ve two thunder-clouds sitting at
the table!" commented Mrs. Forrester. "It's so pleasant for the rest of
us, isn't it?"

"Mind the milk doesn't turn sour!" chuckled Mervyn. "You girls are the
limit!"

The sale, by special permission of Miss Kingsley, was fixed for three
o'clock on Thursday afternoon, a whole hour's lessons being remitted in
its favour. It was to be held in the gymnasium, and the articles were to
be spread out on benches. Each form had contributed its own quota, and
had appointed two representatives as saleswomen. The goods were marked,
but bargaining was permissible if the figure was considered by the
saleswoman to be too high. The monitresses constituted a court of appeal
on this score.

All had done really nobly in the way of bringing contributions, and
most of the "white elephants" were quite useful and desirable
possessions. The girls wandered round, looking at an assortment of
brooches, penknives, pencil-boxes, paints, chalks, books, music,
blotters, photo frames, toys, and a number of little trifles such as
girls love. Lorraine, with three weeks' accumulated pocket money, a
hitherto unspent birthday present, and what was left in her savings-box,
felt in a position to be munificent, and determined to patronize each
separate stall. She first made a tour of them all, before she should
decide upon her purchases.

"It's quite a good show," said Vivien, fondly fingering a black cat
mascot she had just bought and fastened upon her blouse. "Seen the kids'
things? They're ripping, some of them. They must have been looting at
home! I've got the prettiest little purse! I'll show it to you. Only
gave sixpence for it. It's a real bargain!"

"I've been wanting a muff chain for _years_!" declared Nellie. "I put it
down regularly on my birthday and Christmas lists, but my family always
gave me something else instead. Now don't you think this is just the
jinkiest one you've ever seen? I can't think how Audrey could part with
it!"

"Muff chains aren't fashionable now!"

"That won't trouble me in the least!"

"I hunted out my old dolls and dolls' clothes," said Claire, "and the
kids went wild over them. Dora doesn't care for dolls, so it was no use
keeping them for _her_. She's a regular tomboy."

"What did you bring, Claudia?" asked Nellie.

"Those _Art Magazines_ and copies of _The Connoisseur_. Dad let me have
them from his studio."

"Oh, goody! They're the very things I want!" rejoiced Lorraine. "