A Popular Schoolgirl

tel F

utes, and that it was quite unnecessary to get up so soon: even when the others mercilessly pulled the bed-clothes from her, and pointed to their watches, she would dawdle instead of "whisking," and spend much superfluous time over manicure or dabbing on cucumber cream to improve her complexion. She was so innocent about her little vanities, and conducted them with such child-like complacency, that the girls tolerated them quite good humoredl

e plan of awarding marks for good conduct and order to each dormitory, and allowing the one which scored the highest to give an entertainment to the others during the last hour before bedtime on Thursday night. Naturally this was a privilege to be desired. It was fun to act variety artistes before the rest of the hostel, and well worth being in time for meals, preserving silence during prep., or getting

the Sixth, as the girls filed from the room when the meal was over; "

plied Ingred. "Please don't expec

urried conclave befo

t stunt!" re

to act?" fl

we've to play up!

it all out beforehand! But I really n

. "On the whole, it doesn't matter. Sometimes a quite impromptu thing goes of

e one or two ideas simmering. Thank goodness it's drawing

at four o'clock, and fix on what we're going to do. Great Mi

n with stage-fright! Wha

are busy, and your brain is far away. Ingred planned enough entertainments to supply a Pierrot troupe for a month, but abandoned most of them as being quite impossible to act with the very limited resources that were available at the hostel. At a s

ter. The trestle tables were carried to one end to form the gallery, rows of chairs represented the dress circle, and cushion

. Part of the charm of these Thursday night entertainments was their absolutely spontaneous character, and t

er had taken possession of the arm-chairs specially reserved for them, Dollie Ransome, who had been requisitio

the Cakes. A Hi

was knotted on her head for a cap, and she wore an apron borrowed from the cook, and a check table-cover arranged as a shawl. She bestowed the sticks in the fender to represent a fire on the heart

e had folded a plaid traveling rug into a kilt which reached just to her bare knees, borrowed a velvet coatee and a leather belt from Mrs. Best, and, by the aid of bandages from the ambulance cupboard, had made quite a good imitation of Saxon leg-gear. Armed

of his rheumatism, started with amazement at the sight of the handsome stranger seated by his hearth, and drew his wife aside for explanations. The old couple, after conversing in audible whispers, decided to go out for more firewood, and as a last charge the dame commended her cakes to the care of their guest. King Alfred, on being left alone by the hearth, whittled away at his arrows with more energy than discrimination, and showed indeed a sad lack of practical skill for so well seasoned a warrior. Perhaps, however, he was not accustomed to have to make th

zee the c

t ee zee

ee eat 'em

it be

beforehand by toasting it over the gas, she fla

the length, or rather shortness, of the act. It is difficult for the most accomplished actor to go on looking embarrassed for any length of time, and as Fil's eloquence in the scolding line suddenly failed her, there was an awful pause while the peasant husband, with wonderful agility considering his

restles, which had been carelessly fixed, collapsed, and sent a whole row of girls sliding on to the floor, whence the

re top

you think

ing Alfre

u look abou

ould s

ling about a forest in a blue dressing-

wear it!" declared Ingred. "She was j

long flowing garments very like dressing-gowns. I think it was a capital idea, and the best I could do. There wasn't another rug for the kilt an

ice sounded distinctly offended. "I thought the way you dropped on one knee and cried: 'My

"It means a man who owned land, but wasn't quite as high up as a th

e and Doreen, if you'd like a quiet half-hour to finish your prep. you may go into my room. Somebody put the tables back, please, and be sure the trestles are in their right places this time, we don't want anoth

rited performance that the members of No. 2 Dormitory could not get to sleep that night. They all lay wide awake in bed, and told each other tales about burglars, in whispers. Verity's stories were blood-curdling in the extreme; she was a great reader, and had got them from magazines. Her three room-ma

asy place to burgle?" asked Fil. "Those French windows ha

opened with a skeleto

ear goloshes, so as to trea

agazine stories, "to marry a fascinating man whom you'd met by chance,

er eyes, like they always do roll them on the films, and then, just when things are at the very last gasp, the husband tumbles over a pr

you first always as go

u as a child, you see. You come on the film han

e boys whom I didn't care for in the least. None of them ever gave me his apple, though I remember one takin

st adventurer that comes along," declared Nora. "Don't trust him if he has a mustache. 'Da

on the Pictures, the villain was cl

the landing outside. "This doesn't look like scoring again next week, and giving another performance. Why, Nora, the rain's driving through that open window straight on to your

e slightest surprise or any suggestion that the Crown Jewels are kept at the Tower instead of at Buckingham Palace. She woke suddenly, and laughed at the absurdity of the idea. She felt hot, and threw back her eiderdown. The other girls were sleeping quietly, and the rain was still beating against the window in heavy showers, for it was a stormy night. The door of the bedroom stood wide open. What was that sound coming up the stairs from the hall below? It was certainly not the ticking of the clock. It seemed more like muffled and stealthy footsteps. In an instant Ingred was very wide awake i

f he tries to come up!" she

ed blackness of the shadowy hall. The sounds had ceased temporarily, but now they began again-a distinct shuffling as of f

instantly followed by Nora's hairbrush, Fil's dispatch case, and Verity's pillo

shoot you dead!" quavered Ingred, wishing she had

ds the staircase, and, as it came into the faint circle of radiance spread by the lamp

turbed by the noise, had opened her door and come on to the scene in a pink-and-gray dressing-gown. They were

ak, and went downstairs for a biscuit," declared Nurse Warner, whose vo

go to sleep, of course you can imagine anything. If I hear any more talking in No. 2 another night after the lights are out, I shall separate you, and send ea

Verity, in distinct disobedience to this mandate, as the

Sh!

d Fil softly. "A nice ornamental tin box of biscuits to keep in

o to sleep!" warned