purpose.

At the commencement of this particular winter term the school
reassembled on a Tuesday, and on Thursday notice was given that the
elections would take place on the following Saturday afternoon.

According to the usual custom, when fresh prefects were to be chosen,
the names of all the Sixth Form boys who were not already holding that
office were mentioned on the notice, to show who were eligible for the
position. Thurston's name did not appear on the list; some one added it
in pencil, another hand crossed it out, and an hour or two later it was
added again, this time in red ink.

This simple action seemed the signal for a general agitation on
Thurston's behalf. His friends throughout the school openly proclaimed
their intention of voting for him, and exhorted others to do the same.
Almost to a man the Sixth and Remove sided with the captain, but Hawley
and Gull in the Fifth, Noaks and Mouler in the Upper Fourth, and other
fellows in the lower forms made up their minds to secure Thurston's
return, and set to work to carry out their project with a zeal worthy of
a better cause.

Two fresh prefects were required, and the friends of law and order were
unanimous in naming Fielding and Parkes as the most suitable candidates
to fill the vacancies. Rival posters appeared on the double doors
leading to the playground:--

REMEMBER THE WRAXBY MATCH,

AND

VOTE FOR THURSTON.

PLUMP FOR PARKES,

AND HAVE A

PROPER PREFECT.

But this method of carrying on the campaign was soon brought into
disrepute, owing to the fact that certain juveniles, seeing in this new
idea of bill-posting a fresh field for practical joking, began to adorn
the walls of the "grub-room," and other spaces which did not often come
under the eye of a master, with placards exhibiting inscriptions which
had no bearing on the elections--such irrelevant remarks as,
"nooks Two wants kicking !" or, "_Lost_-my wits. (Signed) B. BIBBS," being
calculated to occasion a considerable amount of strife and bad blood
without serving any useful purpose.

The Lower School was in a fever heat of excitement, and it is quite
possible that the little pleasantries which have just been alluded to
were occasioned by difference of opinion on the one absorbing topic of
the day. The close of the previous holidays had witnessed a general
parliame