to the town to do some shopping. The
chance only fell once in a term to each individual, so it was a
cherished privilege.

They first visited the Stores, where a long halt was allowed in the
confectionery department for the purchase of sweets. The investment in
these was considerable, for each girl not only bought her own, but
executed commissions for numerous friends. There was a school limit of a
quarter of a pound per head, but Miss Franklin was not over strict, and
the rule was certainly exceeded. The book and magazine counter also
received a visit, and the stationery department, for there was at
present a fashion for fancy paper and envelopes, with sealing-wax or
picture wafers to match, and the toilet counter had its customers for
scent and cold cream and practical articles such as sponges and tooth
paste. There was a sensation when Enid Young was discovered
surreptitiously buying pink Papier Poudre, though she assured them that
it was not for herself, but for one of the Seniors, whose name she had
promised not to divulge, under pain of direst extremities. Poor Miss
Franklin had an agitating hour escorting her flock from one department
to another of the Stores and keeping them all as much as possible
together. She breathed a sigh of relief when they were once more in the
street, and walking two and two in a neat, well-conducted crocodile.
They marched down Sandy Walks to the Market Place, and turned along the
promenade to go back by the Cliff Road. In this autumn season there were
generally very few people along the sea front, but to-day quite a crowd
had collected on the sands. They were all standing gazing up into the
sky, where an aeroplane was flitting about like a big dragon-fly. Now
when a crowd exhibits agitation, bystanders naturally become curious as
to what is the cause of the excitement. Miss Franklin, though a teacher,
was human; moreover, she always suspected every aeroplane of being
German in its origin. She called a halt, therefore, and enquired from
one of the sky-gazers what was the matter.

"It's Captain Devereux, the great French airman," was the reply. "He's
just flown over from Paris, and he's been looping the loop. There! He's
going to do it again!"

Immensely thrilled, the girls stared cloudwards as the aeroplane, after
describing several circles, turned a neat somersault. They clapped as if
the performance had been specially given for their benefit.

"He's coming down!" "He's going to d