212 GARRYOWEN 



She took the sheet of paper, dipped the pen in 

 ink and wrote on the paper, with care and labour, 

 "April Fool." 



Then, having dried these words of wisdom, she 

 placed the sheet of note-paper in the envelope and 

 gummed it. Then, getting down from the chair, 

 she ran to the window to see that nobody was 

 coming, and, assured of the fact, ran to the writing- 

 table and stole a stamp from the drawer in which 

 they were kept. Having stamped the letter, 

 she placed this torpedo in her pocket, and, running 

 out, called for Nor ah to get her hat and coat as she 

 wanted to go out on the downs. 



Every day at this hour Miss Grimshaw was in 

 the habit of going for a walk and taking Effie with 

 her. To-day, returning from looking at the horses, 

 she found, to her surprise, Effie dressed and waiting. 



"Which way shall we go?" asked Miss Grims- 

 haw. 



" Let's go through the village," said Effie. " I 

 like the village." 



It was a moist day, damp and warm, with just 

 the faintest threat of rain. It was the last day 

 of the season for the West Sussex hounds ; they had 

 met at Kookhurst some seven miles away, and 

 there was a chance of getting a gHmpse of them. 



As they passed the spot where, on Saturday, 

 Miss Grimshaw had plucked the primrose and 

 placed it in Mr Dashwood's coat, she noticed that 

 several more were out. 



" I say," said Effie, as though she were a thought- 



