at something higher than happiness. Please don't say I'm
preaching, for I hate to be a prig! Only we'd all made up our minds to
do our 'bit' in 'after the war work,' and it seems such a pity if we
forget, and let the tone of the school drop--as it certainly _has_
dropped lately. I'm sure if we all think about it we can keep it up, and
Seniors and Juniors can work together without any horrid squabbles. We
big girls were juniors ourselves once, and you little ones will be
seniors some day, so that's one way of looking at it. Now that's all
I've got to say, except that any Juniors who like can stay behind now
and join the Junior Branch of the Rainbow League. We want to get up a
special Scrap-book Union, and Miss Burd says she'll give a prize for the
best scrap-book, and also for the best home-made doll. She's going to
have an exhibition on breaking-up day."

CHAPTER XII

The Rainbow League

Though Lispeth, in her agitation, had not said half the nice things she
had intended to say, her little speech had good effect. It reminded the
girls of some of the high ideals with which they had started the term,
and which, like many high and beautiful things, were in danger of
getting crowded out of the way by commoner interests. Everybody suddenly
remembered the exhibition and sale which was to come off before
Christmas, and made a spurt to send some adequate contribution. The
juniors, flattered at having a special branch of their own of the
Rainbow League, and time allotted in school to its work, dabbed away
blissfully at scrap-book making, with gummy overalls and seccotiny
fingers, but complacent faces. The prefects, with intent, dropped in
when possible to admire the efforts.

"I believe," said Lispeth to her special confidante Althea, "that
perhaps we were making rather a mistake. You can't have any influence
with those kids unless you keep well in touch with them. I was so busy,
I just let them slide before, and I suppose that was partly why they got
out of hand, though the little monkeys had no business to get up that
impudent strike! They're as different as possible now, and some of them
are quite decent kiddies. Dorrie Barnes brought me a rose this morning.
I suppose it was meant as a sort of peace-offering."

It was arranged to hold what was called "The Rainbow Fete" on
breaking-up afternoon, and parents and friends were invited to the
ceremony. There was to be both a sale and an exhibition. The best of the
to