There's no knowing how long she would have permitted Arabella to stand
out in the hall, but suddenly she remembered that Miss Fenler strode
down the corridors every night after lights were supposed to be out,
just to learn if any one of the girls were defying the rule.

With a rather loud "O _dear_!" Patricia flounced out of bed, went to the
door, pretended to be so sleepy that she could not at once find the
key, and then, as the door opened, gave an exaggerated yawn.

For once Arabella was quick-witted.

"Miss Fenler is just coming up the stairs," she said.

Patricia forgot the scolding that she had been preparing for Arabella,
and instead she said:

"Hurry! Put out the light. You can undress in the dark, but for
goodness' sake, don't stumble over anything!"




CHAPTER III

MISCHIEF


A few days later, Dorothy stood at the window looking out upon a
windswept road, where not even so much as a dry leaf remained to tell of
the vanished Autumn.