She arose with the first stroke of the rising bell, performed her usual duties with what dispatch she could, and then sought Miss Williams shortly before the breakfast hour.

The teacher greeted her cordially, and inquired with a significant smile: 

“Were you frightened nearly out of your senses, with the rest of us last night, Miss Minturn?”

“Oh, no; but perhaps I might have been if I had been asleep.  I know something about the affair, Miss Williams, and I have come to talk it over with you,” Katherine explained.

“Ah!” and the woman looked both astonished and interested.

“Jennie Wild told you the truth last night,” she went on.  “She had nothing whatever to do with the ‘racket,’ even though appearances point strongly the other way.”

She then proceeded to tell all that she knew about the matter, but without revealing the names of the ringleaders.

“Well, this certainly does put an entirely different aspect upon the affair,” Miss Williams observed, when she concluded.  “I am more than glad, too, because my sympathies are with Miss Wild, in spite of her tendency to bubble over now and then.  Circumstantial evidence is not always true evidence, is it?” she added, with a smile.  “I was highly indignant with her last night, for I felt sure she was prominent in it—­and she certainly was guilty of disobedience.”

“Yes; her curiosity surely got the better of her judgment,” Katherine assented.

“Well, could you identify those girls, whom you overheard in the hall?” Miss Williams now inquired.

Katherine flushed.  She had been dreading this question.

“I did not see anyone,” she returned with a faint smile, after a moment of hesitation.

“I see, my dear; you do not wish to ‘tell tales,’ and I appreciate your position,” said her companion, with a wise nod that had nothing of disapproval in it.  “Well”—­after considering a moment—­ “we will say no more about it until Prof.  Seabrook has been consulted.  Jennie, however, will have reason to be grateful to you for helping her out of what, otherwise, might have proved a very awkward situation.”

Miss Williams went at once to the girl and released her from the confinement she had imposed upon her the previous night.  She explained how Miss Minturn had come to her rescue, and Jennie, who had for once been thoroughly frightened, vowed she would “never be caught in a scrape of any kind” during the remainder of her course.

Considerable excitement prevailed during the day, and the “midnight escapade” was the one topic of conversation whenever a group of girls came together; but it was not until study hours were over in the afternoon that any active measures to “investigate” the matter were instituted.  Then Katherine was summoned to the principal’s study, where she found the four teachers who had the west wing in charge, and Jennie, assembled.