to Miss Allen's.

As they entered the main hall, Ruth remarked that they might as well
stop in the post-office.

"We probably won't get anything," she said; "but somebody might have
written here."

Marjorie's heart bounded with sudden joy when she beheld a letter in her
own mail-box. It was registered, too; evidently the post-mistress had
signed for it. Seizing it hastily, she looked expectantly at the
postmark. Her hopes fell; it was stamped "New York." She was
disappointed at this fact, but nevertheless she opened the letter
eagerly; for school girls do not receive registered letters every day.

The first thing that caught her eye was a well-known greenback.

"Money!" she cried. "Look, Ruth--twenty--thirty--thirty-five dollars!"

"Who from?" asked Ruth, with surprise.

Marjorie turned the paper over in which the bills were enclosed, and
discovered some writing, which she proceeded to read aloud, while Ruth
listened with increasing amazement:

"From Frieda Hammer for canoe and carfare belonging to M. Wilkinson
and Pansy troop Girl Scouts."

"And postmarked New York!" repeated Marjorie, not knowing whether to be
glad or sorry at its receipt. For she rejoiced that Frieda had paid back
the Scouts' money, but all her hopes of her unknown correspondent being
Frieda were dashed to the ground. For, undoubtedly, she concluded, the
girl was still in New York!

CHAPTER XXII

THE PIONEER BADGE

"I do not believe our benefactor, whoever he is, picked out the hardest
test in Scouting," remarked Ruth, as Captain Phillips finished
explaining the requirements.

"I agree with you, Ruth," assented Miss Phillips. "But we shall have a
hike every Saturday night during April to study and practice the
different requirements. The final hike, to learn how to build a lean-to,
will be to the Boy Scouts' cabin; for they are going to teach us.

"Now," she concluded, "there is one thing more I want to talk about--and
that is the money we have in the treasury. Counting what Frieda Hammer
just returned to Marjorie, there is about three hundred dollars--a
little more, perhaps. That is a lot of money for a troop like ours. And
since we earned it to use for our 'Good Turn,' I don't think it would be
right for us to spend it upon ourselves. But what do you all think?"

"I agree with you perfectly, Captain," said Edith Evans. "Just because
one plan failed, that is no reason why the troop should stop all of its
good wo