could practically do as she liked. She would begin her
preparation soon and finish some of it before she went home, but there
was no particular hurry. The window commanded a view of a side street
and just a peep into the main street, and it amused her at present to
stand watching the passers-by. They were not remarkably
enthralling--an old gentleman in a Bath chair, a nursemaid wheeling
two babies in a perambulator, a baker's boy, a young woman with a
large parcel, a vendor of boot laces, and a man delivering circulars.
Gwen looked at them with languid attention, drumming her fingers idly
on the window sill; then quite suddenly an expression of keen interest
flashed across her face and she leaned out over the protecting iron
bars.

"Dick!" she called loudly and impulsively, "Dick!"

The boy on the pavement below stopped and gazed up.

"Hello! Why, Gwen, by all that's wonderful!"

"What are you doing in Stedburgh, Dick?"

"Come in to have my hair cut, Miss Inquisitive, if you must know!"

"Oh, what a shame! I like it curly best. Have you had it done?"

"The fatal operation has been performed," said Dick, uncovering his
closely-cropped head for a moment.

"And what are you going to do now?"

"Go home again."

"I wish I could," sighed Gwen.

"Are you supposed to be in school?" queried Dick.

"Of course I am, silly! I'm in my own Form room."

"Must be a queer sort of school, then, if they let you talk at the
window."

"They don't as a rule. But the others have all gone to the baths
to-day and I'm left here to do prep."

"Hard luck!"

"Just what I've been saying to myself. It's simply sickening. You know
what it feels like to be out of things."

"Don't I, rather!"

[Illustration: "OH, I SAY, WELL CAUGHT!"]

"I feel like a captive in a tower or a nun in a convent," continued
Gwen plaintively.

"Not much of the nun about you!" grinned Dick. "I'd be sorry for the
convent you were in. Look here, if I got you some sweets and chucked
up the bag would you catch it or muff it?"

"Try me."

"If you muff it I'll expect you to throw it down again."

"Right-o!"

"Then wait half a mo. and I'll cut round the corner to Sherrard's and
see what I can fish up for you. You really look like an object for
charity."

"You philanthropist!"

"Better wait till you've caught your catch before you bless me!"
chuckled Dick.

He was certainly not gone long; he returned almost immediately with a
most interesting-loo