eld in the lecture hall instead of their own classroom,
and just as the girls were filing in at the door, Dorothy made the
horrible discovery that in place of her Longfellow she had brought an
English history book. It was impossible to go back, for Miss Pitman was
standing on the stairs.

"What am I to do?" she gasped. "How could I have been so idiotically
stupid?"

"Can't you look on with somebody?" suggested Alison, who was walking
with her.

"Miss Tempest will notice, and ask the reason. She's fearfully down on
us if we forget anything. I'm in the front row, too, worse luck!"

"Then take my Longfellow and give me your History. Perhaps I shan't be
asked to read. We'll chance it, anyhow," said Alison, changing the two
books before Dorothy had time to object.

"No, no; it's too bad!" began Dorothy; but at that moment Miss Pitman
called out: "What are you two girls waiting for? Move on at once!" and
they were obliged to pass into the lecture hall and go to their seats.

Fortune favoured them that afternoon. Miss Tempest, in the course of the
lesson, twice asked Dorothy to read passages, and completely missed out
Alison, who sat rejoicing tremulously in the back row.

"You don't know from what you've saved me," said the former, as she
returned the book when the class was over. "I should have been utterly
undone without your Longfellow."

"It's like the fable of the mouse and the lion," laughed Alison. "I must
say I felt a little nervous when Miss Tempest looked in my direction. I
thought once she was just going to fix on me. All's well that ends well,
though."

"And I won't be such a duffer again," declared Dorothy.

* * * * *

"Mother, dearest," said Alison Clarke that evening, "I didn't think the
College half so horrid to-day as I did yesterday. I like Dorothy
Greenfield, she's such a jolly girl. She took me all round the place and
showed me everything, and told me what I might do, and what I mustn't.
We went to the Dramatic meeting--at least, it wasn't the real College
Dramatic, but one in our own Form--and I got chosen for Miss Pinkerton.
Dorothy's going to be Miss Swartz, I expect. We've arranged to travel
together always. She's going to wave her handkerchief out of the window
the second the train gets to Latchworth, so that I can go into her
carriage; and we shall wait for each other in the dressing-room after
school."

"I thought she looked a nice girl," said Mrs. Clark