e kitchen and a much subdued
force of helpers behind her. That threat of "the constabulary" was an
argument not to be defied.

"Worst of it is, she meant it. Lady Principal never says a thing she
doesn't mean. So--Well, I suppose I'll have to stay, then, for who
wants to get took up? But it's hard on a workin' woman 't she can't do
as she likes," muttered the first deserter and set about her duties.
Also, as did she so did the others.

Meanwhile how had the night passed with the imprisoned Dorothy? At
first with greater anger than fear; anger against the unknown person
who had shut that door upon her. Then she thought:

"But of course he didn't know, whoever it was. I'm sure it was a man
or boy, afraid, maybe, to make a noise account of its being late. Yet
what a fix I'm in! Nobody will know or come to let me out till Dawkins
goes her rounds and that'll be very, very late, on account of her
clearing up the mess we made down in Assembly. My! what a fine time we
had! And how perfectly grand that Gwendolyn and I should be friends at
last. She kissed me. Gwendolyn Borst-Kennard kissed me! It's worth
even being shut up here alone, behind that spring-locked door, just to
be friends. I'm so sleepy. I wish I could find something to put around
me and I'd lie right down on this floor and take a nap till somebody
lets me out."

Then she remembered that once she had heard Dawkins telling another
maid that there were "plenty more blankets in the old drying-room if
her 'beds' needed 'em;" and maybe she could find some if she tried.

"This is the very darkest place could ever be, seems if! ouch! that
hurt!" said the prisoner aloud, to bolster her own courage, and as she
stumbled against a trunk that bruised her ankle. "I'll take more
care."

So she did: reasoning that people generally piled things against a
wall, that is, in such a place, for greater convenience. With
outstretched hands she felt her way and at last was rewarded by
finding the blankets she sought. Here, too, were folded several cots,
that were needed at times, like Commencement, when many strangers were
at Oak Knowe. But she didn't trouble to set up one of these, even if
she could have done so in that gloom. But a blanket she could manage,
and beside the cots she could feel a heap of them. In a very few
minutes she had pulled down several of these and spread them on the
floor; and a little later had wrapped them about her and was sound
asleep--"as a bug in a ru