ink there ought to be
some rate of value. My brooch was a far better one than Mollie's."

"Right you are, my hearty, and I'm going to speak about it. We mustn't
let ourselves be done, even by--you know who!"

"And she's sharp."

"She's getting too sharp. We must stop it, even if we have to break off
for a whole week."

"No, no!"

"Oh, not that anyhow!"

"Well, look here, if you're such sillies, you deserve----"

But at this most interesting point the loud clanging of the
preparation-bell put a stop to any further argument. With one accord the
girls jumped up, and fled back as fast as they could run in the
direction of the school. Ulyth and Lizzie, at the risk of being late for
evening call-over, gave the conspirators time to get well away before
they ventured to follow.

"What's the meaning of all this?" queried Lizzie, as they scouted
cautiously through the glade.

"I can't imagine. They're evidently doing something they oughtn't to,
the young wretches! But they're keeping it very dark."

"We shall have to watch them."

"We must indeed," sighed Ulyth. "Lizzie, I loathe eavesdropping and
anything that savours of underhand work, but what are we to do?
Something is going wrong among the juniors, and for the sake of the
school we've got to put it right if we possibly can. It's no use asking
them their sweet secret, for they wouldn't tell us; and I'm afraid
setting the monitresses on the track would only make things worse. If we
can find out what they're doing, then we shall know our ground. I'm a
Torch-bearer and you're a Fire-maker, and we must appeal to them to keep
their Camp-fire vows. But we can't do that till we've some idea of which
rule they're breaking. How can we say to them: 'I strongly suspect
you're not being trustworthy'? We've got to prove our words."

"Prove them we will. We'll dodge about till we catch them in the act,"
agreed Lizzie.

To both the girls it was uncongenial though necessary work. As seniors
and League officers they felt they owed a duty to the school, but that
it would be far wiser to appeal privately to the juniors' sense of
honour, and win them back to straight paths of their own free will, than
to carry the matter to head-quarters. For the present, patience and tact
must be their watchwords.

Several days went by, and nothing particular occurred. Either the
younger girls were on their guard or they had suspended their
activities. On Friday evening, however, as Ulyth was