The Mystery of Arnold Hall

either side, a short, dark little girl, whose round brown face instantly reminded

elf upon Anne so violently that Anne staggered and fell back against Jane,

rred her embraces to the other two girls in turn, while Patricia stood be

dor is so long and narrow we call it 'The Alley' and the eleven girls who live here are k

t tell me your friend's name;

aughed Anne. "She's Patricia Randall, and

nded Frances

a card which she had picked out of a pile on the hall table. While the others w

the bit of pasteboard from Ja

s," added Jane. "H

lack eyes and a boyish bob ran down

e when I come?" demanded Jane, sha

plied in a soft little voice: "I went up to see

is is my room mate, Ruth Maynard; Patr

d Anne curiously, after Ruth had s

here to No. 4," r

itting down violently upon one of

y!" exclaimed Ja

ome? Don't know whether or not I f

edly. "She went to her old room as a matter of course when she

rce!" cried Hazel. "She'

ing really bad about Clarice. She got herse

we'll reform her," suggested a

aids of honey-colored hair wound around her shapely

d Hazel, joyfully k

irl with red cheeks and brown skin, which bespoke a love for out-of-doors life, jumped from the th

exclaimed Anne. "Let me p

" added Hazel, as Katharine gave Patr

missing," commented

g her down by auto after

o be Patricia's room

unced Jane. "I

ve last year?" whispe

Here comes Dolly," she added in an undertone, as the front door opened and a medium sized woman of about twenty-eig

re this fall. Clarice," laying her hand on the girl's arm, "is to be down here with us in No. 4. We also have a new member of our household, Miss Patricia Randall," crossing

is Lizzie?"

ll be here some time tonight. You had better all unpack now, and get ready for dinner. Arnold Hall girls will take the southwest end of the dining room, as usual. Come, Miss Randall, I'll show you your room. Of cou

ssers flanking the doorway and to the writing tables in the big bay window. In spite of its bare floor and curtain

hey have that heavy barred wire outside of the windows? It rem

tay out later than 10:30, and if it were possible to climb in the windows, nobod

zled. "The 'Black B

ust register in it your name and the hour. The girls take turns looking after it, and at bed time, Dolly inspects it before she makes the round of the rooms. And, by the way,

tricia, sitting down on one of the beds. "Wh

more than does study, and last year she played around too much with a boy upon whom the authorities frowned. The girls on this floor have always been so congenial, and have had no demerits for conduct; so naturally they rather resent

d out into the hall

lars, and catching sight of the top of a man's hat showing in the door pane. "Wait a minute

enly, and a black-gowned maid appeared and

rrived. Isn't she prett

eavesdroppers could hear nothing. Then Rhoda admitted the blond youth, w

e Miss Randall,

in a frenzy. "You've got to

boy gravely, fixing his great grey eyes

tered; "I left

ing it down on the six," vo

r it. I have it in the vestibule." Opening the do

aid Patricia a bit stiffly. "I

for some one-" he broke off suddenly, as if fearing

l things! You seem fated to ge

he was on the bus with us, and just natur

a dress. You'd better hurry, though; it's after

room was bare and unattractive in itself, but the long tables, each surrounded by twenty girls in pretty

yard long here," she observe

?" inquired that young lad

g conversations going on all aroun

child psychology, music theory, library cataloguing, art appreciation, domestic

bers of the Alley Gang gathered in Anne's attractive room to visit. Betty Grant ha

g, "is the Boy Friend coming dow

r, I'm going

ody la

he could come only tw

s in between,"

ust as Ed and I drove up. There was a fellow standing in front of the laundr

Katharine, "you're making t

o Ed, because he would have wanted to investigate, and I've no fancy for having hi

tonight," shuddered Mary. "Hazel, you'll have to p

man look lik

he was slight, of medium heigh

h!" whispered A

ng prowling around here?"

, Lu, where have you

ame on here right from a house party,

Patricia glanced signif

ssing, Lu?" asked

ply, Betty leaned forward and in

at

looking in the

around the place while I was there," she rep

he doing?"

g her un

predecessor followed, and the subje