f course, was
slang, and not fit for such an occasion; but then the girls were
beginning to forget the elaborate ceremony of the opening of the
evening.

Next day, after morning school was over, Jean Everard, one of the
prefects, tapped Marjorie on the shoulder.

"We've put your name down for the Charades Society," she said briefly.
"I suppose you want to join?"

"Rather!" replied Marjorie, flushing to the roots of her hair with
delight at the honour offered her.

CHAPTER IV

Exeats

Marjorie and Dona possessed one immense advantage in their choice of a
school. Their aunt, Mrs. Trafford, lived within a mile of Brackenfield,
and had arranged with Mrs. Morrison that the two girls should spend
every alternate Wednesday afternoon at her house. Wednesday was the most
general day for exeats; it was the leisurely half-holiday of the week,
when the girls might carry out their own little plans, Saturday
afternoons being reserved for hockey practice and matches, at which all
were expected to attend. The rules were strict at Brackenfield, and
enacted that the girls must be escorted from school to their destination
and sent back under proper chaperonage, but during the hours spent at
their aunt's they were considered to be under her charge and might go
where she allowed.

To the sisters these fortnightly outings marked the term with white
stones. They looked forward to them immensely. Both chafed a little at
the strict discipline and confinement of Brackenfield. It was Dona's
first experience of school, and Marjorie had been accustomed to a much
easier regime at Hilton House. It was nice, also, to have a few hours
in which they could be together and talk over their own affairs. There
were home letters to be discussed, news of Bevis on board H.M.S.
_Relentless_, of Leonard in the trenches, and Larry in the
training-camp, hurried scrawls from Father, looking after commissariat
business "somewhere in France", accounts of Nora's new housekeeping,
picture post cards from Peter and Cyril, brief, laborious, round-hand
epistles from Joan, and delightful chatty notes from Mother, who sent a
kind of family chronicle round to the absent members of her flock.

One Wednesday afternoon about the middle of October found Marjorie and
Dona walking along the road in the direction of Whitecliffe. They were
policed by Miss Norton, who was taking a detachment of exeat-holders
into the town, so that at present the company walked in a