"Work as much as you can through committees, and have an occasional
general meeting to voice popular opinion," she counselled. "Always keep
your position as leaders, but don't degenerate into an oligarchy. Listen
to just grievances, and try and bring everybody into harmony. The tone of
the school will depend very largely upon you four. Remember it's a
responsibility as well as an honour to have such a post of trust."

By the wish of both Miss Pollard and Miss Mitchell, it was arranged that
Iva and Nesta, who were boarders, should busy themselves mostly with the
affairs of the hostel, and that Muriel and Merle should look after those
things which specially concerned the day-girls. There were, of course,
various societies in which they could all unite, but the interests of
both were to be equally balanced. In order that the girls should have
time to inaugurate the numerous projects that loomed on the horizon, the
last hour of the coming Thursday afternoon was set apart for the purpose,
and a general meeting was to be held in the schoolroom.

"I shall leave you to manage it entirely yourselves," said Miss Mitchell.
"Found your own clubs, make your own arrangements, and elect your own
committees and officers. You can come and tell me about it afterwards."

Merle, rejoicing over the liberty thus given, found Iva, Nesta, and
Muriel a trifle nervous and diffident.

"The fact of the matter is," admitted Iva ruefully, "we none of us know
how to conduct a public meeting. What do you _do_? I've a vague idea
that there ought to be a chairman and a secretary, but what else? Rather
weak of us, isn't it? It seems so humiliating to go and tell Miss
Mitchell we can't carry on! She'll think us queer monitresses. Merle, can