rceful. In a few
minutes she had the mixture in her pail, and the pail swinging by a
string over the gas jet. Leslie Manor was quite up-to-date. It had gas as
well as electricity, though gas was not supposed to be used excepting in
cases of emergency. Once or twice the electric current had failed.

Aileen had fastened the string from one side of the room to the other on
a couple of picture hooks. A none too secure support. Then all three sat
down to wait until the fudge gave signs of boiling and promptly became
absorbed in a new interest, the Easter vacation.

In the midst of the conversation, Beverly paused. She had suddenly
remembered Petty's note.

"What's the matter?" asked Sally.

"I've forgotten something," she answered, scrambling from her chair and
crossing to her desk for her history. She would take the note back to
Petty. It was utter nonsense of course, but it was Petty's and if she was
pleased with such nonsense, she was welcome to it. She looked hurriedly
through the book. The note was not in it. Where could she have dropped
it? No, she had not dropped it, of that she was certain. She had taken
pains to keep the book tightly closed. She meant to have given the note
to Petty directly after luncheon. How provoking! Maybe Petty had seen her
catch it up and had come for it herself. She would go and ask her. As she
turned to make her intention known to the others there was a snap
overhead. The heat had burned Aileen's string before the fudge had begun
to boil and pail and contents descended upon the study table with a
rattle and splash, the hot mass scattering in every direction.

For the ensuing half hour the three girls had their hands full and Petty,
notes, history examination and all minor affairs were forgotten.

CHAPTER XIV

COMPLICATIONS

But Petty had _not_ taken the note from Beverly's history. It had been
removed by quite a different person. In fact about the last one either
Beverly or Petty would have dreamed of.

But of this a little later.

By the time the fudge had been cleaned off from everything within a
radius of five feet, for a more complete splash had never been made by
any descending mass, the "lights out" bells were ringing in all the
corridors. Miss Woodhull had only to press a series of buttons arranged
in the hall just outside her study door to produce the effect of the
needle-prick in the fairy tale. Every i