dle off now."

Delia's success mostly depended upon tact. She judged that if she asked
Miss Morley, tired at the end of a busy morning, she would probably meet
with a curt refusal, but that if she found her, seated in her own
bed-sitting-room, soothed with afternoon tea and reading a delectable
book, her sympathy would be much more readily aroused. On this occasion
Delia's judgment was correct. After a perfectly harmonious interview
with the Principal she scurried back to her fellow Camellia Buds, her
face one satisfied grin.

"She said, 'Certainly, my dear!' We may ask Elvira for a special teapot
and a plate of bread and butter, and we may give Antonio three lira
apiece to buy us cakes. We may do what we like so long as the room is
tidy again before prep. She'll send a prefect at 5.45 to inspect. If the
place is in a muddle it'll be the last time, so we'd better be careful,
for I could see she meant that."

"We're in luck!" cried Irene, giving a bounce of rapture.

"It's great!"

"Yummy!"

"I thought you'd congratulate me," smirked Delia. "Now let's get busy
and decide what sort of a stunt we mean to have. Is Peachy to know, or
is it to be a surprise?"

"That's the question! She'll have to be told and invited and all the
rest of it, but she needn't hear any details beforehand. I vote we all
arrange to come in fancy costume--that would really be a stunt."

"We shall have to tell Peachy _that_!"

"No, you mustn't. We'll have a costume all ready prepared for her, like
the wedding garment in the parable. She'll have nothing to do but slip
it on."

If Peachy was looking forward to her own birthday, her friends were
anticipating the happy event with enthusiasm. They had decided to hold
the festivities in her dormitory, but had required her to give a solemn
pledge not to enter the room after 2 p.m. so as to give them a free
hand. During the half-hour before drawing-class they met, and held a
"Decoration Bee." Nine determined girls, who have prepared their
materials, can work wonders in a short time, and in ten hurried minutes
they accomplished a vast amount.

"Mary, lend a hand, and help me stand on the dressing table."

"She won't know the place when she sees it!"

"Aren't we all busy bees!"

"It begins to look rather nice, doesn't it?"

"Don't tug this chain! It's tearing! Now you've done it!"

"I flatter myself she'll get the surprise of her life!"

"_Ra_-ther!"

With flags, paper chains, and garlan