"Well, the sophs. drilled us, all right!" cried Jennie, who was a bit obstreperous on this point, for she liked to play practical jokes on the younger girls.
"And so," said Nancy, gravely, "we know how mean it was of them. This class wants to have a better record than the class above it--eh?"
"Talk for yourself, Miss Nancy!" snapped Cora Rathmore. "You're taking too much upon yourself."
"As usual, too," agreed Grace Montgomery, with scorn. "Just because you happen to be class president----"
"And quite by a fluke," interjected Cora.
"You needn't suppose that you can boss us in every single particular. If I want to make one of these greenies 'fag' for me, I'm going to do it."
"We have always agreed to be governed by the majority, you know," observed Nancy, softly. "Let us put it to vote. If the bulk of the class believe it better and kinder to help these younger girls instead of making them miserable for the first few weeks they are at Pinewood, let us all agree to be governed accordingly."
"Oh, she knows she's got the majority with her," snapped Cora, shrugging her shoulders. "The minority have no rights at all in this class."
"I am glad--or would be so--if I believed I was so popular," Nancy said, with some warmth. "But I believe with the majority of us girls my suggestion is popular. It isn't _I_."
Then she put the question and the Montgomeryites were in a very small minority.
Nevertheless, outside of class matters, Grace Montgomery was still something of a leader. She and Cora paid more attention to dress than other girls in the school. They spent more money on "orgies," too, and had hampers arrive from home more frequently. They were even more popular among the juniors than they were in their own class.
And soon a certain number of the new girls at Pinewood Hall began to ape the manners and quote the sayings of Grace Montgomery. The present class of seniors paid little attention to Grace and her growing clique; but Nancy and Jennie often spoke of the possibility of her having a large following before she was through her senior year.
"Unless she does something for which to be shown up before them all, the time will come when Grace Montgomery will divide the school. She'll never have much influence in her own class," said Jennie; "but in the school as a whole she will be a power if she can."