A Popular Schoolgirl

asant Ex

ation in groups, discussing details of the match as they went. Ingred, Beatrice, and Verity happened to be blocked at the exit by the Clintonian team, and we

an almost see the station from here. I say, aren't you fearfully hungry? I'm l

-cook's and demanded buns. They were eating them rather hastily, when Linda Slater entered the shop in company with a gentleman

ow? This has sent up our credit te

s A1," exul

ping. Dad thought no end

de something of a rec

finishing her bun, "if that clock'

e slow," exclaimed Linda, consulting

t you

our car here.

Linda, as the three went to the pay desk to settle for their buns.

romised you'd call at Brantbury and bring Gerald and Eustace

me for them to

don't know how

in the direction of the railway station. They could see the train coming along the top of the embankment, and it had drawn up at the platform before they reache

r the whistle, and the general bumping of chains that betokened the starting of the carriages. They were exactly half a minute too late! When the train was well out of the station, the collector once more opened his barrier, and the crowd surged on.

repeated the coll

fs had vanished, Ingred's pocket, indeed, was neatly turned inside out. Here was a dilemma! They had evidently been robbed on the s

r tickets!" fa

n stolen!" a

us through!" en

ouble duty, and could scarcely cope with the extra work. He had to deal with crowds, and to keep a sharp eye to see that no one defrauded the railway company by tr

curtly. "Then I must close the gate. No on

oss the line in front of the engine, just in time to take his place at the other gateway before the rush of passengers began, and probably never gave

do?" demanded In

ly knows!" s

awkward fix!" a

r from Grovebury to m

ss us!" fretted Verity, trying

. "She wasn't looking after us officially to-day, you

'd have kept with the rest of the school if

! What we've got to do is to find some means

"If we can manage to walk, I know some people who live at a house there. I'd

unanimously decided to adopt it. They walked down the steps again, therefore, on

ply. "I think you'd find the path. You go down the road to the right, and turn through the first g

greatly prefer walking through fields to tramping along a dusty high road. Thanking their informant, they too

ate home, and our people will be getting very anxious about us, but we can't help that. I was to have gone to a m

ot back!" laughed Ingred. "He'll

w?" groaned Verity. "Here's our farm, and that appears to be the river over ther

ough a turnstile gate. It was quite pretty along the path by the river. There was a tall hedge where hips and haws showed red, and a grassy bo

ol matters as they went, then suddenly they were confronted by an alternative. A bridge spanned the river, and the broad, well-trodden path along which they had

tion which requ

long the river bank on

inly goes across her

but that way looks as if it led

we ask

't a soul

here a s

g of th

ch way sh

take vot

'm for 'byp

r the 'king

so we're t

d, "only I've a sort of feeling

y met nobody from whom they could inquire the way. For nearly a quarter of a mile a belt of trees obscured the view, and when at last the prospect c

e wrong, a

night! S

absolute

d missed their train. The chimneys of Waverley were in sight, but separated from them by a wide str

ng for it but

t that's

averley over there?

o ask, wo

n see some people co

d through the reeds to the very edge of the river, a

h surprise at the agitated girl who was hailing them from the bank. The gentleman at once paddle

ed Ingred anxiously. "We've lost our way, and

ere's no bridge till you come to o

She turned to Beatrice and

We shall hav

thing to the gentleman, and he b

d. "Look here, we'll pun

rdly knew how to exp

d better take just one at a time. Can you manage to

, rather bald and stout, but no orthodox interesting hero of fiction could have been more welcome at the moment. She tendered her utmost thanks as she landed, again with damage to her shoes, on the rushy bank

ion: A FRI

y again we've no luck!" cried Beatrice,

ls in disguise!

ed Verity. "Now, how are we g

returned Beatrice, swinging herself up with elephantine grace, and dropping

ottom of some gardens, then behind a row of stable

y quite a short way to the Morton's. They live in the next terrace

all, they thought the adventure was turning out well. A meal would undoubtedl

the copper beech over the gate. Linden Lea-yes, here

aced each o

dead?" falt

uire, at any rate,

ar the bell clanging quite plainly and unmistakably som

e house either," she remarked. "Their d

of the wall which divided the garden from that

want the

n't anyb

e away to Llandu

n't anyo

house is

were suddenly blighted. They had arrived at the end of their journey only to draw a blank. They were indeed in a worse position than when they

-night somehow!" said Ing

he police station

an idea!" said Beatrice. "We passed the post office just now, and I noticed it had a 'Publi

thing, and we haven't so much a

office, and ask them to let me have the call, and Mother will

worth

hich was also a stationer's and newsagent's. Nobody was in the shop, but when the gir

nst the post office rules," she snapped, as

hen she comes, and if

les! All calls must be paid for be

st for

the back parlor, wiping his mouth hastily, and took his place behind the counter. Beatri

o account for the calls, but in this particular case we might let you have on

mmense delight, when she got the connection, she heard her mother's vo

self immediately," returned Mrs. Jackson. "It's the greatest relief to know what has be

he welcome form of Mrs. Jackson stepped out of it. She paid what was owing for the call, thanked

you've been very silly ones to-day! Why didn't you keep

'm afraid it was all the fault of-buns! They just threw us late, and we missed t

Jackson, who was inclined to scold, laughed in

h a thing doesn't happ

e again for all the buns in the world! Next time we

king-plaster!" supp

mermaid's tail!