great wave of
pity for the lawless girl welled up in Harriet's heart. It made her very
unhappy. The young Meadow-Brook girl went about her dressing almost
without realizing what she was doing. She walked to the cook tent in much
the same frame of mind. Her companions noted her abstraction and commented
upon it. They joked with her about her midnight chase after a bear.
Harriet scarcely smiled, though she tried to hide her unhappiness that
morning.

"Where is Miss Kidder?" asked Miss Partridge as they were seating
themselves at the table.

"She was not feeling quite well last evening," explained the Chief
Guardian. "She did not come in to dinner. I told her to take a late sleep
this morning. How is Miss Kidder feeling this morning, Miss Burrell?"

"I--I don't know," stammered Harriet.

"She is not coming in to breakfast, then?"

"I--I be--lieve not."

Harriet's heart was thumping wildly. It seemed to her that a great gulf
yawned before her and that she was about to plunge into it. Mrs.
Livingston was speaking again. Her voice sounded far away to Harriet.

"Will you take a breakfast tray to her when you return to your tent, Miss
Burrell?" asked the Chief Guardian.

"I will take it to the tent, Mrs. Livingston," faltered Harriet.

"If Miss Kidder is not feeling well this morning, kindly come and tell me.
I will see her myself."

"Very well," hastily answered the girl.

Glancing up she saw Miss Partridge's gaze fixed inquiringly upon her. A
sudden revulsion of feeling swept over Harriet. She realized what she had
done. She wanted to scream out that she had deceived them. A look of
terror leaped into her eyes. Miss Partridge saw the expression, as did
Miss Elting from the other end of the table. It was quite evident that
none of the guardians knew that Patricia Scott had slept in Harriet's
tent that night. Harriet glancing quickly at Patricia saw that she was
sitting with eyes fixed on her plate calmly eating her breakfast. There
was a half smile on the lips of Patricia. For the moment Harriet was
filled with anger. Anger again gave place to horror over her deception.

Miss Partridge was still looking at Harriet with a pained expression in
her eyes.

"Oh, she suspects me," thought Harriet. "What shall I do?"

After breakfast the girl summoned all her will to her aid, waited calmly
until the tray for Cora had been prepared, then with trembling hands
carried it to her tent. Just before reaching her quarters Ha