ommenced in such dead earnest that it was
hopeless to set out to the playing-field. As hockey was off, the girls
might do what they pleased with the afternoon. Some went home
immediately, others retired to VA to do their preparation, and others
hung disconsolately about the gymnasium.

"Let's have a little fun on our own," suggested Marion, looking at the
platform from which, alack! she was to be exiled. "Miss Pratt's out of
the way, and nobody very carping and criticizing is about, so I vote we
make up a play, just anything that comes into our heads, and act it."

"Right-o!" agreed Lesbia. "It would be rather sporting. Who'll help?
Cissie, are you game? And Aldora?"

"Four are quite enough!" interrupted Marion hastily, as eager girls
began to crowd round clamouring to be included in the cast. "No I
_can't_ have everybody in it--I wouldn't have _you_, Betty Wroe, at any
price, so don't bother! You can act audience if you want. We shall be
ten minutes or so getting ready. Have a concert among yourselves if you
want to kill time. I see Ermie has a book of songs."

"It's all very fine for you four to monopolize the stage and keep us out
of it!" grumbled several disappointed voices.

"Well, _we_ thought of it first. It was _our_ idea entirely."

"It's not nearly as much fun to watch as to act!"

"Go home then, if you don't want to stay. Or go and do prep!"

"No, thanks!"

Leaving their audience to settle itself or not as it wished, the four
self-elected performers hurriedly retired into the green-room behind
the stage to plan out their entertainment.

"What _shall_ we act?" asked Marion, rather blank when brought face to
face with the emergency of instantaneous dramatic composition.

"Give me a few minutes to think," replied Lesbia, sitting down with her
head in her hands.

Lesbia's imagination was the brightest part of her mental equipment. She
could often invent things in a flash. Indeed all her best work was a
species of inspiration. The idea either came to her instantly, like a
slave of the lamp, or stopped away altogether. This afternoon the Ariel
who supplied her happiest successes was apparently close at hand. After
clutching her forehead for a short, but to judge from her expression an
agonizing, period, she suddenly jumped up.

"I've got it!" she triumphed. "And quite a jinky one too--name and all!"

Three cogitating girls left off fidgeting and drumming on the table and
faced her expectantly.

"W