id Langford
in an affected tone of disappointment.

"I don't think I'd care to grant any more permits in that vicinity,"
Mr. Ferris announced rather meditatively. "I feel rather a personal
interest in the girls and don't want any strangers to pitch a camp too
near them. Your friends might, perhaps, locate half a mile farther up
the shore."

"I'll tell them what you say," Langford said as he left the office.

Five minutes later he was in a telephone booth calling for No. 123-M. A
woman answered the ring.

"Is this Mrs. Graham?" he inquired.

"Yes," was the reply.

"This is Langford. I just called to inform you that the parties we were
talking about have obtained permission to camp near your cottage. You'll
probably see something of them tomorrow."

"Thank you."

"And I'll be at your place tomorrow afternoon between 3 and 4 o'clock."

"I'll expect you."

That ended the conversation.

CHAPTER XVII.

A DAY OF HARD WORK.

That evening Miss Ladd received the letter that Mrs. Hutchins had
announced in her telegram addressed to the Guardian on the train, would
follow that communication. She did not discuss the matter with any of
the girls, but quietly passed it around until all had read it.

In her letter Mrs. Hutchins stated little that had not been read between
the lines of the telegram, although her views and comments on the
circumstances were interesting. She had seen Pierce Langford arrive at
the station just as the train was pulling in, buy a ticket and board the
train just as it was pulling out. Curiosity, stirred perhaps by the
recollection that this man had recently represented interests hostile to
the mission of the Thirteen Camp Fire Girls and their Guardian, and
might still represent those interests, caused her to inquire of the
agent for what point Mr. Langford had purchased his ticket. The reply
was "Twin Lakes."

That was sufficient. The woman asked for a telegram pad and wrote a few
lines. Then she gave the message to the operator with these directions:

"I want that to catch Miss Ladd in the limited as soon as possible. Keep
it going from station to station until it is delivered. Have the
operator who succeeds in getting the message into Miss Ladd's hands wire
back 'delivered' as soon as she receives it."

On the day following the advance excursion and inspection of the camping
prospects at Stony Point, the "Big Twin" was engaged again to convey the
Camp Fire Girls to the prospect