CHAPTER IX 

Miss Amanda Hill, teacher in the Middleville High School, sat wearily at her desk. She was tired, as tired as she had ever been on any day of the fifteen long years in which she had wrestled with the problems of school life. Her hair was iron gray and she bent a worn, sad, severe face over a mass of notes before her. 

At that moment she was laboring under a perplexing question that was not by any means a new one. Only this time it had presented itself in a less insidious manner than usual, leaving no loophole for charitable imagination. Presently she looked up and rapped on her desk. 

"These young ladies will remain after school is dismissed," she said, in her authoritative voice: "Bessy Bell--Rose Clymer--Gail Matthews--Helen Tremaine--Ruth Winthrop.... Also any other girls who are honest enough to admit knowledge of the notes found in Rose Clymer's desk." 

The hush that fell over the schoolroom was broken by the gong in the main hall, sounding throughout the building. Then followed the noise of shutting books and closing desks, and the bustle and shuffling of anticipated dismissal. 

In a front seat sat a girl who did not arise with the others, and as one by one several girls passed her desk with hurried step and embarrassed snicker she looked at them with purple, blazing eyes. 

Miss Hill attended to her usual task with the papers of the day's lessons and the marking of the morrow's work before she glanced up at the five girls she had detained. They sat in widely separated sections of the room. Rose Clymer, pretty, fragile, curly-haired, occupied the front seat of the end row. Her face had no color and her small mouth was set in painful lines. Four seats across from her Bessy Bell leaned on her desk, with defiant calmness, and traces of scorn still in her expressive eyes. Gail Matthews looked frightened and Helen Tremaine was crying. Ruth Winthrop bent forward with her face buried in her arms. 
Who was crying?
Where does this story take place?
What employee there is mentioned by name?
What's her job?
How long has she been employed?
She was a blonde?
What then?
Was she wide awake?
How did she feel?
Did someone get detention?
Who?
Why?
What sounds could be heard after the detention was announced?
Was it otherwise quiet?
Was someone scared?
Who?
Helen Tremaine
 Helen Tremaine was crying.
Middleville High School
in the Middleville High School,
Miss Amanda Hill
Miss Amanda Hill, teacher in the Middleville High School,
teacher
 teacher in the Middleville High School, 
fifteen years
fifteen long years
no
Her hair was iron gray
it was iron gray
 Her hair was iron gray
no
She was tired, as tired as she had ever been on any day of the fifteen long years in which she had wrestled with the problems of school life. 
She was tired
 She was tired, as tired as she had ever been on any day
yes
at the five girls she had detained. 
Bessy Bell--Rose Clymer--Gail Matthews--Helen Tremaine--Ruth Winthrop
These young ladies will remain after school is dismissed," she said, in her authoritative voice: "Bessy Bell--Rose Clymer--Gail Matthews--Helen Tremaine--Ruth Winthrop
because of the notes found in Rose Clymer's desk
of the notes found in Rose Clymer's desk
he gong in the main hall
The hush that fell over the schoolroom was broken by the gong in the main hall
no
Then followed the noise of shutting books and closing desks, and the bustle and shuffling of anticipated dismissal
yes
Gail Matthews looked frightened 
Gail Matthews
Gail Matthews looked frightened 