The Madcap of the School

night

ey had dabbled in chemistry till Ardiune spilt acid down Miss Gibbs's dress, after which the experiments suddenly stopped. They had collected fruits and seed-vessels, had studied animalcul? through the microscope, and modelled fungi in plasticine. Stencilling, illuminating, painting, a

f artistic expression. Some minds delight in pure Greek outline, while others revel in the intricacies of Celtic ornament. Again, a girl with no ?sthetic sense may be enraptured with the wonders of the microscope, and those who find a difficulty in mastering the technical terms of botany may yet excel in the extent of the

ts, handicrafts, and scientific pursuits, but that they should in every respect cultivate a wide mental hor

upport, and a capital of only three hundred pounds. How would you employ this sum to the

a boarding-house or the setting up of tea-rooms. The most original suggestion, however, was contributed b

friends to adopt them. Then I would spend the three hundred pounds in buying new clothes and sta

oison, the bursting of the kitchen boiler, a case of choking, and an infectious epidemic. On the whole they rather enjoyed the fun of airing their views, and when as

losives. They clutched their few valuables that were within reach, donned dressing-gowns and bedroom slippers, each seized a blanket, and all descended to

gain!" shivered Fauvette, appalled a

y to come, Miss Gibb

l," replied the mistress, anxious to justify the usefulness of her emergency lessons. "I

n the middle of the night?" said Raymonde, gaz

cellar without delay," rep

she would have been surprised. The serious apprehension had changed to dancing mischief. Even so well-seasoned

erself, and at the earliest convenient mome

ten I have a really topping notion, but this is one of tho

it!" chirruped Katherine. "Other people

allow I've some reason to cock-a-doodle. Look here, do

. They distrusted Raymonde's philanthropy,

dy has been looking forward to an event, just think of the bliss of being able to bring it

urmured th

to teach us how to act in emergencies. She must have spent hours thinking out those p

of the six

point!" sugg

urn to her for her kindness. Now it must be very disappointing to coach us up for these emergencies, and never have an opportunity of putting what we've been taught into practice. If we could show

ler, or set the cook on fire to

er preparation we might engineer a very neat little Zepp r

ttee. They began to see daylight. Raymond

over Gibbie's bedroom. Now what you've got to do for the next few days is to colle

nd even climbed over the wall on to the rubbish heap to rescue specimens, rusty or otherwise, that lay there unnoticed and unappropriated. Each can was furnished with four or five large pebb

er preparations wit

the dead!" she said, rattling o

r Superior, was now the bower of Miss Gibbs. It had two doors, one leading into the passage and another into the dormitory, so that she 73 could keep an eye upon the nineteen inmates. It was a very unnecessary arrangement to have her so near, the girls considered, for she would come popp

he roof. They were not likely to be disturbed here, for probably no one save herself knew of the existence of the tiny room. She crept through the small door on to the tiles, and verified her po

she informed the committee. "Of course Zepps don't generally come when there's a moon, b

-th

f small beds, would hear nothing but peaceful breathing. On one particular evening, however, when she made her usual survey of the room, seven of the apparent sleepers were foxing. They lay with closed eyes and composed faces, but inwardly they were particularly lively. Each one had solemnly passed her word to keep awake, and considered herself on sentry duty. To pass th

light in front of them. It felt decidedly spooky, and they were thankful to be together. They went up the stairs towards the servants' quarters, and along an upper landing. By the aid of the torch it was not difficult to find the secret door among the panelling. The little lumber-room looked horribly dark; it needed an

e whispered. "I know just the place to drop the tins. They

sport!" retu

gency medicine cupboard on the wall. Was she dreaming of the lesson she meant to give to-morrow, or of the officer whose portrait, in the silver frame, occupied the post of honour in her picture gallery? Who could tell? Unsympathetic school-girls

t of "Zepps!" Miss Gibbs's presence of mind did not desert her. It took her exactly three seconds to put on her dressing-gown and bedroom slippers, two more to sweep her watch, p

herine were already garbed, and encouraging the others. Before a minute and a half had elapsed, the whole pa

. As all appeared quiet, and no more mysterious thumps resounded on the roof, Miss Beasley, who had reconnoitred, declared it safe to return to roost, and ordered her twenty-six pupils upstairs again. Possibly she had

of those ringleaders I shall punish you all. You will spend Wednesday afternoon in your class-rooms copying out 'Lycidas,' instead of taking our projected trip on the river. It is hard to punish the innocent with the g

fell on the Mystic Seven that the indignant monitresses took the matter in hand, and insisted on investigating the entire business. P

want your monkey tricks here. They're on the level of a kindergarten for little boys. If anything more of this sort happens, you may expect to find yourself jol

erybody a treat, and especially Gibbie. I'm a martyr to the cause of emergencies. For goodness' sake