ssion to the church, to strew the floor thickly with
them as a covering for the winter. They would be left till the spring,
and cleared away in time for Easter. This old ceremony had long fallen
into disuse, and was only remembered by village patriarchs as one of the
yearly events of their far-away childhood.

Though it might not be desirable once more to strew the floor with
rushes, Mr. Fleming suggested that it would be a pretty idea if the
girls at Pendlemere School were to cut some bundles of them, tie them
with ribbons, and carry them into the church on the date of the old
festival, as a memorial of the past observance. Anything so interesting
as going out to cut rushes appealed to the girls, and they readily
adopted the suggestion. Miss Todd decided to turn the afternoon into a
kind of natural history and antiquarian excursion.

"The rushes by the lake are not very easy to get," she explained, "but
there are beauties growing on Fox Fell. We'll have a ramble there on
Saturday, take our lunch, and bring back our bundles. Then we can plait
our ribbons at our leisure on Monday, in time for the festival on
Tuesday. Who wants to go? Anybody who likes may stay at home."

A rustle passed round the room, for nobody was anxious to be left out of
the fun. Rambles were considered special treats at Pendlemere, and
smiles decorated twenty faces at the prospect. At Geraldine's suggestion
they did their Saturday prep. in Friday's recreation time.

"And get all your practising finished too," she urged. "If we can tell
Miss Todd that our work's quite squared up, she'll let us stay out
longer; but you know her. If there's a single girl who hasn't learnt her
literature, or made up her music list, the whole crew of us will have to
come trotting back. I'd be sorry for that girl!" Geraldine looked round
the room grimly. "I should give her a very unpleasant time myself, and I
expect the rest of you would, too. She'd richly deserve all she got."

Warned by the head girl's awful threat, tasks were completed in good
time, and promptly by half-past ten the school, in a uniform of brown
jerseys, brown tam-o'-shanters with orange tassels, strong boots,
lunch-wallets slung over their shoulders, and sticks in their hands,
were prepared, like a group of pilgrims, to make their start. Spot, the
fox terrier, escorted them, barking his loudest. Meg and Elsie Fleming
joined them in the village; so with Miss Todd and Miss Beverley they
formed a pa