e what Doris called "the unexpected
guest," dropping in at any time. Helen was the one who suspected a budding
romance, but she contented herself with watching Jean meditatively, and
investing her with the glamour of all her favorite heroines.

The first fruits of Jean's efforts to colonize the tents came with a
letter from Bab Crane.

"You're going to have four of the girls from school through July anyway,
and August if they like it. I've told them the scenery is perfectly
gorgeous and they can pitch their easels anywhere they like, so be sure
and give them the tents with the best outlook. I think it probable that
you may catch Miss Emery, too, if Frances writes back approvingly. She's
awfully odd, and lives all alone in a beautiful old mansion down on
Washington Square, but her pictures are splendid, and she's a member of
the N.A.D."

The next surprise was a letter from Billie. He could not reach home before
the middle of July, as he was going on another trip with Stanley, but
there were five of the boys from his class who wanted to come up and camp.

"I've told them the fishing is great around there, and they're going to
make the trip from here in Jeff Saunders' car. Jeff's from Georgia, and
most of the fellows have never been north. We're going to join them later
on, so if you've got a bunch of tents together, you better save us three.

"Now, Kit, listen here, when I struck Delphi, and landed with all that
crowd of girls unexpectedly, you know how well I behaved, just for your
sake. Don't you get superior and toploftical with the boys when they come,
because every last one of them is the right sort, and they're expecting to
find Gilead folks waiting for them with open arms from what I've told
them."

"Well, upon my word, I like that," exclaimed Kit, as she threw the letter
down on the table. "Any one would think that I didn't know how to treat
people. Just the same, we'll put them all over in the glen, where they can
do just as they please, and not interfere with high art or our mysterious
stranger."

Sally opened her "General Emporium" the first of June. It stood exactly at
the crossroads, beside Greenacre Hall. There was the waterfall, and the
old bridge leading to the Scotland road. With Shad to superintend the
work, the Peckham boys had erected a little slab shack, and Sally had
planted wild cucumber and morning-glory vines thickly about the outside,
the last week in April, so that by June they had clambe