"

The leave-taking was perhaps purposely cut short. Mr. and Mrs. Hewlitt
each bestowed a swift kiss upon their daughter, then made a hasty exit
to their waiting car, and were whirled away in the direction of Glenbury
Station and the 4.30 train, and their ultimate destination of Paris.

Ten minutes later Lennie Browne, one of the juniors, disturbed the
quintette on the wheelbarrow with a message.

"Miss Todd's sent me to find you," she announced. "You've got to come
and make friends with a new girl."

Sadie, Vi, and Tattie quitted their seats so suddenly that Magsie and
Wendy, still resting on the handles, came croppers on to the grass.
Wendy rolled over into a comfortable position, and did not trouble to
rise.

"Bunkum!" she remarked incredulously. "Don't try to rag _me_, Lennie
Browne, for it won't come off. As it happens, I asked Toddlekins half an
hour ago, and she said there were _no_ new girls. There!"

"Well, there's one now, at any rate."

Wendy looked at her pityingly, and shook her head.

"Lennie, you're a decent kid, but you're not clever. If you'd really
wanted to have us on successfully, why didn't you try something more out
of the common? You've a great lack of imagination. Anybody--yes,
_anybody_--could have thought of inventing a new girl!"

"But I _haven't_ invented her--she's really here! She walked with me as
far as the sundial, and I left her sitting on the seat while I went to
look for you. I said I wouldn't be a minute. Why, there she is!--come to
see what's become of me."

The quintette turned hastily, to find themselves confronted with an
absolute endorsement of the truth of Lennie's statements. A stranger of
about fourteen was walking towards them, or perhaps "shambling" would be
a better description of her method of progress. She stooped badly, swung
her arms in an awkward fashion, and shuffled her feet along the grass;
her eyes were vacant, her chin was retreating, and her mouth was set in
a foolish smile. For a full ghastly minute she stood and stared at the
girls, and they, in utter and amazed consternation, could not think of a
single intelligent remark with which to break the silence. Magsie was
the first to recover herself.

"You--you've only just come, I suppose?" she gasped, as politely as she
could.

The stranger gave a sickly giggle.

"Are you my new schoolfellows?" she asked in a low creaking voice.
"Miss Todd said you'd be pleased to see me, and I must make friends w