he 'Camp Fire Minute Girls' are
to pledge themselves to help in winning the war by food conservation, by
praying for the triumph of the right, and by economizing in every
possible way. I received a little booklet containing our new pledge and
meant to speak of it to you."

In spite of the fact that Mrs. Burton was talking, she was not actually
interested in what she was saying at the moment. Somewhere in the last
row of her knitting she had dropped a stitch and while she spoke she was
endeavoring to find it. As head of their small Red Cross society, Mrs.
Webster was determined that their work should come up to the required
standard. Knitting was not a natural art with Mrs. Burton and she
particularly disliked unraveling her work after she supposed it
finished.

Peggy reached over and quietly removed the gray sweater from her aunt's
hands.

"You cannot pay attention to what anyone is saying and knit at the same
time, Tante; I have seen you make the attempt before," Peggy remarked
persuasively, "so please cease your efforts for a moment, as we have
something of the utmost importance to talk about. Bettina, now that I
have prepared the way, suppose you make things clearer. I have not your
gift of words."

"It is only that we have been talking of the 'Camp Fire Minute Girls'
and consider that we should follow the pledge very earnestly this
summer," Bettina began. "We feel that really we ought to organize our
camp fire on a new war basis. You have always been so generous to us,
but this summer we wish to use only the new war recipes and to save and
serve in every possible way. The advantage will be not only for the
present time, but perhaps later with our own families. Peggy and I
thought that we might even start a little garden near our camp, as
vegetables grow so quickly in California. I suppose our ideas of
helpfulness are rather vague and foolish, but that is why we wished to
talk the situation over with you and Mrs. Webster and arrange some
definite plan."

Mrs. Burton nodded. "An excellent idea, Bettina, and the sooner we
Americans learn some method of less extravagant living the nearer we are
to victory and the ending of the war. I wish I were a more apt pupil
myself. Of course I am willing to agree with whatever you girls think
best."

"Then we may help the soldiers in any way we like?" Sally Ashton
inquired with such unexpected enthusiasm that everybody laughed.

"I do not care for any too strikingly origi