r Mademoiselle to get excited and stamp
her foot at me. I shall be glad when I'm old enough to leave school. I
never mean to look at a French book again!"

"How about English spelling?" suggested Ingred. "You'll want to write a
letter occasionally!"

"I think by that time," said Fil hopefully, "somebody will have invented
a typewriter that can spell for itself. You'll just press a knob for
each word, you know!"

"There are about 3000 words in common daily use!" laughed Verity. "If
you need a knob for each, your typewriter will have to be the size of a
church organ. It'll want a room to itself!"

"Oh, but think of the convenience of it! No more hunting in the
dictionary!" declared Fil.

To add to the aggravations of the new term the weather was doubtful, and
seemed to take a spiteful pleasure in being particularly wet on hockey
afternoons. Day after day, disappointed girls would watch the streaming
rain and lament the lack of practice. To give them some form of exercise
they were assembled in the gymnasium, and held rival displays of Indian
clubs, Morris dancing, or even skipping. "The True Blues" excelled at
high jumping, "The Pioneers" at certain rigid balancing feats, "The Old
Brigade" were great at vaulting, and "The Amazons" and "The Mermaids"
performed marvels in the way of Swedish Boom exercises.

Still, everybody agreed that though the contests were fun in their way
they were not hockey, and the girls would much have preferred the
playing-fields, however wet, to the gymnasium.

The girls in the hostel had the hour between four and five o'clock at
their own disposal. They were not allowed to leave the College bounds,
but they might amuse themselves as they pleased in the garden,
playground, or gymnasium. In turns, according to the practising list,
they had to devote the time to the piano, and a few even began their
prep., though this was not greatly encouraged by Miss Burd, who thought
a short brain rest advisable. One afternoon Ingred walked along the
corridor with a big pile of music in her arms. Just outside the study
she met Verity, and saluted her:

"Cheerio, old sport! Here's Dr. Linton left his whole cargo behind him
to-day. He rushed off in a hurry and forgot it, and I know he'll be just
raging. I'm going to ask Miss Burd if I may run over into the Abbey and
leave it on the organ for him. He has a choir practice to-night, so he's
sure to find it. Will you come with me? Right-o! We'll both go in an