t towards Aveline, she would have been
surprised. The serious apprehension had changed to dancing mischief.
Even so well-seasoned a mistress as Miss Gibbs, however, cannot be
aware of every sub-current in her Form. Human nature has its limits.

Raymonde left the class-room chuckling to herself, and at the earliest
convenient moment summoned a committee of the Mystic Seven.

"I've got the idea of my life!" she declared. "It isn't often I have a
really topping notion, but this is one of those inspirations that come
sometimes, one doesn't know how."

"You needn't be quite so peacocky about it!" chirruped Katherine.
"Other people have ideas occasionally as well as you."

"Ah! but wait till you've heard mine, and then you'll allow I've some
reason to cock-a-doodle. Look here, don't you think it's extremely
nice to be philanthropic?"

"Don't know," replied the others doubtfully. They distrusted
Raymonde's philanthropy, and were unwilling to commit themselves.

"It's so nice to do things for others," continued their schoolmate
gushingly. "When somebody has been looking forward to an event, just
think of the bliss of being able to bring it to pass! One would feel a
sort of mixture of Santa Claus and Cinderella's Fairy Godmother!"

"Go on!" murmured the Mystics.

"Well, you see, what I mean is this. Gibbie's been taking ever such a
lot of trouble to teach us how to act in emergencies. She must have
spent hours thinking out those problems. I sometimes feel, girls, that
we do not sufficiently appreciate our teachers!"

The grimaces of the six were eloquent.

"Get to the point!" suggested Ardiune.

"I'm getting! Well, you know, we're all very grateful to Gibbie, and
interested in the problems, and happy in our work, and all the rest of
it. I think we ought to do something to make a little return to her
for her kindness. Now it must be very disappointing to coach us up for
these emergencies, and never have an opportunity of putting what we've
been taught into practice. If we could show her that her lessons have
sunk in, and that we could face a sudden catastrophe with calm courage
and prompt presence of mind, then she'd feel her labour had not been
in vain. She really deserves it!"

"We can't burst the kitchen boiler, or set the cook on fire to oblige
her!" objected Valentine.

"Certainly not; but there are other emergencies. With proper
preparation we might engineer a very neat little Zepp raid, quite
sufficient to