rushed after the thief, and the curtain fell as they came into collision at the door.

The applause was loud and deafening; "Handkerchief! handkerchief!" resounded on all sides, and, in the middle of the sensation, supper was announced, and the company adjourned to the dining-room.

A

CHAP. XII.-BLACK MONDAY.

S Edith went to her room on the night of the charades Amy joined her, first having safely disposed of Rose for a few minutes, and as she came in with Edith she heard her little sister's voice in the next room with the Grahams, who were laughing still, as if they would never be serious again. Amy threw her arm round Edith's waist, and by common consent they walked up to the dressing-table. There hanging on one of the knobs of the looking-glass-was Edith's hair, and, pinned to it, was a note, which the two friends read together—

"Returned with the Chief of the scalphunters' best thanks for the loan. He begs to add his appreciation of the submissive manner in which the victim has borne her loss. And he herewith begs to withdraw his opinion

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respecting the absence of 'pluck' on the part of the sufferer, as he believes that to submit to such a plucking up by the roots as she has undergone without even a complaint, proves the individual plucked to be plucky in the extreme, and he begs to compliment her on her praiseworthy conduct during the painful ordeal; at the same time begging her to remember that though "two heads are better than one" is a common saying, it by no means refers to the propriety of two heads being the property of one person, and therefore hoping she will take an 'int, he bids her farewell, and returns to his native wilds.

"Vivat Regina!"

"There! Edith," said Amy, "I have thought all along you bore it splendidly, and you see he thinks so too! No pluck, indeed! those boys make an idol of pluck! Now, what shall you do? wear a chignon again?"

"I don't think so. The bonnet is the only nuisance, now I have altered my hats, and I think I can manage. At any rate I'll wait till my hair grows long again. Oh, must you go, Amy? Good-night, darling! you won't take any notice to Jack, will you?"

Oh, no: certainly not after that note. Shall you burn it, Edith?"

"Burn it? no, indeed! I shall treasure it, monkey as the boy is!"

"What fun it was last night!" said Martie to Jack next morning as they sat at breakfast: "I can't think how Uncle Arthur and all you boys made such splendid ladies! I can't think of it without laughing."

Jack laughed-well pleased at the compli

ment.

"Now, do tell me in confidence-I promise I won't say anything to anyone-that was Edith's hair, wasn't it?"

Jack nodded.

"I thought so. Have you given it back?" 66 Yes."

"Don't you think Charlie made a sweet little girl in the singing lesson?"

"Yes: he's a bit of a muff."

"I'm sure he isn't!" said Martie, indignantly. After breakfast the talk was resumed in the school-room. "What made you call Uncle Arthur a cosmopolite the other evening, Tom?" asked Lucy.

She had been so much nicer of late that Tom, like the others, was willing to retract his

first opinion concerning her, and he answered amiably, “I conclude you know what cosmopolite means?"

"Of course I do! but how does it apply to Uncle Arthur? Isn't he at college, like Gerald?"

"My dear child! though he looks such a chicken he's three-and-twenty, and moreover studying for the bar; but in the vacations he goes about sketching for his amusement; you must know he's quite an artist, and he lodges in all the out-of-the-way places you can imagine, and picks up all the different dialects like fun."

"It reminds me of 'The Lord of Burleigh,"" said Lucy.

"Do you think it will end the same? inquired Martie, much interested.

"Oh, dear! no. If he's sweet upon any one it's that monkey Grace; and I believe she returns the compliment, only of course she doesn't show it."

"Don't you think it's warmer to-day?" asked Lucy, as Grace came in at the moment with Jack.

"Yes," said Jack; "I believe it's going to