silent for several
moments, which was a most unusual state of affairs among the Sunrise
Hill Camp Fire girls.

Plainly Mrs. Burton suffered from the depressing influence, for suddenly
she got up.

"Please leave me alone for a little while. I must think the question
over?" she announced, as if she had not already issued her ultimatum.
The next moment she turned away and walked down toward the beach.

"What do you think Tante will decide, Mother?" Peggy anxiously inquired.

Mrs. Webster shook her head. "My dear, Polly and I are twins, and I have
known her ever since I have known anything. But to tell beforehand how
she will make up her mind upon any subject is beyond me. I am a little
sorry we have made this request of her. She takes her work so seriously,
and after all she is doing so much for us without the addition of this."

At this instant a cool voice was heard speaking in the background.

The voice was Billy Webster's.

"I believe Tante will have the time of her life acting with you girls,
of course she will consent, although probably no one else on earth with
her reputation would take such a risk."

CHAPTER XI

The Dance

The next day Mrs. Burton announced that having written her husband she
would await his reply before reaching an absolutely definite decision in
regard to their presentation of "As You Like It." In the meantime she
insisted that the whole question of the performance be neither thought
of nor discussed.

Appreciating that he had grown too old to make a valuable soldier and
yet unwilling to be left out of war service, Mrs. Burton's husband,
Richard Burton, had taken the necessary examinations and had received a
commission in the Ordnance Department. He was now stationed at a
southern camp.

Despite the Camp Fire guardian's request, there was a good deal of
speculation among the girls concerning the possible outcome of their
hopes. During the following day they were too much absorbed by the
prospect immediately before them to give much time to the consideration
of the future.

Having arranged a small dance and invited a number of soldiers from the
nearby camp to be their guests, the girls had promised to do whatever
work was necessary for their entertainment. This included the cooking of
the party food as well as the other arrangements. But by this time,
after several summers of camping life, each girl considered that she had
become an artist in the preparation of one or more