ought to be suppressed.”

“Never mind,” put in Anne.  “You know ’the way of the transgressor is hard.’  Perhaps those juniors will get what they deserve yet.”

“Not much danger of it.  They’re too tricky,” said Jessica contemptuously.

Anne’s prophecy was to be fulfilled, however, in a most unexpected manner.

There had been one unnoticed spectator of the recent quarrel between the two classes.  This was the teacher of physical culture, Miss Kane, who had returned to the gymnasium for a moment, arriving just in time to witness the whole scene.  She, too, had had trouble at various times with the junior class, particularly Julia Crosby, who invariably tried her patience severely.  She had been heard to pronounce them the most unruly class she had ever attempted to instruct.  Therefore her sympathies were with the retreating sophomores, and with set lips and righteous indignation in her eye, she resolved to lay the matter before Miss Thompson, at the earliest opportunity.

Miss Thompson listened the next day with considerable surprise to Miss Kane’s account of the affair.  No one knew the mischievous tendencies of the juniors better than did the principal.  Ordinary mischief she could forgive, but this was overstepping all bounds.  She had given the sophomore class permission to use the gymnasium for the afternoon, and no other class had the least right to take the matter over her head.  She knew that Professor Cole was entirely innocent of the deception practised upon him, so she resolved to say nothing to him, but deal with the junior team as she deemed best.  One thing was certain, they should receive their just deserts.

Miss Thompson’s face, usually calm and serene, wore an expression of great sternness as she faced the assembled classes in the study-hall the following morning.  The girls looked apprehensively at each other, wondering what was about to happen.  When their beloved principal looked like that, there was trouble brewing for some one.  Miss Thompson, though a strict disciplinarian, was seldom angry.  She was both patient and reasonable in her dealings with the pupils under her supervision, and had their utmost confidence and respect.  To incur her displeasure one must commit a serious offense.  Each girl searched her mind for possible delinquencies There was absolute silence in the great room.  Then the principal spoke: 

“I must ask the undivided attention of every girl in this room, as what I am about to say relates in a measure to all of you.

“There are four classes, representing four divisions of high school work, assembled here this morning.  Each one must be passed through before the desired goal—­graduation—­is reached.

“The standard of each class from freshmen to seniors, should be honor.  I have been very proud of my girls because I believed that they would be able to live up to that standard.  However it seems that some of them have yet to learn the meaning of the word.”