, you girls must all
promise faithfully you won't be so mean as to tell," said Hazel.

"You needn't be in the least afraid," replied Sylvia, rising, and
going over to the bookcase; "we're none of us telltales, at any rate,
whatever other names you may call us."

The naughty trio crept quietly from the playroom into the
dressing-room, where their garden hats and jackets were kept; then,
quite forgetting either to change their shoes or put on goloshes, they
ran into the drizzling rain, and, keeping well behind the bushes, soon
reached the front gate and peeped cautiously out. Nobody was in sight,
the road looked perfectly clear, and it would hardly take five minutes
to gain the small shop in Valley Lane and buy what they wanted.

"Come along!" said Hazel, holding out her hand to Linda.

But Linda stopped. The remembrance of a look she had seen in Sylvia's
eyes rose up before her, again her friends seemed to be pulling in two
different ways, and her own better judgment told her which was the
right one.

"I think I won't," she said. "I only came to see you off, you know.
I'm going back to play draughts with Sylvia."

"Very well," replied Hazel, much offended. "Nina and I will go by
ourselves. Don't expect any of the chestnuts or fireworks, for you
shan't have them."

Linda managed to return through the garden unobserved, and finding
Sylvia in the classroom, the two sat chatting quietly until the
teabell rang. Nina and Hazel came in to tea rather out of breath, and
with very red cheeks.

"We've got them," they whispered. "A whole bag of lovely chestnuts,
and two boxes of coloured matches, and a magic snake's egg. We ran all
the way back, and didn't see anybody but a policeman."

"We're going to have such a jubilee to-night! Nina's coming into our
bedroom to let off the snake with Connie and me," said Hazel.

"It's no fun with only Jessie Ellis," said Nina.

When tea was over, and the girls were just leaving the room, Miss Kaye
called to Hazel, Nina, and Linda, saying she wished to speak to them
for a moment. She held Elsie Thompson by the hand, and motioned the
children into her study.

"Now, girls," she said gravely, "I wish to ask you something. Elsie
tells me that she was looking out of the top landing window before
tea, and she saw you all three go through the garden to the gate, and
run down the road towards Aberglyn. Is this true?"

"No, Miss Kaye," replied Hazel promptly. "We didn't go out anywhere;
d