s she mean about a girl insulting her?" asked Miss
Phillips, in a puzzled tone.

Marjorie frowned; she had no desire to tell tales about Ruth.
Accordingly, she related the story, but withheld the name of the girl
concerned.

"Frieda certainly must be skillful as a boatsman," remarked Miss
Phillips, "to be able to come that far."

"Yes," said Marjorie, opening the letter with the second earliest
postmark. Then, "Oh, listen to this:

"I got to Trenton but befor I crossed the river I sold the bot for
$20. I'm going to New York for to get work.

"FRIEDA."

"Trenton!" repeated Miss Phillips. "Marjorie, we might be able to locate
your canoe if we search all the boat-houses and the river-front there,
and on the opposite side of the Delaware!"

"That's an idea!" cried Marjorie. "I'll ask papa----"

But she was too anxious to read the third and last letter to finish her
sentence. Hastily she pulled it from the envelope.

"DEAR MA,

"I'm in New York now and you can rite me care Gen. Del. My money is
most gone. I got a waitres job.

"FRIEDA."

"But she hasn't, any more!" protested Marjorie; "at least, if Miss Smith
is right!"

At that moment Mrs. Hammer returned with the baby, and Marjorie asked
her all sorts of questions to which she could not reply, but only shake
her head hopelessly.

"But aren't you the least bit worried?" asked Marjorie, picturing how
her own mother would feel under similar circumstances. For Mrs. Hammer
was certainly amazingly calm.

"Ach! she's old enough to take care of herself!" cried the woman
impatiently. "New York's a fine place--I'm glad she is there!"

Marjorie again thought of the great city as she had seen it when she
visited Lily at Thanksgiving, and she shuddered at the confusion and the
danger of it all. And to a country girl like Frieda, it must be even
more terrifying. But she said nothing further; Mrs. Hammer had no
conception of it, and probably never would have. She was relieved to see
Miss Phillips make a motion to go.

All during the ride home, she was unusually quiet, but it was not from
despair. The visit, she felt, had not been in vain; she had formulated a
plan which she meant to put into effect as soon as she reached home. She
would write to Frieda and tell her how much she wanted her to come back.
She would assure the girl that she did not mind about the canoe--she
would even make her a present of it. And she would be