ppen. Does she imagine we shall all catch
scarlet fever, or break our legs, before Thursday?"

"I should hope not, but of course it might be wet. If it's a pouring
day, we're to go on Friday instead," said Avis.

"To-day, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to get through," said
Jean. "It's a frightfully long time. I feel as if Thursday would never
come."

"So do I. I should like to go to bed, and sleep straight through till
Thursday."

"You lazy girl! Suppose you didn't wake, and we left you behind?"

"You wouldn't do that," declared Avis. "I shall be up first of all,
you'll see."

In spite of the girls' impatience, the longed-for Thursday came at last,
and proved such a fine, clear, beautiful day, that there was not the
slightest hesitation as to whether they should start or not. Avis
fulfilled her promise of early rising by getting up to watch the dawn,
and tried to make her sleepy room mates share her enthusiasm, an
attention which they scarcely appreciated when they discovered that she
had roused them three hours too soon. Long before the usual bell rang
everybody was up and dressed, which did not bring breakfast any the
quicker, though it allowed the girls time to work off some of their
spirits by a run round the garden. Punctually at a quarter to nine
o'clock a row of omnibuses arrived to convey the seventy-three pupils
and their ten teachers to the station. Each girl carried her bathing
costume and towel in a neat parcel, and large hampers of lunch were in
readiness.

"Miss Lincoln's taking the cricket tent," announced Cissie Gardiner.
"There it is, all wrapped up with its poles and pegs. Miss Latimer and
Miss Rowe are going to put it up on the beach, and then we can undress
and dress there again when we bathe. It's not very big. I'm sure it
can't possibly hold more than six of us at a time, so we shall have to
go in relays, and be very quick."

Patty felt at the high-water mark of bliss when she found herself seated
on the top of an omnibus between Enid and Jean, with Avis and Winnie
close by. She could have wished the drive longer, but when they reached
the station, and found the saloon carriages ready for them, labelled
"Special Excursion--Reserved", she was as anxious to get into the train
as she had been to remain on the omnibus. There were, of course, many
little excitements. Winnie nearly left the parcel containing her
bathing-dress on the seat near the booking office, only remembering it
ju