walk-partner, but of course if you're playing hockey you can't."

"I'm awfully sorry," said Gerry. "I should have liked to have walked
with you very much."

"We'll fix up another day," said Jack. "Let's see; to-morrow's
Saturday, so there'll be no walk, as there's a first eleven hockey
match to watch. Sunday, I'm engaged to Nita. Monday, I've got hockey.
Tuesday--is Tuesday one of your hockey days?"

"No, not next week," replied Gerry.

"Well, then, will you be my walk-partner on Tuesday?"

"I'd love to," said Gerry, in a tone that left no doubt of her
sincerity. And so the two parted--Jack to get ready for her walk, and
Gerry to array herself in her hockey dress with a glow of happiness in
her heart which even the memory of her hour of humiliation in the
class-room could not subdue.

Things really seemed to have taken a turn for the better for Gerry at
last. Once again Muriel appeared to take the K teams' hockey practice,
and once again Gerry managed to win the approval of the head girl. At
the conclusion of the game, Muriel again elected to walk down to the
school with her protegee, and signified her pleasure at Gerry's
improvement in her play.

"I don't know that you'll ever be very first class, but there's no
reason at all why you shouldn't turn out a very useful player. I'm
going to move you up into H. Alice Metcalfe will be your coach there.
I'll tell her to put you on the forward line somewhere and train you
for forward altogether. Your next practice will be Monday. How are
things going for you in your form now--better? I saw you laughing
quite a lot at dinner to-day, so I rather imagine that they are."

"Oh yes, thank you--they're much better," declared Gerry, rather
confused at the sudden interest evinced in her affairs by the head
girl. Muriel was quick to perceive her confusion, and attributing it
to the right cause made haste to turn the conversation, and talked
hockey exclusively during the remainder of the walk to the school.

True to their compact, the whole of the Lower Fifth refrained from
doing a stroke of work for their new form-mistress in preparation that
evening, although one or two of the girls felt rather doubtful as to
what the consequences of this "direct action" might be. Gerry
especially was troubled with qualms of conscience. Not that she was
especially afraid of consequences--she was too happy at being taken at
last into favour by her form to trouble very much abou