of despair at the
conglomeration surrounding her.

She was seated in the middle of the floor, and almost buried beneath the
contents of every drawer and closet in the room. Not only her own, but
Edith's belongings, too, had been dumped in a promiscuous heap on the
floor, and such a sea of underclothing, stockings, shoes, dresses, waists,
jackets, coats, hats, gloves, collars, ties, ribbons, veils,
dressing-sacques, golf-capes and belts, to say nothing of the contents of
both their jewel boxes, no pen can describe.

Not content with the contents, the drawers, too, had been dragged out to
be dusted, and were standing on end all about her, a veritable rampart of
defence.

"I shouldn't think you would know where to begin," said Toinette.

"I don't, and I think I'll leave the whole mess for Helma to tidy up in
the morning," and up jumped Ruth, to give the last stroke to the disorder
by overturning the tray of pins and hairpins which she had been sorting
when Toinette entered.

"There, now you have done it!" exclaimed Edith, "and I can tell you one
thing, you may just as well make up your mind to put my things back where
you got them, 'cause I'm not going to," and she wagged her head
positively.

"Oh, dear me, this is what comes of trying to be a P. U. L.," said Ruth.

"A P. U. L.?" asked Toinette. "What in the world is that?"

"_That's_ what it is! I found it stuck up in my room when I got back from
recitations to-day. I've been in such a tear of a hurry for the last few
mornings that my room hasn't been quite up to the mark, I suppose, but
Miss Preston never said a word, and now here's this thing stuck here."

Toinette took the sheet of paper which Ruth handed to her, and began to
read:

THE PICK-UP LEAGUE

Do you wish to join the P. U. L.?
Then listen to this, but don't you tell,
For it's a great secret, and will be--well--
We _hope_, as potent as "book and bell."

A P. U. L. has a place for her hat,
And keeps it there; O wonder of that!
Her gloves are put away in their case;
Her coat hung up with a charming grace.

School-books and papers are laid away,
To be quickly found on the following day.
Then, ere she starts, so blithe and gay,
She tarries a moment just to say:

"Wait, just a jiff, while I stop to put
T