spirits revived at once. As
Mrs. Morrison had said, they were all young; and when after tea Stella
suggested a round game, they all joined in, and one would have thought
to hear their merry laughter that they had not a care among them.

However, when Monday morning came, Stella came down to breakfast in her
indoor clothes, and seemed to be taking things very easily.

'Stella, make haste, you will be late for the train, and I must be in
time this morning, because it is the examination!' cried Vava
impatiently.

'I am not coming with you to-day,' said Stella quietly.

'Then why did you not tell me? I let Doreen go past, and I must run now
to catch the train!' cried Vava, rushing off in a great hurry.

Stella certainly thought she had made Vava understand that she was not
going to town that day; but Vava very certainly did not understand it,
and remarked to Doreen, 'Stella is coming by a later train; she is
rather vexed with me for something stupid I said, so I dare say that's
why she did not come with us.'

'I'm sorry; she's so pretty, and I like to look at her,' said Doreen;
and then, Stella not being there to look at, she opened her books and
began looking over work for the examination.

The day went very well. Vava answered every question in the algebra
paper, and was only uncertain about two problems, and she decided when
she went to call for her sister to show her the paper and ask her if she
might not give it to Mr. Jones and just tell him how much he had helped
her. The last event was always uppermost with Vava, and her examination
seemed to be of much more importance than her sister's annoyance of
Saturday, and it was with a very bright face that she went to her
sister's little office at Baines, Jones and Co.'s to tell her how well
she had got on. She walked in as usual without knocking, and to her
surprise found Mr. Jones sitting at her sister's typewriter, or rather
the typewriter her sister had used.

'What! you, Vava? Haven't you washed your hands of me too?' he said
rather bitterly.

'I haven't washed my hands of you. Where is Stella?' she inquired in
surprise, looking round, and determined to be very careful what she said
to-day.

'Don't you know then?' he demanded.

'Know what? Have you quarrelled?' she inquired.

'I have not quarrelled, and as it takes two to make a quarrel I suppose
we have not; but your sister has left, and I cannot imagine why, except
that I raised her salary without expl