the duties of the occasion.

All the school felt quite excited when three o'clock on Thursday
afternoon arrived, and they were left to themselves in the large
classroom. Big girls, little girls, new girls, and old girls sat on the
forms in giggling anticipation, chattering like swallows on the eve of
migration, and determined to have a good time and enjoy themselves.

"You're the eldest! Open the ball!" said Iva, pushing Nesta forward.

But Nesta had turned shy. She had never been in such a position before,
and, flushing scarlet, she urged her utter inability to cope with the
matter.

"I can't! You do it--or Muriel!" she whispered in an agonized voice.

But Muriel, in spite of her ambition, was also afflicted with stage-fright
and passed on the honour.

Iva, making a supreme effort, called to the girls for silence, but they
were too much out of hand to listen to her and only went on talking.
Merle, following some wise advice administered by Mavis, had allowed the
other three to have first innings, but as none seemed capable of
controlling the meeting she now stepped to the front and, making a
megaphone of a roll of foolscap, yelled, "Order!" with all the force of
her lungs. The effect was instantaneous. There was an immediate dead
hush, and all eyes were turned in her direction.

"We're here this afternoon on business, and our first matter is to elect
a chairwoman," she proclaimed. "Will somebody kindly nominate one."