e
was a large box upon which was printed in flaring scarlet letters: "Not to
be opened till it is ten A. M. in _Bombay_."

The box stood in the hall when Miss Preston passed through the hall to
dinner, and, unless suddenly stricken with ophthalmy, she could not fail
to see the flaring notice. "Ah," she said, softly, to herself, "you have a
triple mission, you inanimate bit of the carpenter's skill: first, to
teach my girls a lesson in longitude and time, second, to mutely ask my
permission for a frolic to-night, and, third, to suggest that when
birthdays arrive it would be a most auspicious time for the "C. C. C.'s"
to hold their revels, and that Diogenes' tub, if not himself, would be
welcome, so I had better act upon the hint and contribute my share. Thank
you, sir," and, with a funny little nod to the box, she went on to the
dining-room.

"What is the joke, Miss Preston?" asked Cicely, as Miss Preston took her
seat.

"Do you think I'm going to spoil it by revealing it so soon? No, indeed,"
and she laughed softly.

When dinner was ended the girls flocked around the box and curiosity ran
riot. "What does that mean, Miss Preston? Do tell us."

"I have other matters of such importance on hand that I must deputize Miss
Howard to unravel the mystery for you," she said, as she slipped away to
the upper hall where the telephone was placed, and a moment later the
girls heard the bell jingle and a funny, one-sided conversation followed.
"Hello, Central! 1305. Is this 1305? Send me the usual order. Yes, four
kinds. Eight. Well packed. Be prompt."

The porter carried the big box to Toinette's room and removed the lid for
her. Such an array! I'm not going to attempt to tell about it, but shall
let every girl who has ever attended a chum's birthday feast mention the
articles of which that feast consisted, and then, after combining the
entire list, they can form some idea of the contents of Toinette's box.

"Fly, Cicely, and hunt up every C. C. C., and a dozen besides! We can
never dispose of such a cartload of stuff in a week if we don't have the
entire school to help us," cried Toinette, as she lifted one thing after
another from the box.

There is a saying that "Ill news flies fast," but, in my humble opinion,
it is as a stage-coach beside the Empire State Express when compared to
the fleetness of good news. So it did not take long to start this bit like
an electric fluid through the school, and what sort of "Free Mason