ere
are others in the Form who can write stories as well as herself."

"Yours about the brigands was lovely!" gushed Gladys obediently.

"Well, I don't boast, but I flatter myself it wasn't the worst in the
Mag. I don't call it fair that everything should be in the hands of one
girl, and she a foreigner, as one might say! I'll talk to you again
about this, Gladys, for I've got an idea I mean to exploit later on.
Come along now, there's the bell!"

That afternoon the Upper Fourth had a lesson with Miss Poppleton on "The
Work of our Great Explorers". The class was held in the lecture hall,
and each girl was required to bring with her an atlas, a blank book for
drawing charts, a notebook, a pencil, and indiarubber. Gipsy's desk was
not always a miracle of neatness, but she understood its apparent
confusion, and could generally lay her hand in a moment upon anything
she wanted. This afternoon, however, she rummaged for her atlas in vain.
She turned books and papers over and over in her futile search, till the
desk was in a chaotic muddle.

"Where's my atlas? Who's had my atlas? It was here yesterday!" she asked
agitatedly.

"Really, Gipsy Latimer, I don't wonder you can't find your things in
such an untidy desk!" remarked Miss White. "You must stay after four
o'clock and put your books in order. Be quick, girls! Ada is waiting.
Are you ready? Then take your places and march!"

Miss White hurried off to give a botany demonstration to the Lower
Fourth, and the Upper Fourth filed downstairs to the lecture hall under
the superintendence of Ada Dawkins, monitress for the time in place of
Doreen Tristram, who was absent with influenza.

As the Form stood waiting for a moment or two in the corridor before
entering the lecture hall, Maude Helm began ostentatiously to count her
belongings.

"Pencil--indiarubber--map book--notebook--and atlas. I've not forgotten
anything!" she said in a particularly audible whisper.

Ada Dawkins heard, and it reminded her of her duties. She was anxious to
show herself a zealous monitress.

"Have you all brought your things?" she enquired authoritatively. "Face
about into line, and hold them out so that I can see."

The single file of girls wheeled round into a row, each exhibiting what
she carried. Ada passed along like a commanding officer inspecting a
regiment, and immediately pounced upon Gipsy.

"Where's your atlas, Gipsy Latimer? How is it you're the only one to
forget? Been taken