er in bed!"

"But how will he know?" demanded Ann.

"That's easy," laughed Ruth. "He will stand where he can watch her
window. If he sees her candle lit, he will give the alarm."

"How?" asked Nettie.

"We'll rig a 'tick-tack'--you know what I mean?"

"Oh, don't I!" giggled Heavy.

"Roberto can pull the string below, and that will make a tick-tack rap
on Nettie's window."

"Splendid!" cried the giver of the feast. "You just see if he will do
it, Miss Fielding. And I'll give him a dollar--or more, if he wants
it."

"A dollar will be a lot of money for Roberto," laughed Helen. "But he
won't do it for that."

"No?"

"Of course not. He'll only do it because Ruth asks him."

Which was really the fact. Roberto understood well enough what was
desired of him. Ruth pointed out the French teacher's window, and the
windows of Nettie Parsons' quartette room. From one of them would hang a
weighted string on that night. Everything was agreed, and the feast
planned.

It was a starlight night, when it arrived, but Roberto could find a
place to hide in the shrubbery, where he could watch both windows, as
agreed. He slept in a little back room of Tony Foyle's suite in the
basement of the main building, and could get out and in without
disturbing Mr. and Mrs. Foyle.

If he were caught out of his room after hours, Ruth knew that Tony would
be angry, but she had great influence with the little Irishman and
promised Roberto that she would "make it all right" for him, if he were
caught.

The hour of the party came. The West Dormitory had apparently been "in
the arms of Morpheus" for half an hour, at least.

"But Mr. Murphy didn't get a strangle hold on us to-night," giggled
Heavy, as she led the procession from her room.

The girls were all in their kimonas, and many brought plates, knives and
forks, cups, and other paraphernalia for the feast. There was to be hot
chocolate and there were two alcohol lamps and two pots.

The Fox presided over one lamp and Heavy bossed the other one. There was
something wrong with the plump girl's lamp; either it had been filled
too full, or it leaked. From the start it kept flaring and frightening
the girls.

"I really wish you would not use that old contraption!" exclaimed Ann
Hicks. "It's just as uncertain as a pinto pony."

"Never you mind," snapped Heavy. "I guess I know----"

Pouf!

The flames flared suddenly. Heavy leaped back, stumbled over another
girl, and went sprawling