you give any light?"

"We used to have heaps of public meetings at Whinburn High, and I think I
know the ropes. I can coach you all up beforehand. I should say we'd
better find out what girls are most likely to be of help, and arrange for
them to be proposed as members of committees. There's Mavis, of course.
Beata and Romola Castleton have been at school before, and so has Fay
Macleod. Kitty Trefyre looks as if she might be useful."

"I shall propose that you take the chair," said Iva. "Oughtn't that to be
a question of age?" interrupted Muriel quickly.

"It's a question of who is competent to do it. Merle's the only one of us
who knows how," returned Nesta, looking Muriel squarely in the face.

"Oh, all right!" (rather sulkily).

"We shall want a secretary, and you're a quick writer," suggested Merle,
with more tact than she generally possessed.

It was evident to Merle from the first that the greatest factor of
trouble in connection with her new post would lie with Muriel Burnitt.
Muriel was a little older than herself, she was clever, and she had a
sharp tongue. She had been educated solely at 'The Moorings,' and she
very much resented any allusions by Merle to former doings at the
Whinburn High school. Iva and Nesta were more broad-minded, and were
quite ready to take the benefit of Merle's past experiences, but as their
work lay largely at the hostel they were not so likely to clash. Even
Muriel, however, recognised the necessity of receiving instruction on the
subject of a public meeting, and allowed herself to be duly coached for