et!" grinned little Jean Hammond. "There isn't
much going on in the school that we don't know."

"I'm afraid there isn't. You're rather imps. But you'll be doing a good
deed if you find this out for us. The first who brings news shall have
two chocolates."

The Camellia Buds felt no more compunction in employing the juniors on
this quest than a government that organizes a secret service department.
The enemy had betrayed them shamelessly and deserved reprisals. It was
Desiree after all who won the chocolates. She haunted house and garden
with the persistency of a small ghost, and at last proudly made the
announcement:

"They've called a meeting by the big Greek jar to-day at five. I heard
Ruth tell Callie. What are you going to do about it?"

That was exactly the question which puzzled the Camellia Buds. It was
one thing to obtain information and quite another to act upon it. If
they went and interrupted the rival meeting they would have the
satisfaction of routing the enemy but would be none the wiser. It was
Peachy's diplomacy that pointed out a way.

"The Greek vase!" she said meditatively. "Yes, it's enormously big and I
think I can manage it. Now, my dearies, don't you want to be real
philanthropic this afternoon and give up your turns at the tennis courts
to other folks? Why? Because I've a little scheme on hand. I want to
keep those girls well away from the lemon pergola until it's time for
their precious meeting. Then they'll run up all unsuspecting, poor
innocents, and find----"

"What will they find?"

"'A chiel amang them takin' notes!'" chuckled Peachy. "In other words
yours truly will be hiding inside the big jar."

"Peachy! You can't!"

"Can't I? Great Scott! Do you think I'm going to let this beat me? You
can just bet your last nickel I shall. Renie and Jess shall help to hide
me, and the rest of you must watch the coast's clear till I'm safely
inside. I tell you I'm crazy to try it. It'll be the frolic of my life."

There was certainly no plan too madcap for Peachy to undertake. She
revelled in anything venturesome or bizarre. The Camellia Buds did as
she decreed, and resigned the courts that afternoon to Bertha, Mabel,
Elsie, Ruth, Rosamonde, Winnie, Monica, and Callie, who fell readily
into the trap prepared for them. Leaving this double set busy at tennis
they fled to the opposite end of the garden.

The lemon pergola was a sheltered walk that led down a flight of marble
steps to a small