g to her feet.

"Captain," she began, talking rather fast, for she had in her own mind a
number of points that she wished to make, "we all have to admit that we
have failed. The idea--social service, Good Turn, whatever you want to
call it--is splendid; but the person we selected, unworthy. Let's forget
all about it; for we can't get back Marjorie's canoe. It's probably sold
by now.

"Well, this is my suggestion: hold our bazaar just as we have planned,
and use the money, first to buy Marjorie a new canoe, and then to bring
a nice Christmas to some needy family, in the village, with lots of
children."

"Hurray! Good for you, Ruth!" cried several of the girls impulsively
when she sat down.

Amid their shouts, however, Marjorie stumbled to her feet. She looked
pale, as if she had slept little the previous night; and her eyes bore
the traces of tears. But outwardly she was calm.

"It is awfully good of Ruth," she said, seriously, "but I really
wouldn't want the troop to replace my canoe. I won't need it much longer
this fall, and perhaps father will give me one for my next birthday. And
I like Ruth's suggestion about the poor family. But"--she lowered her
voice and pronounced each word slowly and very distinctly--"is the troop
going to accept this defeat as final?"

"You mean, Marjorie, that you would like to give Frieda another chance?"
asked the Captain.

"Yes." The word was little more than a whisper.

Miss Phillips said nothing; she was simply astounded at the girl's
generosity. Frieda Hammer had stolen Marjorie's dearest possession, and
yet the latter was ready to forgive her!

But Ruth interpreted Marjorie's attitude merely as the usual opposition
to her own suggestions.

"Then would you like to put a detective on the case?" she asked.

"No! A thousand times, no!" protested Marjorie, emphatically.

"Then what could we do to trace her?"

"I could at least telegraph to her mother, with a prepaid reply," put in
Miss Phillips.

"Oh, do--please do!" begged Marjorie; and the affair rested at that.

"Now," said Ethel, anxious to change the subject, "let's talk about our
Hallowe'en party. It's only a little over a week off!"

The tone of the meeting changed from that of serious-minded discussion
of a theft and its treatment, to care-free chatter about an evening of
fun. Even Marjorie put aside her trouble for the time and entered
heartily into the preparations.

The Hallowe'en party was to be the last e