the shields and
knights' costumes that the MacIntyre boys had when they gave Jonesy's
benefit. They were going to have an entahtainment last week, but couldn't
agree. Allison wanted to play 'Cinda'ella,' because there are such pretty
costumes in that, but Kitty wanted to make up one all about witches and
spooks and robbah-dens, and call it 'The One-Eyed Ghost of Cocklin Tower.'

"She wanted to be the ghost. They've decided to wait till we get home
befo' they do anything."

"There's your opportunity, Betty," said Mrs. Sherman, turning to her
goddaughter with a smile. "Why can't you distinguish yourself by writing a
play that will make us all proud of you, and at the same time swell the
funds of the Red Cross?"

"Oh, do you really think I could, godmother? Are you in earnest?" cried
Betty, her face shining with pleasure.

"Entirely so," answered Mrs. Sherman, running her hand caressingly over
Betty's brown hair. "This little curly head is full of all sorts of tales
of goblins and ogres and witches and fairy folk. String them together,
dear, in some sort of shape, and I'll help with the costumes."

The suggestion was made playfully, but Betty looked dreamily out to sea,
her face radiant. The longing to do something to please her godmother and
make her proud of her was the first impulse that thrilled her, but as she
began to search her brain for a plot, the joy of the work itself made her
forget everything else, even the passing of time. She was amazed when
Lloyd called to her that they were going down to lunch. She had sat the
entire morning wrapped in her steamer-rug, looking out across the water
with far-seeing eyes. As the blue waves rose and fell, her thoughts had
risen and swayed to their rhythmic motion, and begun to shape themselves
into rhyme. Line after line was taking form, and she wished impatiently
that Lloyd had not called her. How could one be hungry when some inward
power, past understanding, was making music in one's soul?

She followed Lloyd down to the table like one in a trance, but the spell
was broken for awhile by Lloyd's persistent chatter.

"You know there's all sort of things you could have," she suggested, "if
you wanted to use them in the piece. Tarbaby and the Filipino pony, and we
could even borrow the beah from Fairchance if you wanted anything like
Beauty and the Beast. We had that once though, at Jonesy's benefit, so
maybe you wouldn't want to use it again."

"There's to be a knight