"
There was a buzz of applause and even a cheer from the girls in the
background. Miss Eccleston looked angry, but perplexed. Miss Heath
again turned and spoke to her. She replied in a low tone. Miss Heath
said something further. At last Miss Eccleston sat down and Miss Heath
came forward and addressed Maggie Oliphant.
"Your words have been scarcely respectful, Miss Oliphant," she said,
"but there is a certain justice in them which my friend, Miss
Eccleston, is the first to admit. She has consented, therefore, to
defer her final decision for twenty-four hours; at the end of that
time the students of Katharine Hall and Heath Hall will know what we
finally decide to do."
After the meeting in Miss Eccleston's drawing-room the affair of the
auction assumed enormous proportions. There was no other topic of
conversation. The students took sides vigorously in the matter: the
gay, giddy and careless ones voting the auction a rare bit of fun and
upholding those who had taken part in it with all their might and
main. The more sober and high-minded girls, on the other hand, took
Miss Heath's and Miss Eccleston's views of the matter. The principles
of the college had been disregarded, the spirit of order had been
broken; debt, which was disgraceful, was made light of.
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