"But, Belle, dear," said Dora, "what's the reason you don't want Mabel to have a locket like yours?" Belle told her story; and very naturally the sympathies of all her class-mates went with her, and Mabel was speedily made to see that she was thought to be altogether in the wrong, which did not tend to restore her to good humor. "I _shall_ take it to the locket-man for a pattern," she said angrily: "you see if I don't. I'll get it, ah-ha." "No, you won't," said Lily. "Belle knows you. She'll take good enough care of it; and just you _try_ to snatch it now." What would follow if she did, Lily plainly expressed in the threatening shake of the head with which she accompanied her words. Farther quarrelling or unkind threats were prevented by the entrance of Miss Ashton, who called her little class to order, and school was opened. Miss Ashton had more trouble with Mabel that morning than she had had any day since she first came to school. She was pettish and fretful beyond all reason; elbowed and crowded the other children, pouted over her lessons, and was disrespectful to her teacher, and once broke into such a roar that Mrs. Ashton hastily opened the doors between the two rooms and inquired into the cause of the trouble. This soon hushed Mabel's screams; for the elder lady's looks were rather stern and severe, and she at least was one person of whom the wilful child stood in wholesome dread. But though quiet was restored for a time, it was not to last long; and this seemed destined to be a day of trouble, all through Mabel's naughtiness. Miss Ashton called up the arithmetic class; and as they stood about her desk, she saw Mabel and Lily elbowing one another with all their might,--the former cross and scowling, the latter looking defiant and provoking, and still half good-humored too. "Children! Lily and Mabel! What are you doing?" she asked. "Can't Mabel keep her elbow out of my part of the air, Miss Ashton?" said Lily. "For shame!" said the lady: "two little girls quarrelling about such a trifle as that." "But, Miss Ashton," pleaded Lily, "she sticks me so! She oughtn't to take up any more room than that;" and she measured with her hand the portion of empty space which according to her ideas rightfully belonged to Mabel; while the latter, conscious that she had been wilfully trespassing, had nothing to say. "I am sorry that my little scholars cannot agree," said Miss Ashton. "Mabel, stand back a little, and keep your elbows down, my dear. If you cannot behave better, I shall be forced to send you into the other room to my mother; and all the young ladies there will know you have been naughty."