ing younger and more attractive.

For some reason she sat down next to Sally and put her arm about Sally's
shoulders.

"I hope my information may interest you," she began with a slight
suggestion of appeal in her voice, glancing from one of the girls to the
other.

"Two days ago I received a letter from Mr. Morris telling me that Felipe
had been arrested by the United States authorities. He had crossed over
into California for the day in order to attend to some private business.
I believe he wished to get some money from his father. He trusted, of
course, in not being discovered, but was arrested within an hour."

"I suppose I ought to say I am sorry, if that is what you wish, Tante?
But really I cannot. It seems to me exactly the fate that Felipe Morris
deserves," Bettina Graham answered coldly.

"What will be done to Felipe as a punishment for having tried to escape
the draft?" asked Alice Ashton. "I believe the punishment is very
severe, is it not?"

"His father is afraid he will receive three years' imprisonment," Mrs.
Burton replied without comment.

Then she heard a little horrified exclamation from the girl nearest her
and Sally's face had whitened and her expression changed.

"But Gerry! What is to become of Gerry?" she demanded. "I know that she
behaved very badly and that she ought to have persuaded Felipe to do his
duty, instead of helping him to run away from it. But Gerry was
dreadfully under Felipe's influence, and, anyhow, I don't care, I _am_
terribly sorry for her," Sally ended incoherently, hiding her brown eyes
behind her hand.

"I also am very sorry, Sally," Mrs. Burton added. "The fact of having
done a wrong has never yet made any human being's punishment easier to
bear. But I can tell you one thing about Gerry, Sally dear, since you
alone seem interested. She is in California and is coming to see me
tomorrow. She returned to California as soon as she received word of
Felipe's arrest. She has been with Mr. Morris, and they of course will
do whatever is in their power to have Felipe's sentence made as light as
possible. I am afraid they cannot do very much. In all probability an
example will be made of him."

CHAPTER XX

Bitter Waters

Following Vera's suggestion, the next morning the five girls decided
that they would spend the day in making the journey up the famous Mount
Lowe, a few miles away. Afterwards they intended taking one of the long
trail trips over the mountain, s