ntering the room.

"Is there anything you would like to talk to me about, Sally? Outside
our daily life and work here at the farm is there anything which has
been interesting you recently and which you have preferred not to
mention to anybody?" Alice inquired gently, her voice shaken by her
effort to hide her concern, while a fine line appeared between her level
brows.

Pretending to be bored rather than affected in any other fashion by her
sister's speech, first Sally shrugged her shoulders. Then making a
pretence of yawning, she placed her fingers lightly over her lips.

"Really, Alice, what on earth is troubling you in connection with me?
Have you had me on your conscience more than usual recently? Can't you
ever get over your unattractive habit of treating me as if I were a
refractory pupil and you an offended schoolmarm? In spite of being born
in New England, there is no reason to affect this pose, as it is
unnecessary and I think most unbecoming."

Sally's manner was a little too self-assured, but otherwise she appeared
as enigmatic as an accomplished actress. Gazing at her earnestly, there
was nothing in her expression at present to suggest any emotion save a
natural annoyance at being catechized.

But Alice was not deceived.

"Please don't assume such an air of offended virtue, Sally. You are far
too fond of employing it when anyone reproaches you," Alice continued,
but really too sincerely disturbed to feel angered by her sister's
behavior. "Evidently you do not wish to confide in me, so I suppose
there is no use wasting either your time or mine. For the past two
weeks--I don't know the exact length of time, although you are aware of
it, Sally--you have been disappearing from the farm almost every day. At
first I did not notice. You seem to have been careful that neither Aunt
Patricia, nor Tante, nor I should know. And you have been clever. But
you could not escape everybody's observation and the other Camp Fire
girls have seen you and been puzzled and at last worried to guess what
you could be doing. You need not ask who the girls were; I shall not
tell you. But finally several of them felt compelled to speak to me and
to suggest that I ask your confidence. Oh, don't pretend you think you
have been spied upon and badly treated. You know, Sally, that unless the
girls cared for you they would not have troubled? But we have lived
almost as one family and our interests are bound together. Do tell me
what yo