lack
quill in two.

"I must say!" she sputtered, rising angrily. "Who put that up there? If
anything goes in that rack, it will be some of my things. I paid for
this seat."

She set the suitcase out into the aisle with a decided bang, and lifted
up the wicker lunch basket. To the glee of the watching young people, as
she lifted it to the rack, two china cups, several teaspoons and a silver
cream jug sifted down. The cups broke on the floor and the other articles
rolled under the seats.

"Get 'em, quick!" cried the owner. "My two best cups broken, and I
thought I had them packed so well! Pick up those teaspoons, some of
you--they're solid silver!"

"If you don't mind boys pawing them--" began Teddy Tucker, but Betty
intervened.

"Oh, don't!" she protested softly. "Don't be so mean. Pick them up,
please do."

So down on their hands and knees went the six lads, and if, in their
earnestness, they bumped into the elderly woman's hat box, and knocked
down her books, that really should not be held against them.

"Now for mercy's sake, don't let me hear from you again," was her
speech of thanks to them when the teaspoons had been recovered and
restored to her.

She might have been severely left alone after this, if Sydney Cooke had
not discovered a remarkable peculiarity she possessed. Sydney was a great
lover of games, and he had brought his pocket checkerboard and men with
him. He persuaded Winifred Marion Brown to play a game with him, and the
rest of the party crowded around to watch.

"I'll trouble you to let me pass," said the owner of the teaspoons, when
Sydney had just made his first play.

The group parted to let her through, closed in again, and opened again
for her when she came back. No one paid any attention to this until she
had made the request four times.

"What ails that woman?" demanded Sydney irritably.

Each time she had passed him she had brushed his elbow, scattering his
checkers about. Ordinarily sweet-tempered, Sydney was beginning to weary
of this performance.

"What do you think?" snickered Bobby Littell. "She takes a white tablet
every five minutes. Honest! I've been watching her. She sits there with
her watch in her hand, and exactly five minutes apart--I've timed
her--she starts for the water cooler. She puts something on her tongue,
swallows a glass of water, and comes back."

"Well, somebody carry her a gallon jug," muttered Sydney impatiently. "I
can't get anywhere if she is g