Hello, girls!" was her cheerful greeting. "Wouldn't you like a little
drive to the farm? Run and tell Miss Wadsworth that you are excused from
afternoon study. You may stay away from Current Events this evening,
and make it up."

The two scrambled into hats and coats in excited delight. A visit to
Round Hill Farm with Miss Sallie, was the greatest good that St.
Ursula's had to offer. For Miss Sallie--out of bounds--was the funniest,
most companionable person in the world. After an exhilarating five-mile
drive through a brown and yellow October landscape, they spent a couple
of hours romping over the farm, had milk and ginger cookies in Mrs.
Spence's kitchen; and started back, wedged in between cabbages and eggs
and butter. They chatted gaily on a dozen different themes--the
Thanksgiving masquerade, a possible play, the coming game with Highland
Hall, and the lamentable new rule that made them read the editorials in
the daily papers. Finally, when conversation flagged for a moment, Miss
Sallie dropped the casual inquiry:

"By the way, girls, what _has_ got into Mae Van Arsdale? She droops
about in corners and looks as dismal as a molting chicken."

Patty and Conny exchanged a glance.

"Of course," Miss Sallie continued cheerfully, "it's perfectly evident
what the trouble is. I haven't been connected with a boarding-school for
ten years for nothing. The little idiot is posing as the object of an
unhappy affection. You know that I never favor talebearing, but, just as
a matter of curiosity, is it the young man who passes the plate in
church, or the one who sells ribbon in Marsh and Elkins's?"

"Neither." Patty grinned. "It's an English nobleman."

"What?" Miss Sallie stared.

"And Mae's father hates English noblemen," Conny explained, "and has
forbidden him ever to see her again."

"Her heart is broken," said Patty sadly. "She's going into a decline."

"And the violets?" inquired Miss Sallie.

"He promised not to send her any letters, but violets weren't
mentioned."

"H'm, I see!" said Miss Sallie; and, after a moment of thought, "Girls,
I am going to leave this matter in your hands. I want it stopped."

"In our hands?"

"The school can't be stirred up any longer; but the matter's too silly
to warrant the teachers taking any notice of it. This is a thing that
ought to be regulated by public opinion. Suppose you see what you can
do--I will appoint you a committee to bring the school back to a solid
basis of