s too much."

"But it is not, Phoebe," protested Billie. "We want you. We like to have
you with us."

"And I want the baskets, too," went on the doctor. "It will save me a
hot, stupid journey to the village."

Phoebe looked from one to the other. Her pride was struggling with her
yearning to be with these new and wonderful friends.

"We won't take 'No'," cried Billie. "We are depending on you to show us
a good place for our picnic and you can guide us over the last of the
road to the station. You see, we have a reason for asking you. We want
your help."

The mountain-girl was therefore persuaded to remain with them for the
rest of the trip, and presently they drew up near a pine forest where
there was a little stream. Ben lifted out the luncheon hamper and the
tea basket, and while the girls unpacked the food, Phoebe stood shyly by
and watched the proceedings. With a heightened color she glanced from
Billie's and Elinor's neat skirts and pongee blouses to her own faded
calico dress. She spread out her brown fingers stained with berry juice,
and looked at them sadly. Then her face brightened.

"I was almost forgetting," she said out loud, but to no one. "I am
always in too great a hurry. I have waited a long time and now it is
beginning to come. It was too soon last summer, but now at last it is
time."

Dr. Hume noticed Phoebe talking to herself and shook his head.

"Too much alone," he thought.

Meanwhile, Billie, piling sandwiches on the lunch cloth, was busy
thinking of something far different. Her glance shifted from Dr. Hume to
Phoebe and back again. She closed her eyes and the thought which at
first she saw dimly in the dark recesses of her mind advanced to the
open, took form and shape and presently boldly showed itself as a
full-grown plan. Billie, sitting abstractedly on the ground, piling and
re-piling the sandwiches, was startled by Ben's rather impatient voice.

"I'll have to fall-to unless you give the word, Billie; I'm famished."

"Excuse my absent-mindedness, Ben," laughed Billie. "I had just thought
up a wild, though perfectly feasible scheme, and I couldn't turn my mind
to mere food for a moment."

"And the scheme is?" demanded Elinor, seating herself at the lunch table
while she waited for the water to boil.

"I shall have to wait to tell you until it's ready to serve up,"
answered Billie, "nice and brown and done through."

"Why, Billie, what kind of kitchen talk is that?" exclaimed El