band, equipped with combs
covered with tissue-paper torn from their drawing-books, played the
strains of the "Marseillaise." They advanced towards the seniors in a
very truculent fashion.

"Well, really!" exclaimed Lispeth, recovering from her momentary
amazement. "What's the meaning of all this, I'd like to know?"

"It's a strike!" said Dorrie proudly, as she and Phyllis paused so as to
display the blackboard before the eyes of the Sixth. "We don't see why
you big girls should lord it over us any longer. We'll obey the
mistresses, but we'll not obey prefects."

"You'll just jolly well do as you're told, you impudent young monkeys!"
declared Lispeth, losing her temper. "Here, clear out of this gymnasium
at once!"

"We shan't! We've as good a right here as you!"

"We ought to send wardens to the School Parliament."

"We haven't any voice in school affairs!"

"It's not fair!"

"We shan't stand it any longer!"

The shrill voices of the insurgents reached crescendo as they hurled
forth their defiance. They were evidently bent on red-hot revolution.
Lispeth rose to read the Riot Act.

"If you don't take yourselves off I shall go for Miss Burd, and
a nice row you'd get into then. I give you while I count ten.
One--two--three--four----"

Whether the strikers would have stood their ground or not is still an
unsolved problem, but at that opportune moment the big school bell began
to clang, and Miss Willough, the drill mistress, in her blue tunic,
entered the gymnasium ready to take her next class. At sight of her,
Dorrie hastily wiped the blackboard, and the juniors fled to their own
form-rooms, suppressing flags and musical instruments on the way. Miss
Willough gazed at them meditatively, but made no comment, and the Sixth,
hurrying to a literature lesson, had no time to offer explanations.

Lispeth, more upset than she cared to own, talked the matter over with
her mother when she went to dinner at one o'clock. She was a very
conscientious girl and anxious to do her duty as "Head." As a result of
the home conference she went to Miss Burd, explained the situation, and
asked to be allowed to have the whole school together for ten minutes
before four o'clock.

"It's only lately there's been this trouble," she said. "I believe if I
talk nicely to the girls I can get back my influence. That's what Mother
advised. She said 'try persuasion first.'"

"She's right, too," agreed Miss Burd. "If you can get them to obey y