p was another matter.

"There certainly is a great number to be done," said Erica, with a
beseeching look at Rachel.

The head girl thawed a little.

"Well, we shouldn't mind your taking a few off our hands," she conceded.
"Half a dozen? Sybil, will you get those programs out of my drawer? Put
anything you like on them--flowers, birds, figures, or landscapes. I'll
lend you this to copy the printing from. Let me have them by Thursday if
you can."

Rachel glanced meaningly at the door, as if she considered the interview
might now with decency come to an end. Neither Peachy nor Irene took the
hint, however. The main object of their mission had not yet been
broached.

"You've not written the program inside yet," commented Peachy, opening
one of the covers.

"We'll do that later."

"Shall we copy some for you?"

"Oh, no, thanks!"

Then Irene, growing desperate, blurted out what they had really come to
say.

"The Transition stunt is to be in two parts this time. Bertha and Mabel
are arranging one, and Peachy is getting up another. Do you mind putting
ours down to come first?"

"Sorry, but I'm afraid it can't be done," yawned Rachel. "Bertha has
been up and bagged first innings. I wrote it down, didn't I, Stella?
Where's that list? Yes, here we are. The juniors are to come first,
because Miss Morgan has trained them and she thinks they'll get the
fidgets if they wait, and it's better to have their performance over.
Then, of course, comes our stunt, and then the Transition."

"Could we possibly have our half of the Transition stunt before yours?
It would make more variety."

"Most certainly not!"

Rachel's brow was puckered in a frown, and Sybil, from the depths of the
rocking-chair, murmured, "Cheek!"

"We've got the program all fixed up, and we're not going to change it
for anybody," chirped Erica.

"Any one who isn't satisfied needn't act," endorsed Rachel, with such a
very decided glance at the door that the two delegates could no longer
obtrude their presence, and were obliged to beat an unwilling retreat.

They walked along the passage very dissatisfied with the result of their
mission.

"We've got all the fag of painting these wretched programs, and gained
nothing at all," groused Irene.

"They might have told us first about Bertha. Isn't she an absolute
Jacob--supplanting us like this?"

"Those seniors are _most_ unsympathetic. I want to go back and tell
Rachel what I think of her."

"She'