mitory.

Mrs. Best, the hostel matron, was what the girls called "rather an old
dear." Her gray hair was picturesque, and the knowledge that she had
lost her husband and a son in the war added an element of pathetic
interest to her personality. She was experienced in the ways of girls,
and contrived to keep order without seeming to be constantly obtruding
rules. Among her various sane practices she instituted the plan of
awarding marks for good conduct and order to each dormitory, and
allowing the one which scored the highest to give an entertainment to
the others during the last hour before bedtime on Thursday night.
Naturally this was a privilege to be desired. It was fun to act variety
artistes before the rest of the hostel, and well worth being in time for
meals, preserving silence during prep., or getting up a little earlier
so as to leave cubicles in apple-pie order. The Foursome League had not
yet earned distinction, chiefly owing to lapses on the part of Fil, and
Nora's incorrigible love of talking in season and out of season. One
week, however, after a really heroic series of efforts, they succeeded
in establishing a record, and sat perking themselves at dinner-time when
Mrs. Best read out the score.

"We've not had you on the boards before," said Susie Wakefield, one of
the Sixth, as the girls filed from the room when the meal was over;
"we're all expecting something extra tiptop and thrillsome, so play up!"

"Hope we shan't let you down!" replied Ingred. "Please don't expect too
much, or you mayn't get it!"

Dormitory 2 held a hurried conclave before afternoon school.

"It's a great stunt!" rejoiced Nora.

"What _are_ we to act?" fluttered Fil.

"Especially when we've to play up!" twittered Verity.

"What silly idiots we were not to plan it all out beforehand! But I
really never dreamt we'd ever get the chance!"

"No more did I," said Ingred, sitting with her head in her hands,
considering. "On the whole, it doesn't matter. Sometimes a quite
impromptu thing goes off best. It's largely a question of what costumes
we can rake up out of nothing.

"The cleverer those are, the more we'll get applauded. I've one or two
ideas simmering. Thank goodness it's drawing this afternoon, and I shall
have time to think them over."

"We'll all think!" agreed Verity. "Then we'll compare notes at four
o'clock, and fix on what we're going to do. Great Minerva! It'll be a
hectic evening! I'm shivering in my shoes!"