ed during her reflections
in slowly unlacing her boot. She now set about the task with right good
will, and was soon ready; but Minnie was quicker, and was already in the
inner room, depositing the books of both in their respective desks when
Mabel came in. Minnie turned to address some remark to her on the
subject of her dilatoriness, and then for the first time her eye was
caught by a paper fastened upon the opposite wall with a pin. It was a
large paper, and had notice printed in large capitals on the top.

Beneath was written in Mona Cameron's beautiful writing the following
advertisement:--

"_MISSION TO THE HEATHEN OF HOLLOWMELL._

"A meeting of Christian friends favourable to the above scheme will
be held in Hollowmell Hall, on the evening of Wednesday, the 22nd
inst.

"All Christians--(especially Methodists)--are invited to attend."

Minnie's exclamation brought all the girls then in the room to the spot,
and great was the indignation of those who had been witnesses of the
scene on the preceding evening, but some who as yet knew nothing about
it laughed and thought it rather clever.

Minnie's first impulse was to tear down the obnoxious notice and burn it
before them all, but fortunately her better sense prevailed, and after a
momentary struggle with her angry feelings, and also with her keen
personal distress, she looked up and read it aloud, omitting the
objectionable parenthesis, and said with a smile to those who were in
the secret:

"It is a very good joke, I daresay, so we'll make it a true one," and
then, with their permission, she told all about their proposed plan, and
how Mona had laughed at it, and ended by inviting them all to attend the
meeting advertised from so unexpected a quarter, in the Hollowmell Hall.
"Only," she added, "we will hold it on Friday evening instead of
Wednesday as Mona suggests--not considering, I apprehend, our onerous
duties in the matter of lessons on that evening."

The teachers entered the room at this juncture, and consequently the
curiosity of many who had come in during Minnie's speech was left
unsatisfied except for various disconnected whispers which were
exchanged during the morning with such as were better acquainted with
the matter, and these, it may be supposed, were not of the most
satisfactory character.

There was quite a sensation created in Minnie's favour when the girls
were free again at the mid-day recess, and the whole s