to the ice-cooler," she
said, "pretty soon they will go back again."

"Yes," said Miss Cutter as she rose and moved toward the door, "they will
doubtless go back, and doubtless also they shall go in a different
manner."

Then she went out and remonstrated briefly but to the point. Whereupon
the culprits apologized with noble profusion and tiptoed their way to the
stairs. This would have been an admirable proof of repentance if their
heels had not persisted in coming down on the bare boards in very loud
clicks at very short intervals. And every click was greeted by a
reproving chorus of "Sh-sh-sh!"

The instant they reached the hall above, pandemonium broke loose. To
judge from the sounds, they were playing blindman's buff with scampering
of heavy shoes, scraping of chairs, banging against walls, flopping on
mattresses. Even reluctant Robbie Belle looked upward in fear that the
ceiling might fall. When a deputation of wild eyed sophomores from an
adjacent study arrived to protest against a continuation of the outrage,
the shrinking corridor-warden had no loophole for escape from her duty.
Outwardly calm, inwardly quivering, she mounted the stairs to expostulate
on behalf of the Students' Association for Self-Government.

When the peace officer reached the foot of the flight, the noise sank
abruptly into a silent scurrying--on unadulterated tiptoes this time.
When she appeared at the top, she beheld the tower hall deserted, every
door shut and a suspiciously profound stillness reigning in the dimly
lighted Paradise of fun. Ah! she drew a breath of relief from away down
in her boots. Surely now she had performed her duty. Nobody could expect
her to find fault after the disturbance had ceased. Now the girls below
would be at liberty to study in peace.

Barely had she completed her hurried descent before the strange silence
above was shattered suddenly by the simultaneous banging of seven doors.
Seven full-lunged voices burst forth into a howling song, while twice as
many feet thumped and tapped and pranced and pounded in the mazes of an
extemporaneous jig.

Robbie Belle halted instantly, with a quick lift of her head. Her
nostrils quivered. Her violet eyes snapped black. Her hands clenched.
Turning swiftly she mounted the stairs once more. But this time she was
angry. The uproar was an insult to the authority of the Students'
Association. She forgot for the minute all about shy Robbie Belle.

And the mischievous fre