quarterly appearance.

"It will waken you up!" said the latter, smiling whimsically at her
pupils. "You are all rather apt to go to sleep at times, especially
when a little originality is desired; but remember that the magazine
receives official sanction as a means of education, not as a receptacle
for any rubbish you may choose to scribble. We'll have stories, of
course; but I have suffered under stories in other amateur magazines,
and am determined to raise ours above the usual level. Every girl who
wishes to write a story must draw out a synopsis of the plot and submit
it to me before she embarks on the task of writing it out. I will then
refuse or accept it, and in the latter case will talk it over with the
author, giving her some hints as to arrangement, treatment of points,
which will, I hope, be of value to the story. In fact, I should like to
have the entire synopsis of the magazine drawn up and brought to me a
month before publication. So what a Tartar of an editor I am going to
be! I have quite decided that if I am to get through the work at all, I
must have an understudy, a sub-editor, so to speak, who can keep the
contributors up to time, collect their suggestions, and submit them for
my criticism. It will involve a good deal of steady, methodical work.
I wonder--"

"I'll do it, Miss Drake. Let me. I offered to be editor before."

The words leaped from Etheldreda's lips before Miss Drake's eyes had
wandered halfway round the class. Mary's face wore its usual blank
stare, Barbara sniggled with obvious contempt, Nancy veiled her eyes
with her thick, dark lashes, Susan flushed suddenly a brilliant red.

Both Miss Drake and Dreda herself were arrested by the sight of those
flaming cheeks, for Susan was, as a rule, so calm and self-restrained
that any exhibition of excitement on her part was bound to attract
attention. What was the matter? Why did she look so anxious and eager?
What were the words which seemed trembling on her lips? Dreda felt
complacently convinced that as her own friend and ally Susan was longing
to champion her cause. Miss Drake smiled and asked encouragingly:

"Well, Susan, what is it? What were you going to say?"

The red mounted higher and higher until it reached the roots of the
tightly brushed hair. Susan's very ears seemed aflame, and her voice
had the husky note of repressed excitement.

"I--I was going to offer--I thought I could do the work for you, Miss
Drake.