the sunshine of
Torquay, received a hint of the situation is uncertain. Lesbia, however,
who had sent her a picture post card, one day received a letter in
return. It gave a pleasant description of her holiday, but it ended with
the following passage:

"I hope to come back after Easter, but meantime I trust you prefects to
do all you can to make matters run smoothly. You in particular, Lesbia,
as the oldest pupil, I ask to be 'loyal to the school', and to use your
influence with the others. If I can feel that things are going on all
right in my absence I shall get well twice as fast. Please tell that to
the rest. I have not time to write to them all."

Lesbia, who had been one of the principal shirkers at the hated game of
rounders, pulled wry faces over the letter, but patted it in her pocket
nevertheless.

"I'd do anything to please Miss Tatham," she decided. "Yes, I guess I've
got to be 'loyal to the school'. I know what she means. Those juniors
have been leading everybody a dance since they saw us prefects giving
them the cue. Even Marion called them little pigs yesterday. It can't go
on. I'll ask Carrie to call a prefects' meeting, and we'll talk it
over."

The confabulation in the little room over the archway, being in the
nature of a committee, was not banned by Miss Ormerod, and the six girls
who met there used their tongues freely. They thoroughly aired their
grievances, but came to the sage conclusion that for the sake of school
discipline they must uphold any mandate, however unpopular, from the
temporary "Head".

"A little extra exercise won't do you any harm, Aldora, you're getting
far too fat, you old Jumbo!" urged Carrie, putting down the last
objector and proposing the resolution from the "chair".

"It's only till Easter anyway," seconded Lesbia "and then I hope to
goodness Miss Tatham will be back again."

"And may Miss Ormerod transfer her talents to a boys' preparatory,"
minced Calla.

Having decided grimly to stand by law and order, the prefects next day
surprised the school at eleven o'clock break by leading the games with
the greatest unction. They tore about the playground in a state of such
enthusiasm that the astounded juniors followed their lead, and found
themselves whirled into action by a kind of magnetic influence. Fickle
fashion veered round, and it was at once popular to enjoy the games,
indeed for a few weeks they had quite a vogue.

Miss Ormerod, peeping through her study wi