sement and empty it in the bin. Miss Cameron, _you_ may go to bed
again. I will wait and see you so disposed. _Alons_!"

But before Ruth could get out of the room, and while Helen was hastily
preparing for bed, Miss Picolet noticed something "bunchy" under Ruth's
spread. She walked to the bedside and snatched back the coverlet. The
still untasted viands were revealed.

"Ah-ha!" exclaimed the French teacher. "At once! into the basket with
these, if you will be so kind, Miss Fielding."

Had Heavy seen those heaps of goodies thus disposed of she must have
groaned in actual misery of spirit! But Helen, being quick in her
preparations for bed, hopped into her own couch before Miss Picolet
turned around to view that corner of the room, and with Helen under the
bedclothes the hidden dainties (though she _did_ mash some of them)
were not revealed to the eye of the teacher, who stood grimly by the
door as Ruth marched gravely forth with the basket of broken food.

For a minute or two Helen was as silent as Miss Picolet; then she
ventured in a very small voice:

"Miss Picolet--if you please?"

"Well, Mademoiselle?" snapped the little lady.

"May I tell you that my chum Ruth had nothing to do with this
infringement of the school rules? That the feast was all mine; that
she merely partook of it because we roomed together? That she had
nothing to do with the planning of the frolic?"

"Well?"

"I thought perhaps that you might believe otherwise," said Helen,
softly, "as you made Ruth remove the--the provisions," said Helen.
"And really, she isn't at all to blame."

"She cannot be without blame," declared Miss Picolet, yet less harshly
than she had spoken before. "An objection from her would have stopped
the feast before it began--is it not, Miss Cameron?"

"But she is not so _much_ to blame, Miss Picolet," repeated Helen.

"Of that we shall see," returned the little lady, and waited by the
door until Ruth returned from the basement. "Now to bed!" ejaculated
Miss Picolet. "Wait in chapel after prayers. I really hoped the girls
of my dormitory would not force me to call the attention of the
Preceptress to them because of demerits this half--and I did not
believe the trouble would start with two young ladies who had just
arrived."

So saying, she departed. But Helen whispered Ruth, before she got in
bed, to help remove the remaining goodies to the box in the closet.

"At least, we have saved this much from