The Girls of St. Olave's   By: Mabel Mackintosh

The Girls of St. Olave's

BY MABEL MACKINTOSH AUTHOR OF " The Doings of Denys. "

John F. Shaw & Co., Ltd., 3, Pilgrim Street, London, E.C.

[Illustration: "In the centre of the group was a little figure in a short, black kilted frock." Page 247. ]

CONTENTS.

CHAP. PAGE

I. AS GOOD AS GONE 7

II. LOVE AND MONEY 14

III. A GREAT BIG SHAME 23

IV. A SMALL WORLD 33

V. A WILD GOOSE CHASE 40

VI. A TICKET FOR ONE 50

VII. HEIGHTS AND DEPTHS 58

VIII. IN FEAR 67

IX. BROTHERS IN LAW 80

X. A MEAN THING 89

XI. WITH A PURPOSE 98

XII. MASTER AND MAN 107

XIII. BEARDING THE LION 118

XIV. AN UNWELCOME GUEST 129

XV. THE LAST HOPE 140

XVI. LINKS IN A CHAIN 150

XVII. MEETING AND PARTING 161

XVIII. A BASE TRICK 174

XIX. A SUCCESSFUL RAID 183

XX. REAPING THE WHIRLWIND 194

XXI. THE HIDING PLACE 203

XXII. OUT OF THE NORTH 217

XXIII. THE MEETING OF THE WAYS 224

XXIV. THE SUN SHINES OUT 239

CHAPTER I.

AS GOOD AS GONE.

"You won't be any more use to us after this," said Gertrude positively.

A quick flush coloured Denys's cheek.

"Oh, Gertrude! why not?"

"Engaged girls never are the least use to their families," reiterated Gertrude. "All they think about is the postman and their bottom drawer. The family goes to the wall, its interests are no longer of interest, its sewing is no longer necessary, its duties "

But Denys's good tempered laugh rippled out and interrupted the flow of eloquence.

"Really, Gertrude! you are too funny!"

"I don't feel at all funny," grumbled Gertrude, half laughing and half ashamed of herself, "only I'm quite busy enough, and I can't be piled up with any of your odds and ends! Talking of bottom drawers," she added, more contented now she had said her say, "if I were you I would put away all your ornaments and vases, or Pattie will break them all before you are married."

Denys's eyes wandered round the room, the dear old night nursery where she had slept with one after another of the babies. The walls were adorned with coloured prints, of which the stories had been told and re told to Tony and little Jerry and baby Maude, and the odds and ends of little ornaments and carved brackets had each its own history of a birthday or a holiday or a keepsake. There was nothing of value, except in the value of association, and Denys smiled tenderly as she shook her head.

On this evening, when she was just engaged to be married, every association in the room was tugging at her heart, and weaving its threads into the new fabric of joy that was spread out before her.

Gertrude's glance followed hers round the room.