With a nod of thanks to Anne, Grace glanced at the paper and then at the owner of the name, who sat with her hands meekly folded on her desk, listening to Miss Thompson as though her life depended upon hearing every word that the principal uttered.

“I want all my girls to try particularly this year to reach a higher standard than ever before,” Miss Thompson concluded, “not only in your studies, but in your attitude toward one another.  Be straightforward and honorable in all your dealings, girls; so that when the day comes for you to receive your diplomas and bid Oakdale High School farewell, you can do so with the proud consciousness that you have been to your schoolmates just what you would have wished them to be to you.  I know of no better preparation for a happy life than constant observation of the golden rule.

“And now I hope I shall have no occasion to deliver another lecture during the school year,” said the principal, smiling.  “There can be no formation of classes to-day, as the bulletins of the various subjects have just been posted, and will undoubtedly undergo some changes.  It would be advisable, however, to arrange as speedily as possible about the subjects you intend to take, as we wish to begin recitations by Friday at the latest, and I dare say the changes made in the schedule will be slight.”

Then the work of assigning each class to its particular section of the study hall began.  The seniors moved with evident pride into the places reserved for the first class, while the freshmen looked visibly relieved at having any place at all to call their own.  Immediately after this the classes were dismissed, and a general rush was made to the end of the great room, where the bulletins were posted.

Grace, Nora, Anne and Jessica wished to recite in the same classes as far as could be arranged, and a lively confab ensued as to what would be best to take.  They all decided on solid geometry and English reading, as they could be together for these classes, but the rest was not so easy, for Nora, who loathed history, was obliged to take ancient history to complete her history group, the other girls having wisely completed theirs the previous year.  Jessica wanted to take physical geography, Anne rhetoric, and Grace boldly announced a hankering for zooelogy.

“How horrible,” shuddered Jessica.  “How can you bear to think of cutting up live cats and dogs and angleworms and things.”

“Oh, you silly,” laughed Grace.  “You’re thinking of vivisection.  I wouldn’t cut up anything alive for all the world.  The girls did dissect crabs and lobsters, and even rabbits, last year, but they were dead long before they ever reached the zooelogy class.”

“Oh,” said Jessica, somewhat reassured, “I’m glad to hear that, at any rate.”

“That makes three subjects,” said Nora.  “Now we want one more.  Are any of you going to be over ambitious and take five?”

“Not I,” responded Grace and Jessica in chorus.