id we, Nina?"

"No," said Nina, though with less assurance.

It was a bold step of Hazel's to deny what they had done, but Elsie
Thompson's habit of making up stories was well known, and on this
account she hoped they might escape. Linda gave no reply. She was in a
terrible difficulty. To tell the truth would of course implicate the
other two; yet she was not prepared with such a deliberate falsehood.

"Did you go down the Aberglyn road, Linda?" asked the headmistress.

"No, Miss Kaye," said Linda, feeling that her truth was only half a
truth after all, and more ashamed of herself than she liked to think.

"I am very glad to hear it," said Miss Kaye, looking relieved. "Elsie
is such a little girl that I believe she hardly knows yet how naughty
it is to tell such wrong tales. I shall have to be very cross with
you, Elsie, if you do so again." And, shaking her head at the small
six-year-old, she dismissed the four.

Hazel waited till they were safely down the passage, then, seizing
Elsie by the arm, she gave her a hard smack.

"You nasty little thing!" she cried; "what do you mean by telling
tales about us to Miss Kaye?"

"But I really saw you," wailed Elsie.

"You didn't. And if you say a word about this to Sadie, or May
Spencer, or anybody else, a big black bogy will come to your bed
to-night and eat you up. Yes, he will," she said, as poor little Elsie
fled in terror to the playroom; "he told me so himself."

"I never thought Elsie would see us," said Hazel. "It was most
unfortunate. We got out of it better than I expected, though. We shall
have to hide away those chestnuts; it won't be safe to roast them, or
to let off the snake either."

"Oh, Hazel, I wish you hadn't done it!" said Linda. "We've told the
most dreadful stories."

"Well, you haven't, at any rate. Miss Kaye asked if you had been down
the Aberglyn road, and you didn't go, so you only said what was quite
true."

"Yes, but----"

"Oh, what's the use of 'buts'? We can't help it now! There's the prep.
bell, and we shall have to go along. I hope none of the other girls
will say anything. I don't suppose they will."

Linda went into preparation with a very uneasy mind. She was a
truthful child, and could not bear to be mixed up with any deceit; but
on the other hand she did not like to get her classmates into trouble.
She was astonished that Hazel should behave so; it spoilt her faith in
her friend, and recalled to her memory several other in