nce last theatricals."

"It's miles too short!"

"Has anybody seen my belt?"

Each one was so occupied in finishing her own hasty toilet that she
could not give much thought to the others, and it was only when all were
ready that Patricia asked:

"Where's Chrissie?"

The girls looked round in consternation. She was certainly not in the
dressing-room. Betty ran on to the platform, drew aside the curtain a
little, and, beckoning Annie Turner from among the audience, sent her
and six other Intermediates in search of the missing performer. They
returned in a few minutes to say that they could not find her. Marjorie,
meantime, had explained the cause of the quarrel.

"It's sickening!" raged Betty. "For her to go and spoil the whole thing,
just out of temper! I'd like to shake her!"

"Everybody's waiting for us to begin!" fluttered Rose.

"We won't wait!" declared Patricia. "Let us take the second charade
first, Chrissie doesn't come on in that; and, Betty, you go and ask
Annie to take Chrissie's place. She doesn't act badly, and there'd be
time to tell her what to do. She must fetch a mackintosh. Here's my
broad belt and a soft felt hat. She can belong to an Australian
regiment."

Annie, summoned hastily behind the scenes, rose magnificently to the
occasion. Coached by Betty and Marjorie, she grasped the outline of the
part she must play with immediate comprehension. She donned the
mackintosh, buckled the belt over her shoulder, cocked the soft hat over
one eye, practised a military stride and an affectionate embrace, and
declared herself ready for action. She was only just in time. The
audience was already applauding the end of the first charade. The
performers came trooping back, flushed and excited, and much relieved to
find Annie so well prepared.

"You mascot! You've saved our reputation!" exulted Patricia.

"I'm never going to speak to Chrissie Lang again!" declared Betty.

"It's abominable of her to let us down like this!" agreed Rose
indignantly.

Charade No. 2 went off with flying colours. Annie really played up
magnificently. None of the girls had known before that she could act so
well. She threw such fervour into her love-making that Mrs. Morrison,
who was among the spectators, gave a warning cough, whereupon the
gallant officer released his lady from his dramatic embrace, and,
falling gracefully on one knee, bestowed a theatrical kiss upon her
hand. The clapping from the girl portion of the audi