e advertisement aloud:

"'KINGFIELD ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY

"'The Committee offers first, second, and third prizes to school
pupils who shall submit the best essays on the ancient history
and associations of the city. Full particulars can be obtained
from the Hon. Secretary, Mr. E. Johnson, St. Gilbert's, Thorwald
Street.'"

"Hi cockalorum! What an absolutely jinky idea!" rejoiced Calla.

"Ancient history of the city, too! That's quite in our line," purred
Lesbia.

"_Ra_-ther! It might have been specially made for us," triumphed
Kathleen.

"It was," fluttered Lizzie Logan's meek little voice.

"What d'you mean, child?" demanded Marjorie. "Here, speak up! We're not
going to eat you!"

Lizzie's complexion turned from carnation to damask rose, and deepened
into shades of paeony or even beetroot.

"Well, you see," she explained, "my uncle is on the Committee of the
Archaeological Society, and I was telling him what we do at school on
Fridays, and I said I wished there was a prize we could try for, and he
said it was worth thinking about, and he'd ask the President, and last
night he sent me this paper; so I brought it to show you."

Lizzie finished with a kind of gasp. It was quite a long speech for her
to make. Marjorie patted her encouragingly on the back.

"Lizzie Logan, you're coming on. You'll be a credit to VA before we've
done with you. Now I call this really public spirited. We must set to
work hot and strong and see what can be done."

"Lesbia, you ought to be a champion at this business."

"We must all 'champ'," agreed Lesbia. "Is it a one-man-show or may we
club together?"

"I don't know. We'd better some of us go round to Mr. Johnson's for
particulars."

There were, so it seemed, several classes in the competition, some for
elementary, and others for secondary schools. Among the latter a prize
was offered for the best joint scrap album--the work of any one
form--recording the history of the city in writing, photographs, old
prints, drawings, newspaper cuttings, or other methods. The idea
appealed immensely to VA. They had never before agreed on a joint
effort.

"It will be ever so much nicer to do it all together," opined Marjorie,
"than each to have our own scrap-book, and go sneaking off to get photos
of places you hope nobody else has found out."

"Yes, when they're all put together it will make so much better a book,"
agreed Marion.

"What about the prize?" ve