the picnic for him during his political visit to the city fifteen
miles away.

Each of the Newburys had a special reason for wishing to attend the
Governor's picnic. Ralph and Elliott wanted to see the Governor
himself. He was a pet hero of theirs. Had he not once been a Claymont
lad just like themselves? Had he not risen to the highest office in
the state by dint of sheer hard work and persistency? Had he not won a
national reputation by his prompt and decisive measures during the big
strike at Campden? And was he not a man, personally and politically,
whom any boy might be proud to imitate? Yes, to all of these
questions. Hence to the Newbury boys the interest of the picnic
centred in the Governor.

"I shall feel two inches taller just to get a look at him," said Ralph
enthusiastically.

"He isn't much to look at," said Frances, rather patronizingly. "I saw
him once at Campden--he came to the school when his daughter was
graduated. He is bald and fat. Oh, of course, he is famous and all
that! But I want to go to the picnic to see Sara Beaumont. She's to be
there with the Chandlers from Campden, and Mary Spearman, who knows
her by sight, is going to point her out to me. I suppose it would be
too much to expect to be introduced to her. I shall probably have to
content myself with just looking at her."

Ralph resented hearing the Governor called bald and fat. Somehow it
seemed as if his hero were being reduced to the level of common clay.

"That's like a girl," he said loftily; "thinking more about a woman
who writes books than about a man like the Governor!"

"I'd rather see Sara Beaumont than forty governors," retorted Frances.
"Why, she's famous--and her books are perfect! If I could ever hope to
write anything like them! It's been the dream of my life just to see
her ever since I read _The Story of Idlewild_. And now to think that
it is to be fulfilled! It seems too good to be true that
tomorrow--tomorrow, Newburys,--I shall see Sara Beaumont!"

"Well," said Cecilia gently--Cecilia was always gentle even in her
enthusiasm--"I shall like to see the Governor and Sara Beaumont too.
But I'm going to the picnic more for the sake of seeing Nan Harris
than anything else. It's three years since she went away, you know,
and I've never had another chum whom I love so dearly. I'm just
looking forward to meeting her and talking over all our dear, good old
times. I do wonder if she has changed much. But I am sure I shall