f the bedrooms.
'Suppose they catches me,' thinks I, 'with one of the young ladies'
coats and hats on and the locket in my hand!' There was a blouse hanging
behind the door, with a little pocket just handy, so I stuffed the
locket down into that; then I pulled off the coat and threw it on the
bed, and flung the hat out of the window. I thought if anyone came in
and found me I'd say I'd been sent to refill the water-jug. But the
steps went on, and I rushed out and downstairs, and left the locket
where it was. I was so scared I didn't know what I was doing."

"Gracie found her hat in the garden this morning," gasped Ulyth. "She
wondered how it got there."

"But what made you run away?" asked Mrs. Arnold, returning to the main
question. "Did you think you were suspected?"

"Not till this afternoon. Then the servants were all talking in the
kitchen about how one of the young ladies was supposed to have taken
what they called a 'pendon' or something, and Cook looked straight at me
and says: 'If anything's missing, it's not one of the young ladies
that's got it, I'll be bound.' And I turned red and run out of the
kitchen. My mother'd said she'd be coming round this evening, and how
was I going to meet her with no locket? So I says, there's nothing else
for it, I'd best go back to the Home. Miss Bankes, she was good to me,
and Mother daresn't show her face there. So I wrote a letter, and asked
Jones's boy to post it. I didn't think you'd get it till to-morrow."

"Very fortunately I received it at once. You must come back with us now
to The Woodlands, Susan. We shall all have to walk, for the bicycle
won't take three."

"I'll wheel it," cried Ulyth joyfully.

"She'll half kill me to-night," quavered poor Susannah Maude. "Do let me
go to the Home!"

"Your mother shall not have a chance of coming near you. You must tell
all this to Miss Bowes; then to-morrow, if you wish, you may be sent
back to the Orphanage."

No successful scouts could have returned to camp with more triumph than
Mrs. Arnold and Ulyth, as, very late and decidedly tired, they arrived
at The Woodlands to relate their surprising story. Miss Bowes sent at
once for Rona, and in the presence of the Principals the whole matter
was carefully explained to the satisfaction of all parties, even poor
weeping Susannah Maude.

"I am very glad to find the motive for which Rona kept silence was so
good a one," commented Miss Teddington. "She has shown her loyalty b