tic and modern element. Her enterprise
initiated all fresh undertakings, and her enthusiasm carried them
forward with success. "Hard-as-nails" the girls sometimes called her,
for she coddled nobody and expected the utmost from each one's capacity.
If she was rather uncompromising, however, she was just, and a strong
vein of humour toned down much of the severity of her remarks. To be
chided by a person whose eye is capable of twinkling takes part of the
sting from the reprimand, and the general verdict of the school was to
the effect that "Teddie was a keen old watch-dog, but her bark was worse
than her bite."

Of the other mistresses and girls we will say more anon. Having
introduced my readers to The Woodlands, it is time for the story to
begin.

CHAPTER II

A Friend from the Bush

Ulyth Stanton was a decided personality in the Lower Fifth. If not
exactly pretty, she was a dainty little damsel, and knew how to make the
best of herself. Her fair hair was glossy and waved in the most becoming
fashion, her clothes were well cut, her gloves and shoes immaculate. She
had an artistic temperament, and loved to be surrounded by pretty
things. She was rather a favourite at The Woodlands, for she had few
sharp angles and possessed a fair share of tact. If the girls laughed
sometimes at what they called her "high-falutin' notions" they
nevertheless respected her opinions and admired her more than they
always chose to admit. It was an accepted fact that Ulyth stuck to her
word and generally carried through anything that she once undertook. She
alone of six members of her form who had begun to correspond with girls
abroad, at the instigation of the magazine editor, had written
regularly, and had cultivated the overseas friendship with enthusiasm.
The element of romance about the affair had appealed to Ulyth. It was so
strange to receive letters from someone you had never seen. To be sure,
Rona had only given a somewhat bald account of her home and her doings,
but even this outline was so different from English life that Ulyth's
imagination filled the gaps, and pictured her unknown correspondent
among scenes of unrivalled interest and excitement. Ulyth had once seen
a most wonderful film entitled "Rose of the Wilderness", and though the
scenes depicted were supposed to be in the region of the Wild West, she
decided that they would equally well represent the backwoods of New
Zealand, and that the beautiful, dashing, dar