," said Miss Phillips, gently. "We want some
place that is protected from the wind where we can eat our supper."

"It was Frieda! I know it was Frieda!" cried Marjorie, after the old
woman had left them.

"Well, what if it was?" remarked Ruth. "You'll never see your canoe
again, so there's no use of your getting so excited."

"Probably not," assented Marjorie, making a desperate effort to calm
herself. For Ruth could never understand what the thing meant to her.
Nevertheless, she was encouraged to have this much information about the
girl.

Close together, and keyed up with excitement, they advanced eagerly
along the lane leading to the house, which they could see about a
hundred yards away, gray-white through the grove of tall trees which
surrounded it. And as they drew nearer their agitation seemed to become
intensified, as if they were about to discover--they knew not what!

The house itself was a perfect example of old Colonial mansion, with its
wide, hospitable doorway before which tall columns supported a balcony.
Its exterior, despite the appearance of age and decay that was
everywhere apparent, was still impressive by reason of its great beauty
of design.

Standing among the rank weeds which grew waist high about the place,
they gazed in awe at the walls which once were white, but now were
streaked and weather stained; at the windows, whose broken panes
admitted the rain or the sunshine, and from which the shutters were
sagging or had fallen completely away; at the shingles of the roof,
violet-toned and curling up; and at the nests the birds had built in the
chimneys and eaves.

As Miss Phillips stepped upon the low porch, the rotting boards bent
beneath her weight. Trying the knob of the massive door, she found it
locked.

"I guess we'll have to get in some other way," she said. "Let's walk
around and investigate."

They followed her around to the back, where through the trees they
caught sight of the glistening water of the stream. But here also the
doors were locked, and not wishing to effect an entrance through a
window if a door were available, they passed around to the left wing.
Here they mounted the broad piazza, and Ruth turned the knob of the
door, which opened. She entered boldly, while the rest of the girls
followed more cautiously behind her. They were in a large room, well
lighted by its many windows. A damp, musty odor pervaded the place.

"This was evidently the conservatory," remark