The Luckiest Girl in the School

Symp

al rehearsals at Garnet's house, the girls at last got

ever so much better played with a guitar accompaniment tha

ose anything

est. It's as well

ractice anything mo

ong. I could play the air very softly on the mandoline, an

my fingers. They're getting sore. If I let a b

y any more to-day, and soak your f

he first week or ten days of the autumn term the girls had enough to do in settling into the work of their new forms, but now October wa

when you try to play tennis, you find the courts horrible, and you cut up the grass in half an hour. I'm glad when the leaves all come off, and you know it's autumn, and you look up your

velyn Richards. "She's A1 at all the guilds, though I don'

gh at that, I admit. Makes an ideal president. But a girl who's literary isn

ine," volunteered Beatrice, Margaret's younger sister. "

y's to

we're to have after the

literally a drinking together; a merry feast; a convivial party.' I don't know what we're going to drin

concert. But how about the collec

s would be seventeen and twopence, and some girls will probably give more, so she thinks we're sure of a sov

even the First Form babes, and millionaires can

oken to any one outside her own form, and knew the names of comparatively few of her two hundred and five schoolfellows. Without Garnet she would have been quite at a loss how to steer her course in this great ocean of school life; she thankfully accepted her friend as pilot, and for the present was content to follow her lead. The two girls presented themselves in the gymnasium in good time, and took their seats among the other members of V.a. The front bench was occupied by a row of ten-year-olds who had come up this term from the Preparatory, and who sat squeezing each others' arms, highly impressed with the importance of their remove. Behind them Form II., a giggling crew rather more au fait wit

two previous years of the school's existence the self-government had been in a state of evolution. For the first year, when everybody was new together, comparatively little could be done. The school must find itself before it began to form its private code of laws. In the second year ill-luck had raised to the post of honor Ivy Chatterton, a clever but most untactful girl, whose quick temper had brought her into constant collision with her prefects. Many were the squalls which had swept over the school, of so serious a nature s

he highest use of it," she had said to the girl, during a certain quiet ten minutes' talk in her study

of the platform, ringing the bell for silence. The clamor subsided a

Everybody must buck up all round. Those who aren't playing themselves can show their interest by attending the matches. It makes the greatest difference to an eleven to know that their own side is watching their play, and ready to cheer them on. There's nothing so forlorn and depressing as to see whole rows of the enemy's school hats on the spectators' benches, and only half-a-dozen of one's own-yet that's what happened when we played Harbury last spring. No wonder we lost! I'm going to ask you presently to elect a Games Captain, and then I want you to support her loyally for the whole of the year. Let her feel that she can depend upon you, and that instead of getting together scratch teams, her difficulty will be how to choose among so many crack players. But as you know, games are not the whole of our business to-day. We have our guilds to consider as well. I want to put these upon a good and firm basis. Last winter we didn't quite know where we were with them, did we? At present we have 'The Dramatic Society,' 'The Debating Club,' 'The Literary Association,' and 'The Patriotic Knitting Guild.' We

ready to respond with enthusiasm to her appeal. Even the ten-year-olds were eager to show their zeal. Winona had never taken her eyes off the speaker. It was a new gospel to her that she was one of the great community, bound to help the common weal. The rea

h!" murmured Garnet a

and came back

se!" she answered with a

in ringing the b

therefore put Kirsty up for election. It's only fair that I should first go over her qualifications for the office. She was our best center forward last year at hockey, and our best bowler at cricket. She's a thoroughly steady and reliable player herself, and-this is mos

st presidents would have considered the matter settled.

down again. Now those agains

, they changed their minds. To belong to a minority often means to be unpopular, and it is wise to go with the stream. Afte

waited

nanimously. I'm very glad, for I think Kirsty will make an ideal captai

Speech!" The blushing Kirsty-a bonny, rosy, athletic looking lassie-was seized by her fellow prefects, and dragged, in spite of her protests,

king speeches. I preferr deeds to worrds. We'll all put ourr shoulderrs to the

roceeded with the business of the meeting, which was to elect the officers for the various soc

lesome competition amongst ourselves. As I announced on the notice board, we are now going to give a short entertainment, at the close of which a collection will be taken for the object I have just mention

le execution, and led off the concert with a sprightly tarantella. A violin solo followed, by Si

s staring at me quite put me off. I don't wonder blind musicians are generally succe

ing to give "Khaki Boys," which roused her audience to an even higher pitch of patriotic fervor. A recitation, "Our Hockey Match," by Agnes Heath, was felt to be particularly appropriate to the occasion. It was a very good "school piece," humorous as well as ex

s is absolutely the only thing I know,

next item on the program. Margaret was signaling to Winona and Garnet, a

pe I shan't break do

for goodness' sake brace up!" implored Garnet. "If you muddle your a

pen, and allow her to subside out of sight. No such convenient arrangement, however, had been provided for the use of bashful performers, the planks were solid, and guaranteed not to give way under any circumstances. There was nothing for it but to take her seat in full view of the audience. There were slightly over two hundred girls in the room, but to Winona

ce. Just remember that you're

a girl fresh from home, and on trial before the critical eyes of her new form, but a unit in the great life of the school, bound to play her part for the good of the whole, and spec

nt was a good one, very true and mellow, and her mother had taught her the liquid Spanish touch which showed it to its best advantage. Garnet also was doing her best. Her plectrum vibrated evenly and rapidly, and the metallic twang, her gravest fault, was not nearly so evident as usual. The audience, unfamiliar with these particular instruments, was not hypercritical, and so long as the players kept well together, and sounded no d

That's right! Bow again! It's most clearly an encore. Have you brought anythin

sang in unison, keeping strictly together, and pronouncing very plainly, so that the point of the amusing words should not be lost. The audience shrieked with laughter, and

er inside the grand piano over the strings, and when the hammers struck against it the effect of the accompaniment was exactly that of a banjo. She had borrowed two sets of castanets, a pair of cymbals, and a triangle, and with these loud-sounding instruments she and

y dark-e

to spend

and the audience smiled at th

eyes were turned on Winona and Garnet as they carried their instruments down from the platform. "Who are they?" every one was asking, for so f

of the collection, which amounted to ￡2 13s. 7d.-a v

d for some catalogues, so that we can look up the prices. We shall start the season well,

rself!" smi

ans dire,

he High Street together after the

Mustn't it be splendid to be head of

if I had my choice, I'd a dozen times over