age to get
it away the next day without exciting comment.

The next day Fortune appeared to favor Gerry, as the fickle Dame does
now and then, when one had best be thwarted.

Immediately after their luncheon the Camp Fire girls decided to go upon
a long walk. So much time had been given to the rehearsals of "As You
Like It" that they had been exercising far less than usual in the past
weeks.

The wool for knitting and materials for making bandages having recently
given out, Mrs. Webster offered to go into town with Dan to buy whatever
was required.

So, through a combination of quite ordinary circumstances, Sunrise camp
was deserted except by Mrs. Burton, Marie and Gerry.

Mrs. Burton did not feel equal to the long hike and Gerry simply
declined without giving a reason.

Since her farewell to Felipe about thirty hours before, she had received
no word from him and yet this afternoon Gerry knew he would appear. Now
and then she even hoped he would not come, at least not until the next
day, or even the one after that.

Soon after the other girls departed, Mrs. Burton asked Gerry to sit
beside her and talk while she rested in the sunshine.

A small fire was always kept burning at Sunrise camp, no matter how warm
the day, for the small amount of heat made no appreciable difference and
the fire was always being needed for cooking.

So Marie arranged an Indian blanket upon the ground away from the
windward side of the fire and then went into her tent to write letters.

Afterwards Mrs. Burton lay down in such a position that she could look
closely at Gerry.

In the few minutes they had been together without the others, she had
noticed that Gerry looked pale and depressed.

"You are not worrying over anything, Gerry?" Mrs. Burton asked.

Gerry shook her head. "Certainly not. What have I to worry about--except
everything?"

Perhaps it was unfortunate that Mrs. Burton chose this time to talk to
Gerry about her future, although, since her mind really was made up,
probably nothing would have altered her decision.

"I don't want to worry you, or to have you worry, dear," Mrs. Burton
began, "but I do wish it were possible for you to find some occupation
that would interest you. It would make you ever so much happier! Forgive
me if I have seen that you are more restless, less content than the
other Camp Fire girls. And whatever work you wish to do, I do not wish
you to go into it unprepared, a woman needs more traini