- At home that night, Bernice is forced to confront her flabbergasted aunt. Mrs. Harvey is terribly dismayed – it turns out that Draycott Deyo's mother, who's particularly opposed to bobbed hair, was planning on throwing a party for Bernice and Marjorie, a plan that's now ruined.
- At dinner, everyone is uncomfortable. Bernice tried to fix her hair with a curling iron, but failed miserably. Her aunt and uncle are both upset, and all through the meal, Bernice has to face her cousin's mocking smile.
- The evening passes, and Marjorie goes off with a boy as Bernice attempts halfheartedly to entertain some callers.
- That night as they're getting ready for bed, Marjorie issues an irritatingly fake apology. Now that she's won, she's all sweetness and condescending kindness.
- As they're talking, Marjorie cruelly shows off her long, beautiful, blond hair, braiding it in front of the mirror.
- Bernice imagines what everyone will say the next day, knowing that they'll all be laughing at her.
- With a final effort, Bernice says she likes the haircut. Marjorie, dismissive, tells her not to worry about the whole thing.
- The cousins say goodnight and part ways. When Marjorie leaves, something changes in Bernice. She immediately leaps up and packs all of her things and gets dressed to leave.
- Bernice writes a brief note to her aunt explaining her departure, and plans to leave town on a one o'clock train. She steadies herself, and the same look of determination that she had in the barbershop appears on her face.
- Silently, Bernice picks up something from her dresser, and creeps into Marjorie's room. There, she calmly cuts off one, then the other of Marjorie's long braids with a pair of shears.
- Bernice flees the crime scene, Marjorie's pigtails in hand. She feels strangely exhilarated, and as she walks down the street to get a taxi, she has the unusual urge to burst out laughing.
- In front of Warren's house, she sets down her luggage for a minute, and hurls Marjorie's two braids onto his porch, and laughs wildly. Satisfied, she picks her baggage up and runs off.