t she resolutely steeled her nerves
against the sound and the feel of the water, forcing back the terror
that gripped her like an icy hand, and courageously tried to follow the
director's instructions to put her face down under the surface. It was
no use; she could not quite bring herself to do it; the moment the water
struck her chin wild panic seized her and she would straighten up with a
choking cry. She looked with envy at the other novices around her who
fearlessly threw themselves into the water face downward, learning "Dead
Man's Float" inside of ten minutes. She would never be able to do
_that_, she reflected sorrowfully, as she climbed up on the dock before
the period was half over, utterly worn out and discouraged by her
repeated failures to bring her head under water.

Beside her on the dock sat a thin wisp of a girl whose bathing suit was
not even wet.

"Didn't you go in?" asked Oh-Pshaw.

"No," replied the girl in a high, piping voice, and Oh-Pshaw recognized
her as the dweller in Avernus who had come over that first day and asked
them how to make her bed. Carmen Chadwick, they had found out her name
was.

"I'm afraid of the water," continued Carmen. "Mamma never let me go in
at home. She doesn't think it's quite ladylike for girls to swim."

Oh-Pshaw smiled in spite of herself. "Oh, I don't think it makes girls
unladylike to learn how to swim," she defended. "It's considered to be a
fine exercise; about the best there is to develop all the muscles."

"Oh!" said Carmen primly. "That's what mamma doesn't like, to have my
muscles all lumpy and developed. She wants to keep me soft and curved."

Oh-Pshaw stifled a shriek with difficulty, and turning aside to hide her
twinkling eyes she caught sight of the Lone Wolf standing on the dock
not far away, gazing mournfully into the Minnow pond.

"What do you think of _her_?" asked Oh-Pshaw hastily, steering the
conversation away from muscles and kindred unladylike topics.

"She's my Councy," replied Carmen.

"Your what?"

"My Councy--my Councilor. I'm frightened to death of her."

"Why, what does she do?" asked Oh-Pshaw in consternation.

"She doesn't do anything, in particular," replied Carmen. "She just
stares at me solemn as an owl and every little while she puts her head
down on her bed under the pillow. Do you know," she continued, sinking
her voice to a whisper, "I believe there is something the matter with
her mind."

"Really!" said Oh-Pshaw,