n to conceal her interest
in Ralph after their past summer of misunderstanding and final
reconciliation. As Ralph had volunteered and joined the aviation corps
soon after the entry of the United States into the war, she had not
seen him in many months. But it was understood that they wrote to each
other and Peggy openly expressed her pride in Ralph's courage and
ability. Ralph had been offered an opportunity to remain in his own
country and act as an aviation instructor, but instead had chosen to go
to France. At the present time he was in a camp on Long Island waiting
his hour for sailing.

Before Peggy could make a reply to Bettina's final speech, the four
girls saw their Camp Fire guardians approaching and rose to greet them.

"You girls look too picturesque to disturb, and yet we must not remain
outdoors all night, no matter how the beauty of the night tempts us. I
trust we may have many other nights as radiant as this before our summer
is over," said Mrs. Burton, half apologizing for her own and her
sister's intrusion.

A few moments later the Sunrise Camp Fire girls were walking slowly away
from the mission grounds to their own rose-covered hotel.

Not by accident, but because of a common purpose, Sally and Gerry
managed to linger a few yards behind the others.

The singing which had so fascinated Mrs. Burton and added to the
witchery of the night had also attracted the attention of the two girls.
But it was not the music alone which had charmed them. In their careless
strolling up and down apart from their companions, Sally and Gerry had
dimly seen the figures of the two musicians.

The mysterious singers had kept always in the background, only
approaching sufficiently near for their songs to be heard; and yet,
notwithstanding this, Sally and Gerry had managed to find out that they
were two young men dressed in Mexican costumes. But whether they were
Mexicans or Americans they could not guess, since it was impossible to
see their faces and they seemed able to sing Spanish or English songs
with equal ease.

The fact was that Gerry and Sally had arranged a scheme between them by
which they hoped to make a desired discovery. Their scheme would have
appalled the other Camp Fire girls, but they chanced to have unlike
views in regard to the agreeable adventures and experiences of life.
Moreover, they often preferred bestowing their confidences only upon
each other.

As the rest of the Camp Fire party moved on