"If I do I'll neglect those hooks. I had my gym work to-day and do not
need exercise. You run along and I'll discipline myself about the
hooks." She laughed softly at her own remarks.

"Very well. If you will not, you will not," replied Hester, drawing on
her red sweater and Tam-o-Shanter. "I'll be off or I'll keep them
waiting, and you know Miss Watson does not approve of that."

She went her way down the hall. She was a picture good to look at, and
which would have pleased more eyes than the partial ones of Debby Alden.

Upon Hester's departure, Helen went to her sewing. The gray gymnasium
suit hung in a public press at the end of the hall, and it took her some
time to find her own among the others which hung there. Her needles and
thread were at hand, but hooks and eyes were lacking. She found that the
waist required several additional hooks and what were in place hung by a
mere thread.

"I have a card of hooks somewhere," she said to herself. "I remember
distinctly putting in everything in the line of mending that I might
possibly need. I remember now. What I thought I would not need often, I
put in the bottom of the closet."

The closet floor held quite an assortment of boxes. Articles which the
girls used seldom, had been stored here out of the way. Helen remembered
that a box with hooks and eyes, buttons and glove-silk had been placed
in there, early in the fall when she had unpacked the trunk.

She and Hester had been careful about not infringing upon each other's
closet room. Each had her allotted space and number of hooks; but
keeping the floor divided was not so easy. Boxes had been moved and
shoved about until it was impossible to know whose they were.

Helen sat down on the floor and began a systematic search; in turn
opening each box and examining its contents. It required system for the
boxes were many and the confusion great. There were handkerchief boxes,
spool, candy, and shoe boxes of all sizes and conditions.

She had opened each one without discovering the articles which she
needed. She was about to put them back in their places when a little
dark covered box, hidden deep in the corner, attracted her eyes. Without
a thought that she might be infringing on someone's else right, she took
up the box and opened it. She gave a sharp exclamation at the sight of
its contents. She sat with it opened in her hand, looking at it
steadily. Then she replaced the lid and put the box with the contents
ju