Chapter I: Preface

There is in England a large and interesting county, mostly green on maps. We call it Lincolnshire.

There is a part of that same county where you see the gleaming silver of the Wash--so fatal to King John of unpleasing memory--and the green marshlands are drained by wide dykes, and stakes stand bunched at intervals along the low-lying shore to break the fury of the sea, at the great high tides of spring and autumn; and the river that meanders through the "Deeps," as these marsh flats are called, has no banks when the tide is full, but seems as though its waters brimmed, and only kept themselves from slopping over by an amazing steadiness of hand in which you are not wise to place implicit trust.

That is "Little Holland."

Where the ground begins to rise a shade, so that the great mass of dim red buildings seems to tiptoe in the rolling sea of green, stands the famous Redlands College; where everyone, from Miss Conyngham the Head--are you brave enough to ask her?--down to Tiddles the school baby, will have something to tell about the thrilling story which acted itself round about Little Holland during Joey Graham's first term in the Lower School. And, let me tell you, they are proud of that story at Redlands. Here it is! Gabrielle or Noreen would like to tell it, I know; but you'd better let me.

DOROTHEA MOORE.

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE

I. LUCKIE JEAN'S ODD-AND-END SHOP 1

II. OUT INTO THE WORLD 18

III. THE DUTIES OF A SCHOLARSHIP KID 29

IV. ENTER GABRIELLE 41

V. LIVELINESS IN BLUE DORM 53

VI. A NIGHT ON THE LEADS 66

VII. THE VIOLET HANDKERCHIEF 76

VIII. THE PEACE-PIPE 84

IX. "MADDY" 92

X. A SUNDAY OUT 106

XI. THE SEA-ROKE 122

XII. IN TROUBLE 133

XIII. "THE THREE MUSKETEERS" 140

XIV. "THE PLAY'S THE THING" 154

XV. THE COURT-MARTIAL 167

XVI. THE EVE OF THE MATCH 181

XVII. TRICKED 196

XVIII. AT DEEPING ROYAL 210

XIX. AGAINST TIME 222

XX. THE PROFESSOR'S DRIVE 240

XXI. IN THE ROUND TOWER 255

XXII. THE GREAT ELECTION 275

ILLUSTRATIONS

JOEY STOOPED A LITTLE, AND PUT HER MOUTH TO THE CHINK _Frontispiece_

FACING PAGE

"HOW DARE YOU COME?" 42

"HAVE YOU FINISHED?" ASKED GABRIELLE 88

"I HOPE I DIDN'T FRIGHTEN YOU COMING IN LIKE THIS,"
JOEY SAID POLITELY 130

"MEIN FATER, IS THE MIXTURE SLAB AND STRONG?" 160

"I'M FRIGHTFULLY SORRY WE STARTLED YOU SO" 242

HEAD OF THE LOWER SCHOOL