"Start a kind of magazine?" said Marian. "That's a good idea. We could put our tales together into an old exercise book, and perhaps paste pictures in for illustrations, and make up puzzles and competitions for the end."
"Oh yes, that would be lovely!" cried the others. "Like Little Folks or The Girl's Realm."
"But look here," said Linda. "The second class mustn't hear a word about it. They'd only make dreadful fun of us, and it will be ever so much nicer if we keep it a secret."
"Let us form a secret society, then," suggested Sylvia. "We'll pinch each others' little fingers, and vow we won't tell a soul in the school."
"How horridly inquisitive they'll be!" said Nina.
"All the more fun. We'll let them know that we're doing something, enough to make them wildly curious, but they shan't have a hint of what it is, and they'll imagine the most ridiculous things, and then we can just laugh at them and say they're quite wrong."
The girls agreed cordially with Sylvia's scheme, and the society was formed on the spot. There was a good deal of discussion as to a suitable name. Linda thought of "The Heathercliffe Magaziners", but Nina said that was tame, and that, moreover, "Magaziners" was not to be found in the dictionary of the English language. Connie considered "The 'Wouldn't you like to know?' Club" might be appropriate, but nobody approved of her title. At last Marian, who was fond of long, grand-sounding names, suggested "The Secret Society of Literary Undertakings", which was carried unanimously by the others. Marian was elected President and Sylvia Secretary, and the latter at once devoted a new notebook to writing the names of the members and the rules of the association.
"We must have rules," said Marian, "even if we don't always quite keep them. You'll have to hide the book away most carefully, Sylvia, for fear any of the second class get hold of it."
It took a long time to think of sufficiently strict and binding regulations, but at length they decided upon the following:—
1. This Society is to be called "The Secret Society of Literary Undertakings", and it can be known for short as the S.S.L.U.
2. Each member pledges herself that she will never tell a word of what goes on in it.
3. Any member who tells anything will never be spoken to again by the rest of the class.
4. There is to be a weekly magazine.
5. Every member must write something for it.
6. Even if a member says she cannot write anything, she will have to try.
7. If she does not try, she will be expelled from the society.
8. The meetings are to be held in the playroom after the fourth class has gone to bed.
9. Any member who is expelled will have to stay outside in the passage during the meetings.
10. All members are requested to write as clearly as they can.
11. The Secretary is to arrange the magazine.
12. The President is to read it out at the weekly meeting.