now again resumed with vigor,
and after a great deal of animated arguing it was resolved that two short
plays should be acted; that a committee should be immediately formed, who
should select the plays, and apportion their various parts to the
different actors.

The committee selected included Miss Russell, Miss Conway, Hester
Thornton, Cecil Temple, and two other girls of the second class. The
conference then broke up, but there was a certain sense of flatness over
everything, and Cecil was not the only girl who sighed for the merry
meetings of last year--when Annie had been the life and soul of all the
proceedings, and when one brilliant idea after another with regard to the
costumes for the fancy ball had dropped from her merry tongue.

CHAPTER XXI.

STEALING HEARTS.

When Annie ran out of the south parlor she found herself suddenly face to
face with Mrs. Willis.

"Well, my dear child," said the head mistress in her kindest voice,
"where are you running to? But I suppose I must not ask; you are, of
course, one of the busy and secret conclave in the south parlor?"

"No. I have left them," said Annie, bending her head, and after her usual
habit when agitated, shaking her hair about her face.

"Left them?" repeated Mrs. Willis, "you mean, dear, that they have sent
you for some message."

"No. I am not one of them. May I go into the garden, Mrs. Willis?"

"Certainly, my dear."

Annie did not even glance at her governess. She pushed aside the baize
door, and found herself in the great stone hall which led to the
play-room and school-room. Her garden hat hung on a peg in the hall, and
she tossed it off its place, and holding it in her hand ran toward the
side door which opened directly into the garden. She had a wild wish to
get to the shelter of the forsaken hammock and there cry out her whole
heart. The moment she got into the open air, however, she was met by a
whole troop of the little children, who were coming in after their usual
short exercise before going to bed. Miss Danesbury was with them, and
when Annie ran out by the open door, she entered holding two little ones
by the hands. Last in this group toddled Hester's little sister Nan. The
moment she saw Annie, her little face broke into smiles, she held out two
hands eagerly, and fled to the young girl's side.

"Where dat pitty toy?" she said, raising her round face to Annie's; "some
one did buy dat toy, and it's vedy pitty, and me wants it--