The Leader of the Lower School

grows

She and Gipsy managed to enjoy themselves in a quiet manner, but the latter hailed the return of her schoolfellows with considerable relief. The house seemed so big and silent and lonely without its usual lively crew of boarders, and the dormitory with its empty

er, never very gracious, had been markedly cold since the Christmas holidays. For some reason she was evidently much out of favour. She tapped more deferentially at the study door, and entered less confidently than she had done on the morning

ly, "I've sent for you to enquire if you'

was such a sore subject that she c

day he left you here, he has never written a line either to me or to you

Town," replied

ave you an

untry into a very wild place, but he

Cape Town who would k

at I kn

Poppleton's face seeme

Now, the rule of this school is that fees must be paid in advance at the beginning of each term. I don't make an except

nswerable question that Gi

continued Miss Poppleton, "and I said then it should

t o

o could take c

lutely nobod

? Surely you must have some i

ome cousins in New Zealand, a

come from? Hadn't you

erican, from Texas, I believe. Her mother was Spanish. I never heard about her relations. Sh

father no permanent address, then, where

heard him

th set tightly while she answered this unwelcome catechism. Miss Poppleton

burden of your education. We've got to trace him somehow. I

ig sob that had been gathering in her

faithfully he'd come back and fetch me. Oh! you don't know Dad,

wondering, and searching her mind for any possible solution of his silence, but she look

hool if pupils did not pay their fees. I can't afford to be kept waiting. In your case, however, we'll let matters stand for awhile, and see if we he

e a month for letters, and not then if the river's in fl

orst, I could send you out to them through the Emigration Society. It's a very awkward position to be placed in-very awkward in

usiness. I was at school, and he used just to come a

her account book w

pretend to keep you here indefinitely. Give me the address of your cousins in New Zealand, and I

itory and sobbed her heart out. There she was found later on by Miss Edith, who came to put away clean clothes. Poor Miss Edith was generally torn in two between strict loyalty to

otten me! I wish I'd anybody to go to; I haven'

all. My sister will do everything that's right-she always does. Oh, don't sob so, child! She'll see that you're taken care of. Do try to cheer up, that's a dear! You must trust

She was aware of the many dangers of life in the rough mining camps where his work lay, and shuddered as she remembered his tales of attacks by desperadoes, skirmishes with natives, or perils of wild beasts.

a feeling I'd know if he was dead. No! He's alive somewhere and thinking of me, and it will all come right in the end. His very last words were: 'I'll

certainly needed all her courage to face the situation, for there were several circumstances which rendered it peculiarly trying. Miss Poppleton, with whom she had never been a favourite, snapped at her more freq

ield, to have to stay behind for the sake of the price of a ticket and a tram fare. She had long ago spent all her pocket-money, and there was no more forthcoming. Not only was she denied such luxuries as chocolates, but she was not even able to pay her subscription to the Guild, which, by the new arrangement, was due at the beginning of

fs and strays. They were already beginning to work for it, and Gipsy, who would gladly have helped, made the unpleasant discovery that it is impossible to make bricks without straw, or in othe

; that would be far the easiest, and then we should know how we stand,

Hetty Hancock. "Wouldn't it be enough

ch better to

irl I know who perhaps really couldn't undertake to make

at that moment, so Hetty

why we should spoil the bazaar to spar

only thought we might do it some ot

ide!" expostulated Gladys Merriman. "I think Alice's idea

uldn't like it you

Gipsy!" said

s to spare her the unpleasantness of an open confession of her inability to make her contributio

ticles-that ought to be the minimum-and as many mor

as excellent. Everybody felt it ought to be carried out, but many shared Hett

es into working trios. Three of us could promise a dozen articles between us, to be made just as we like, all stitching at the same piece of em

ed Dilys. "Who votes

and Hetty promptly proposed to form a trio with Gipsy, and w

embroidery silk!" sighed Gips

ly quits in that way. You can do all the painting part, too, on those blotters; you paint far better than either

!" said Gips

s; and though most of the girls were sorry for her, with a certain number her changed fortunes undoubtedly lessened her popularity. Maude Helm never lost an opportunity of a sneer or

LLY RESPONDED

Yankee Doodle?" asked Gladys Merriman one day. "Th

d Maude tauntingly. "It doesn't soar up aloft like it

crest of the United States, you're

were you," tittered Maude.

ht be necessary to change my style of hair-dressing," retor

ie Bertram murmured: "Rats' tails,

t intended the laugh to b

rice," she commented, banging her desk to clos

ld like to take her down a peg," she confided to Glady

do, continuall

re for her American cheek. I'm going to play a tri

both scuttled up to the empty classroom, and abstracting Gipsy's atlas from her desk, carri

that in a hurry!

to-do when she mis

em of thinking too much of themselves. Now she's editor of the Magazine, Yankee Doodle's un

ands was lovely!" gus

rything should be in the hands of one girl, and she a foreigner, as one might say! I'll talk to you agai

blank book for drawing charts, a notebook, a pencil, and indiarubber. Gipsy's desk was not always a miracle of neatness, but she understood its apparent confusion, and could generally lay her hand i

my atlas? It was here yeste

esk!" remarked Miss White. "You must stay after four o'clock and put your books in or

per Fourth filed downstairs to the lecture hall under the superintendence of Ada Dawk

he corridor before entering the lecture hall, Maud

d atlas. I've not forgotten anything!" s

her of her duties. She was anxious

quired authoritatively. "Face about into l

ting what she carried. Ada passed along like a commanding offi

e tidy, you'd be able to find your books. No, I'm not going to accept any excuses. You all know what you want for the lesson, and it's your own fault if you co

ed by Miss Poppleton later on for the lack of her atlas. It was only after a

to Hetty Hancock. "Maude and Gladys were giggling something to

y've played a low, stingy

lmost

ver I catch them at such a thin