When the bell rang at the close of the hour, Eleanor walked haughtily by Miss Ames, giving her a contemptuous look as she passed that made the teacher tighten her lips and look severe.  Grace, who was directly behind her, saw both the look and the expression on the teacher’s face.  She felt worried for Eleanor’s sake, because she saw trouble ahead for her unless she changed her tactics.  If Eleanor could only understand that she must respect the authority of her various teachers during recitation hours and cheerfully comply with their requests, then all might be well.  Since Miss Leece had left the High School at the close of Grace’s freshman year, she could not conscientiously say that she disliked any of her teachers.  They had been both kind and just, and if Eleanor defied them openly, then she would have to take the consequences.  To be sure, Eleanor might refuse to go to school, but Grace had an idea that, lenient as Miss Nevin was with her niece, she would not allow Eleanor to go that far.  Grace decided that she would have a talk with Eleanor after school.  It would do no harm and it might possibly do some good.

She hurried down to the locker-room that afternoon in order to catch Eleanor as she left school.  She had just reached there when Eleanor walked in, looking extremely sulky.  She jerked her hat and coat from her locker, hastily donned them, and, without looking at Grace, left the room.

“She looks awfully cross,” thought Grace.  “Well, here goes,” and she hurried after Eleanor, overtaking her at the entrance to the school grounds.

“What’s the matter, Eleanor?” she asked.  “Didn’t you care to wait for me?”

Eleanor looked at her with lowering brows.  “I hate school,” she said vehemently.  “I hate the teachers, and I hate Miss Thompson most of all.  Every one of those teachers are common, low-bred and impertinent.  As for your Miss Thompson, she is a self-satisfied prig.”

“You must not say such things of Miss Thompson, Eleanor,” said Grace firmly.  “She doesn’t deserve them.  She is one of the finest women I have ever known, and she takes a warm interest in every girl in school.  What has she done that you should speak of her as you do?”

“She called me into her office this morning and made a whole lot of fuss because I didn’t have a written excuse for yesterday’s absence,” said Eleanor angrily.  “When I told her that I stayed at home because I felt inclined to do so, she almost had a spasm, and gave me another lecture then and there, ending up by saying that it must not occur again.  I should like to know how she knew I was absent yesterday.”

“Miss Thompson always knows when a girl is absent,” replied Grace.  “The special teachers report to her every day.  It is the rule of this school for a girl to present her excuse at the office as soon as she returns; then her name is taken off the absent list.  If she is absent the second day, then a messenger is sent to her home to find out the cause.  I suppose that when Miss Thompson looked over the list, she remembered seeing you at opening exercises, so of course sent for you.”