to sit out upon the cold stairway and watch
for the opening of Miss Picolet's door below.

Sometimes they decided by casting lots. Sometimes some girl who was very
good-natured was inveigled into taking her plate of goodies out there in
the dimly lit corridor. And sometimes one had to be bribed to stand
watch for the others.

Miss Picolet was always known to light her candle when she was disturbed
by any sound, or suspicion; then she would come to her door and listen.
She never moved about her room without a light, that was one good thing!
The girl on watch had warning the instant the French teacher opened her
door.

But of the sixteen girls Nettie Parsons had chosen, not one wanted to
play sentinel. Some of them said they would rather not attend the
jamboree at all!

The season was far enough advanced for the nights to be cold, and the
corridors were not warm after the steam went down. The party was called
for ten o'clock. By that time frost would most likely be gathering on
the window panes.

"Catch _me_ bundling up in a fur coat and mittens and stopping out there
in that draughty place!" cried The Fox, "while the rest of you are
stuffing yourself to repletion in a nice warm room."

"Thought you didn't care for the goodies?" demanded Heavy, slily.

"I don't care for catching my death of cold, Miss!" snapped Mary Cox.

Neither Lluella, nor Belle, would "be the goat." Of course, it was
understood that Heavy herself could never be out of reach of the cake
plates! Nettie would not hear of Ruth being on watch.

"I have it!" said Ruth, at last. "Leave it to me. I'll find a new guard,
and I know he will not fail us."

"Who is that?" demanded her chum.

"Roberto."

"Goodness me!" exclaimed Nettie. "Not that boy who helps Foyle?"

"That's the one. And he'll do anything for Ruth," declared Helen,
promptly.

"Anything but talk!" thought Ruth, to herself, but she did not say it
aloud.

"I don't see how _he_ can help us," Ann Hicks said. "He can't come into
the dormitory."

"I--guess--not!" cried Helen.

"But he won't mind watching outside," Ruth explained. "At least, I'll
ask him----"

"But what good will _that_ do?" demanded Heavy. "If Miss Picolet gets up
out of her warm nest, _he_ won't know it."

"Yes, he will," said Ruth, nodding.

The Fox began to laugh. "Don't let _her_ hear you say that, Fielding.
Picolet is an awful old maid. She would be horrified, if she thought a
male person even imagined h