A Patriotic Schoolgirl

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dnesday was the most general day for exeats; it was the leisurely half-holiday of the week, when the girls might carry out their own little plans, Saturday afternoons being reserved for hockey practice and matches, at which all were expected to attend. The rules

Hilton House. It was nice, also, to have a few hours in which they could be together and talk over their own affairs. There were home letters to be discussed, news of Bevis on board H.M.S. Relentless, of Leonard in the trenches, and Larry in the training-camp, hurried scrawls from Father, lookin

-holders into the town, so that at present the company walked in a crocodile, which, however, would soon split up and distribute its various members. It was a lovely, fresh autumn day, and the girls ste

I feel I'm as much labelled 'Brackenfield' as a Dartmoor prisone

o the town too. Sometimes they're rather giggly and silly, and we certainly don't want to get the credit for their escapades. Everybody knows a 'Bracken

said Marjorie, looking rather ruefully in the d

m, and were handed over into her charge by their teacher, with strict injunc

two girls each seized Elaine by one of her hands and twirled her round in a wild jig of triumph. Elaine was nearly twenty, old enough to just pass muster as an escort in the eyes of Miss Norton, but young enough to be still almost a schoolgirl at heart, and to

s," said Marjorie, as Elaine turned down t

ou shall come another time, when we're all decorated and in apple-pie order. Besides, we haven't many soldiers this week. We sent away a batch of

ed Marjorie. "I'd love it better than anything

plenty to do, and sometimes the Commandant gets ratty over just

xt month, and I mean to jo

Dona

make me be the patient, as I'm a new girl, and I don't like being bandaged, and walked about after poisons, and restored from d

your place, then you'll have the satisfaction of performing all those ope

odging-houses. There was a beautiful view over the sea, where to-day little white caps were breaking, and small vessels bobbing about in a manner calculated to test the g

ma and tea at a café afterwards? Or a last game of tennis (the lawn will j

as inland, the seaside held attractions. Elaine hastily changed into tweed skirt and sports coat, found a fav

on the hills, they dipped down a steep sandy path that led to the shore. They found themselves in a delightful cove, with rugged rocks on either side and a belt of hard firm sand. The tide was fairly well out, so they followed the retreating waves to the water's edge. A recent stormy day had flung up great masses of seaweed and hundreds of star-fish. Dona, whose tastes had just begun to awaken in the direction of natural history, poked about with great enjoyment collecting specimens. There were shells to be had on the sand, and mermaids' purses, and bunches of whelks' eggs, and love

r father and brothers. She was burning to do something to help-to nurse the wounded, drive a transport wagon, act as secretary to a staff-officer, or even be telephone operator over in France-anything that would be of service to her country and allow her to feel that she had pla

lding retort. On the road above stood an invalid carriage, piled up with innumerable parcels, and containing also a small boy. He was a charmingly pretty little fellow, with a very pale, delicately oval face, beautiful pathetic brown eyes, and rich golden hair that fell in cu

nk I'm going to traipse back you're much mistaken. We're late as it is, and a pretty t

d Elaine, as the girls entered th

the pram somewhere on the way from Whitecliffe; but I can't g

book was it?"

hild eagerly. "All about Rumpelstiltzkin and

ook for it on our way back. Have

boy shook

shops. Then I forgot about it till just now. Oh, I must kno

f tears and the corners of

servant. "He thinks as much of an old book as some of us would of g

way back to Whitecliffe. If we find it we'll meet you he

find it?" quavered th

us somehow. You come here to-day for

"Hold on to those parcels, Eric, or

y-balanced packages, and tried to wave a good-by

perambulator had turned the corner. "And I wonder where he can possibly be going?

ly a gentleman's. The carriage was very shabby, with such an old rug; and the girl wasn't tidy en

y Tales at home, and I thought I'd write to Mother and ask her to

What a sple

er mother would post the book to "The Tamarisks" in the course of a few days. The sisters watched the weather anxiously when their fortnightly exeat came round. They were fascinated with little Eric, and wanted to see him again. They could not forget h

formed Dona. "I expect your young

exactly," laughed Dona; "but I've brought a basket to-day, so

ll. The long perambulator was standing by the roadside when they reached th

nted. But he's thought of nothing else all this fortnight. He's been ill again, and he shouldn't really be out to-day, because the pram jolts him; but

round the brown eyes, and the golden hair curled limply to-day. Eric did not

you mine instead, and I expect it's just th

c's cheeks, the frail little hands t

e! It's got coloured

he servant girl, "would you like to leave him here with us whi

joke wheeling that pram up the hills. Will you stay

book. The girls wheeled him to a sheltered place out of the wind, and

ncess Goldilocks; and you," with a finger at Marjorie and Dona, "are two fairies, Bluebell and Silverstar. No, I do

s Tit

l the world. There's no one like her. We have such fun,

ow us how," s

e. They found him a charming little fellow, full of quaint fancies and a delicate humour. His chatter amused them immensely, yet there was an element of pathos through

gain some time and play with me! I'm going home now in my Cinderella coach to my Enchanted

as the girls stood waving a farewell.

I've ever seen

d Elaine thoughtfully. "I wish we'd asked where he live

dn't find him," laughed Marjorie. "We m

the cliffs, so for that term at any rate the girls did not see Eric again. He seemed to have made his appearance suddenly, like a pixy child, and to have

to co