The Leader of the Lower School

ched

, however, she thought far more of the cause she had taken up than of her own popularity. "Fairness" was her watchword, and wherever her lot had been cast she would have come forward as the champion of any whom she considered unfairly treated. A girl of decided ability, her knockabout life had in many ways made her old beyond her years, and she had that capacity for organization and power of making others work with her that belong to the born leader. Having cons

ere?" exclaimed Doreen Tristram. "Just

ck. "Not much kids about us, I shoul

've enlightened me, for I should certainly have class

r Hughes, putting on her pinc

etimes a Third, but never, never a Fourth Form girl!" burst

niors

ber of the Lower School is a kid, even if she were six feet in height! Our superiority lies in brains, n

tinent young noses into our Form room," said

force?" added Gertrude Harding. "It wou

none of the four del

here for," whispered

Gipsy opened

ld, and we've come to ask for the developing ma

I dare s

h you may get

he

ear out of ou

urned Gipsy firmly. "Is the developing mach

" grudgingly admi

all members all

oilt by kids' meddlesome fingers. That

e Seniors, so they've a right to everything that's

ommittee has a right to anything. If you think we're going to let you Juniors come i

want ou

privilege enough for you to be all

ilege to pay

y had heard a hint of what was brewing in the Lower School. "You ca

" burst out Gipsy. "Who gets the best parts in the Dramatic and the

he prizes offered to Seniors and Juniors in the last athletic conte

er lamely. "If you Juniors have any complaints to

o," said Hetty

rselves where you've no business," commanded Doreen Tristram angrily.

und out all we want to know, and i

ederates stalked away with wh

the Junior dressing-room, where, collecting all available members of

one expected!" s

h not to give i

asked heaps of

ve refused to act fairly. We'll give them one more chance at the meeting to-morrow, and if they

stand no nons

e'll show them w

pretty badly w

let them fin

ys been the tradition of Briarcroft that all authority should be vested in the Seniors, and they saw no reason why it should be changed. A mere outburst of temper on the part of a few Juniors was nothing: it had happened before, and would no doubt happen again; it was as much the province of Juniors to grumble as of Seniors to rule. But they reckoned without Gipsy. That any girl of her age should be capable of

t fit, so long as they did not interfere with the ordinary school rules. Though the meetings had begun in good faith, as representative assemblies for all alike, they had degenerated into a merely formal statement of accounts by the Committee, which the general rank and file were expected to pass without comment, and an election of officers chosen almost entirely from the monitresses. There were favourites, of course, amo

it; even the youngsters of the First Form were grim in their determination to resist. The proceedings began in the ordinary time-honoured fashion. Helen Roper read a report for the previous year, and a statement of accounts. The latter, having been audited by Miss Poppleton and found correct, was passed without demur, and the head girl then w

them in the old summary fashion. The thing, to her, was a mere farce, to be gone through as

r clear, high-pitched voice. "We Juniors consider that we are unfairly treated in many ways in the Guilds, and we dema

vidence of her own ears, and the Seniors gasped with astonishmen

it on the Committee," returned Helen, with a sarcastic sm

he

upon

ind of thing!" murmure

l concerned," continued Gipsy. "And I contend that every membe

!" shouted

You can vote for any candida

iged to be chosen from the ranks of the opposite camp. We want

eaked a shrill voice from

get it all your own

ired of

turning to her fellow monitresses, sh

ense from them!" "Show them who are their betters," was the ha

, and they'll go on very well in the future. We promise that the interests of the Juniors shall be

did not

appeal to the whole school. We Juniors have held a meeting amongst ourselves, and have decided that, if we're deni

" roared t

to the

in black

ettle it

ad occurred. They had imagined it was all "bluff" on the part of the younger girls, and that they were q

t them have one or two candidates of th

y. Leave me to deal with them," said Helen, and turning on

sted to the wisdom of the Seniors, instead of listening to every newcomer who talked frothy nonsense. I tell you, it is the monitresses who are your best friends, and

few who were jealous of Gipsy's influence, but t

nds i

ty fr

s, more

about bea

e sat upon

d up and stood on their seats; each began to talk to her neighbour, and the noise

when some sort of order was restored,

t it is you want to put to t

Tell her ag

em, so I'm their lawful delegate. What we want to vote about is a question of sep

ndum of both Seniors and Jun

ublic Annual Meeting, and we w

as impossible to refuse a referendum if called for. They were obliged, therefor

cross," commanded Helen. "Any paper with anything more on it will be disqualified. Girls! I make a last a

untlet. "We're ready to obey our monitresses on questions of school rules, but we're not Saxon serfs. Fair

s a silence in the room, while the necessary noughts or crosses were being registered. The Se

eck the counting," said Hetty, as the papers

me and satisfy yourselves

Seniors, and by Hetty and Gipsy on behalf of the Juniors. The latter had n

rati

io

for Sep

ued. The Juniors clapped and cheered, and waved their handkerchiefs in the exuberance of their enthusiasm; and as the discomfited Seniors beat a has

ia! Britannia

never, never, w