74 THE HOLIDAY PRIZE.

“As to that,” said Gladys calmly, ‘we
couldn’t think of tossing up. Since this is
a Boy Day, you had better keep together.
Oh, yes! I’ve arranged it all, Florian. We
play ‘girls versus boys,’ ae Mildred will
stand out and be umpire.”

Maurice’s cheeks extended in a broad
chuckle. “Hooray!” he shouted, ‘“ ‘girls
versus boys’—oh, certainly!”

“No broomsticks, I suppose, Gladys?”
suggested Tristan; but, of course, the girls
gave no heed to the insult.

Cyril came on the spot in time to declare
himself umpire for the boys, and to cast a
withering look at his coadjutor, who promptly
turned her back on him and began to
examine her note-book.

Then the whole company started for the
cricket-field. It was a charming meadow,
fenced about with a high hedge, at sufficient
distance from the wicket to make the runs
for a ball placed out of bounds count as
six. The pitch was a capital one; and
though the girls had been practising regularly
since May, they had done no real damage.