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 "Certainly not," said his friend.

Austin motored back that evening after dinner. The school opened the next morning, but the girls had been back twenty-four hours before he saw Elise—in other words, the machinery he had arranged to keep himself isolated was working admirably. Of course the whole school knew the story of George's romantic conduct, and Elise and even Sally were heroines as a result. The older man who had replaced George was not looked upon with favor.

Austin was not in any hurry to make his report to Miss Curtis and Miss Hayes as to what had happened in his interview with Mr. Johns. At the same time he wanted to know how Elise was doing, and so the second evening, after the opening of school, he came over to Miss Curtis's office, just before supper-time, to tell her and Miss Hayes as much as he wanted them to know.

Miss Curtis was in a flutter of happiness. "Isn't it wonderful how our confidence was justified?" she said. "I knew there could be no harm in it—no real harm—just a prank—dear Sally's brother."

"He's a very inferior young man, whoever his sister is," answered Miss Hayes.

"Exactly," Austin agreed, cordially.