was apparently sound asleep when the
other girls went to their cots. But after all was still and the camp
lights out, she lay trembling, and staring wide-eyed into the darkness.
A thousand strange small sounds beat on her strained ears, and when
suddenly the hoot of an owl rang out from a nearby treetop, Elizabeth
sprang up with a frightened cry and clutched wildly at the girl in the
nearest cot.

Olga's cold voice answered her cry. "It's nothing but an owl, you goose!
Go back to your bed!"

But Elizabeth was on her knees, clinging desperately to Olga's hand.

"O, I'm afraid, I'm afraid!" she moaned. "Please _please_ let me stay
here with you. I never was in a p-place like this before."

Olga jerked her hand away from the clinging fingers. "Get back to your
bed!" she ordered under her breath. "Anybody'd think you were a _baby_."

"I don't care _what_ anybody'd think if you'll only let me stay. I--I
must touch s-somebody," wailed the Poor Thing in a choked voice.

"Well, it won't be me you'll touch," retorted Olga. "And if you don't
keep still I'll report you in the morning. You'll have every girl in the
camp awake presently."

"O, I don't care," sobbed Elizabeth under her breath. "I--I want to go
home. I'd rather die than stay here!"

"Well, die if you like, but leave the rest of us to sleep in peace,"
muttered Olga, and turning her face away from the wretched little
creature crouching at her side, she went calmly to sleep.

When she awoke she gave a casual glance at the next cot. It was empty,
but on the floor was a small huddled figure, one hand still clutching
Olga's blanket. Olga started to yank the blanket away, but the look of
suffering in the white face stayed her impatient hand. She touched the
thin shoulder of Elizabeth, and for once her touch was almost gentle.
Elizabeth opened her eyes with a start as Olga whispered, "Get back to
your bed. There's an hour before rising time."

Elizabeth crawled slowly back to her own cot, but she did not sleep
again. Neither did Olga, and she was uncomfortably aware that a pair of
timid blue eyes were on her face until she turned her back on them.

At ten o'clock that morning the girls all trooped down to the water.
Some in full knickerbockers and middy blouses were going to row or
paddle, but most wore bathing suits. With some difficulty Laura
persuaded Elizabeth to put on a bathing suit that Miss Grandis had left
for her, but no urging or coaxing could induce he