"Go to your seats in the assembly room," said the principal, coldly, as the head of the line neared him. As the boys wore no overcoats it was not necessary to file down to the locker rooms first. They marched into the hat room just off of the assembly room. And here they found Mr. Drake on duty. "No conversation here. Go directly to your seats," ordered Mr. Drake. The few girls who were not at classes looked up with eyes full of mischievous inquiry when the boys entered the big room. The principal and Mr. Drake took their seats on the platform. The late swimmers reached for their books, though most of them made but a pretense of study. Almost at once there was another diversion made by the girls who were returning from recitations. Then the bell was struck for the beginning of the next period. Out filed the sections. The boys began to feel that this ominous quiet boded them no good. Not until closing time did the principal make any reference to the affair. "The young ladies are dismissed for the day," he remarked. "The young gentlemen will remain." Clang! Then a dead silence fell over the room. It was broken, after a minute, by the principal, who asked: "Where were you, young gentlemen, when the end of recess bell rang this morning!" No one being addressed, no one answered. "Where were you, Mr. Purcell?" "Swimming at Foster's Pond, sir." "All of you?" "All of us, sir, I think." "Whose idea was it?" "As I remember, sir, the idea belonged to us all." "Who made the first proposal?" "That would be impossible to say, now, sir." "Do you remember anything about it?" "Yes, sir." "What was it?" "I believe the fellows voted that Mr. Grady, who is studying to be a lawyer, should represent us as counsel." "Ah! I shall be very glad, then, to hear from Judge Grady," the principal dryly remarked. "Judge" Grady bobbed up, smiling and confident---or he seemed so. As for the rest of the fellows, the principal's frigid coolness was beginning to get on their nerves. "Mr. Principal," began Grady, thrusting his right band in between his vest buttons, "the illustrious, perhaps immortal Burke, once elucidated a principle that has since become historic, authoritative and illuminating. Among American and English jurists alike, Burke's principle has been accepted as akin to the organic law and the idea is that a community cannot be indicted." It was a fine speech, for Grady had real genius in him, and this was the first chance he had ever had. The principal waited until the budding legal light had finished. Then Mr. Cantwell cleared his throat, to reply crisply: