cross-legged around the feast, and prepared to enjoy it.

Salt and pepper in abundance had been thrown into the can, so that while
it lacked sufficient cooking, it surely did not lack seasoning.

Bravely each tried to eat her share, but so salt was it, that it almost
brought the tears.

The cream-cakes were fine, and the girls were laughing softly over
Betty's remark that no one knew of their little "party," when a knock
upon the door caused Valerie to drop her cream-cake. In an instant she
had rolled over, crawled under the bed, Betty following, while Vera and
Elf sprang into bed, drawing the coverings to their chins to hide that
they were fully dressed. It was one of Miss Fenler's rules that pupils
should never lock their doors.

Now in a harsh voice she called: "Open this door _at once_!"

Vera sprang to the floor, shut off the gas, softly turned the key in the
lock, and was back in bed and covered up to her eyes, in a second.

Upon opening the door, Miss Fenler stumbled into the blanket that hung
from the door-frame. Crossing the room to light the gas, she put her
right foot directly upon a cream-cake, while with her left she upset the
can of stew.

An angry exclamation, properly stifled, caused the two under the bed to
nudge each other, while struggling not to laugh.

Vera and Elf lay quite still, the puff drawn up to their closely shut