e made to pay for the skiff."

"How would you make them pay? Cora never has any money, anyway," said
Nancy, remembering the sum that her ex-roommate already owed her from
the year before. "And they'd both deny touching the plug, anyway. We
can't prove it."

"Well, I don't care! I hate to have those girls get the best of us. I'll
think up some trick by which we can pay them back."

"Nonsense, Jennie!" reproved Nancy. "You wouldn't be mean just because
_they_ are mean."

"I don't know but I would--if it wasn't for you," admitted her chum,
sighing.

But in the end nothing was done about the skiff and the girls'
adventure. The matter blew over. There was so much going on at Pinewood
Hall that fall, and the sophomores were so very busy, that the loss of
the boat soon ceased to be a topic of conversation--saving between the
owners and, possibly, the two other girls who knew all about the
incident.

The seniors and juniors promised the school a very lively social season
this winter. And of course the sophs. were "in on it," as Jennie said,
to a degree.

As early as October the big girls got permission to plan a dance, with
the Academy boys invited, for Thanksgiving Eve. It was to be a
masquerade, too, and that gave the girls a delightful time choosing
costumes and--in some cases--making them at odd hours themselves.

Those who would, might gather, twice a week, with Jessie Pease and learn
to sew. Nancy and Jennie were faithful to this "extra" and both made
their own costumes under Jessie's sharp eye.

Jennie was going to be dressed as an owl, and wear huge spectacles and
carry an open book.

"I'd never look wise at any other time," giggled the irrepressible. "So
I will do so now."

And in her fluffy gray and white garments, with the skirts drawn close
around her feet and slit only a little way so that she could barely walk
and dance, Jennie really _did_ look too cute for anything.

Nancy was costumed as a "drummer girl"--a brilliant uniform with knee
skirt, long boots, a little, round, "Tommy Atkins" cap with chin-strap,
and a little snare-drum at her hip that she really learned to beat.

The big hall was cleared for dancing and decorated by the girls
themselves with the loot of the autumn woods. No more brilliant affair,
everybody declared, had been arranged since Pinewood Hall had become a
preparatory school.

Dr. Dudley's boys marched over at eight o'clock, every one of them
fancifully attired. Despite th