the pretty girl, with her great dark-blue
eyes and wild-rose complexion, entered abruptly.

"Well, Kathleen?" said Mrs. Ward in her pleasant tone.

"Oh, please, Mrs. Ward, I've come with such a lovely scheme."

"And you want me to help you?"

"Oh yes, please, do say you will before I let you into the secret!"

"I can't do that, dear; you must just tell me what is in your mind,
and be satisfied with my decision. The only thing that I can assure
you beforehand is that if it is a workable scheme, and likely to give
you great pleasure, I will do my best to entertain it."

"Then we're certain to have it--certain," said Kathleen.

"It was I who thought of it. You will forgive me if I speak out just
as plainly as possible?"

"Of course, Kathleen dear."

"Well, you know you are the head-mistress."

"That is scarcely news to me, my child."

"And people, as a rule," continued Kathleen, "respect their
head-mistress."

"Dear me," said Mrs. Ward with a smile, "have you come here, Kathleen,
to say that you don't respect me?"

"Respect you!" said Kathleen. "We do a jolly lot more than that. We
adore you! We love you! You're--you're a sort of--of mother to us."

"That is what I want to be," said Mrs. Ward with fervor, and she took
the girl's hand and smoothed it gently.

"I often want to hug you, and that's a fact," said Kathleen.

"You may kiss me now if you like, Kitty."

"Oh, Mrs. Ward!" Kitty bent down and bestowed a reverent kiss on that
sweet face.

"I have permitted you to kiss me, Kitty," said Mrs. Ward, "in order to
show you that I sympathize with you, as I do with all my dear girls.
But now, what is the matter?"

"Well, the fact is this. We want, during the 'leisure hours' to give a
party."

"Is that all? Do you all want to give a party?"

"Our side wants to give a party, and we want to invite the other side
to it."

"But what do you mean by 'our side' and 'the other side'?"

"Oh, Mrs. Ward! you know--of course you know--that Aneta and Maggie
divide the school."

"I know," said Mrs. Ward after a pause, "that Aneta has considerable
influence, and that Maggie also has influence."

"Those two girls divide the school," said Kathleen, "the rest of us
follow them. As a matter of fact, we only follow our leaders in the
leisure hours; but as they come every day a good deal can be done in
that time, can't it?"

"Yes," said Mrs. Ward, and her tone was not exactly cheerful. "On
which side are you, Kitt