The Leader of the Lower School

y Ar

was not a remarkably exhilarating one. The yellow leaves of the oak tree dripped slow tears on to the flagged walk, as if weeping beforehand for their own speedy demise; the little classical statue on the fountain looked a decidedly watery goddess, the sodden flowers had trailed their he

de up our minds to decide the tennis championship, and secured all the courts fo

courts again!" wailed Fiona Campbell. "They said so

t was going to be wet!

e we might manage just a set before te

wn! Do you think anyone in her senses w

awned Hetty Hancock. "Don't believe we shall get

s to what?" aske

d to sitting stuffing here and moaning our bad luck, and feeling as cross as a bear

one home with the day gi

r to be a boarder; we do have some jolly times, even if it do

steam. I think it's the wretchedest, miserablest, detestable

a little!" said Lennie Chapman, opening the window

you want

interesting and jolly, and out of the common

and that would be lively, in all conscience, if you were pi

's that? There's a cab turning in at

egardless of the rain, for the Juniors' sitting-room commanded an

" murmured Di

to somebody else who sat beside her. There was a grinding of wheels on the gravel, the cab drew up at the steps, the door opened, and out hopped a dark-haired damsel in a long blue coat. She gave one hurried glance at the window, smiled again and waved her hand, then vanished inside the porch, where she was instantly foll

is

she com

e a ne

f anybody new co

ooks j

he's goin

her heels. But nobody knew; not even the Seniors could give the least information. Indeed, the six who had seen the newcomer from the window had the advantage, for none of the others had witnessed the

daren't stop more than a second; but somebody's there, you may

's come to sta

till, though," objected Norah Be

the high fender, and looking as comfortably at home as if she owned the place, stood the stranger who had skipped so quickly out of the cab that afternoon. She was a girl who, wherever she was seen, would have attracted notice-slim and erect and trim in figure, and a decided brunette, a real "nut-brown maid", with a pale olive complexion, the brightest of soft, dark, southern eyes, and a quantity of fluffy, silky, dusky curls, tied-American fashion-with two big bows of very wide scarlet

as I dare say you can see for yourselves; and I prefer to make friends after my own fashion. My name's Gipsy Latimer, and I'm American and British and Colonial and Spanish all mixed up, and I've travelled half round the world, and been in seven different schools, and I w

r. Her dark eyes danced and twinkled as she spoke, and there was an unconventional jolli

s?" asked Hetty Hancock, by wa

I'm ready to answer anything within reason, but perhaps I'd best take a seat while you're at it. No, thanks! I prefer the tab

t your real

't christe

me the most outlandish, sentimental, ridiculous, inappropriate name you could imagine. You might try a d

hat's rather pretty,"

have had more sense when they christened me. Why, an Azalea ought to be a little, pretty, silly thing, with blue eyes and pink

headed member of the Upper Third, not quite

oose for herself. Well, as I told you, I was christened Azalea, but everybody saw from the first it didn't fit. 'She's a regular little gipsy!' Dad said; so they ca

o school before?"

merica, two in New Zealand, one in Australia, and one in

een! Why, you must have been

y no

olute miracle of good behaviour when I like. It was simply because Dad and I were always moving on, and whenever he went to a fr

a mother?" asked

murmured Dilys Fenton,

into a tight ball, and unrolle

e it. I've only been three days in England, and you're the first English girls I've spoken to. Dad said England ought to feel like home, but it's a queer kind of home when one's all alone. Tell me what this school is like. Is Miss Poppleton nice? She gushed over me before Dad in the draw

ed at one anot

xt she's at 'stormy', and woe betide you if you so much as drop your serviette at dinner, or happen to sneeze in the elocution class! Miss Edie's ripping! She do

mped down here at a day's notice, and I know absolutel

third. There are eight Senior boarders, and they've got a sitting-room of their own, with

leaves twelve! Yo

d the kids have half an hour with

ith Miss Edith myself. By the

irls

" returned Hetty Hancock rat

ut her arms i

e actually never heard of the magic name Fudge! Why, in the States it's a

us what it is ye

she nearly collap

ver tasted. Get me a pan, and some sugar, and some milk, and some b

t allowed to make toffee except on the 5th of November. Th

Gipsy cheerily. "I'll go out and buy on

go out and buy things," ex

ayn't go on the least scrap

you ask

e that. I'd as soon be in prison. I'm afraid y

an uncommonly big

"but I didn't know things were as bad as that. I'll begin to wish I hadn't come here. Oh de

irls. "Do you mean to tell us

possessed went to the bottom. Dad had to rig me out again at Liverpool. That's why I've come to this school in such a hurry. Dad lost his papers, and had to

ty Hancock. "I've never in all my life met any

ng extra blood-curdling, for you won't get it, unless you'd like me to romance a little. Where do you want me to begin? All m

perhaps be well to omit her version of the story, and, for a better understanding of her indepe