nour bright, and no bunkum?"

"I've told you so."

The bottom of the door did not fit closely to the step, and presently
through this small aperture the key was pushed. There was a sound of
pelting footsteps. By the time Vivien had managed to unlock the door,
nobody was in sight. She had the wisdom not to report the matter at
head-quarters. She knew that she had exceeded her authority in keeping
the children in, and doubted whether Miss Kingsley would back her up. It
was too humiliating an experience to relate to her fellow-monitresses,
so she kept it to herself. She utterly ignored it when she met the
members of Form II next morning. Several of them blushed so consciously
that she easily guessed who had been the ringleaders, but she judged it
discreet to take no more notice. The sinners, giggling over the joke
among themselves, decided that they were now quits with Vivien.

CHAPTER IX

White Elephants

It was Patsie's stroke of genius that originated the White Elephant
Sale. The school was racking its brains to raise a little money for the
Prisoners of War Fund, and had swept aside as impossible such schemes as
a bazaar, a pound day, or self-denial boxes.

"Lily tried it on last term, and it was no go," said Vivien; "couldn't
make the kids shell out."

"Well, they _are_ only kids," qualified Nellie; "and, of course, they
haven't much pocket-money, so what can you expect?"

"We mustn't aim too high," said Claire. "If we plan something too big we
scare them, and they won't do anything at all--say their mothers object,
and all the rest of the usual excuses."

"Well, everyone _is_ rather fed up with appeals," admitted Audrey,
lazily stretching her arms; "they come in by the dozen with the
morning's post."

"And are generally chucked into the waste-paper basket," commented
Lorraine. "_That_ doesn't help the prisoners of war. Suggestions,
please, quick!"

"Best put an advertisement in the newspapers: 'Wanted, a new way of
raising money without taking it out of the pockets of subscribers!'"
chuckled Dorothy.

"Look here!" said Lorraine. "Joking apart, I think everybody's prepared
either to give or spend just a little--even the kids. They've money
enough for chalks, pencils, and all the rubbish they fill their pockets
with."

"And swop in the cloak-room," added Claudia.

"Yes, they _do_ swop," exclaimed Patsie. "That's exactly what they love
beyond everything. Claudia Castleton, you've given me a bra