ust said. I
feel lately that the outdoors is going to do something special for me.
Actually I mean I am going to find something here the rest of you may
not find."

Louise laughed. She had a large mouth with strong, white teeth. "That
speech of mine would annoy my mother dreadfully. She says I am always
dreaming and never interested in _real_ things. Nothing ever seemed
real to me until this summer in Beechwood Forest."

Carefully she smoothed the brown army blanket on her cot bed.

She and Dorothy McClain were straightening their tent preparatory for
inspection in the hour after breakfast. Their flag raising and Scout
drill were the first features of the long summer day.

The tent was scrupulously neat.

Dorothy McClain stooped to pick up a fallen book. She was paying a
slightly puzzled attention to the other girl's odd conversation.

"Would it not be difficult to persuade your mother to believe, Louise,
that you and I are interested in our camp housekeeping? Miss Mason
said the other day you probably would earn a merit badge before the
summer was past for cooking over a camp fire. Is this because you are
preparing to spend your entire life out of doors?"

Dorothy appeared amused and incredulous. She was devoted to athletics
and a thoroughly normal and delightful person. Nevertheless, the two
people for whom she cared most, excepting her father, were her brother
Lance and her friend Louise Miller, both of whom were unusual.

"You are an angel, Dorothy, to try to be sympathetic with me. You
can't know what I am talking about, if I don't myself. There is only
one other person in the world to whom I could speak, Miss Frean. When
I know better what I am only dreaming of at present I shall confide to
her and ask her advice. Isn't it fine to think of her nearby in her
little House in the Woods, always ready to give us help and advice.
Tory declares she would never have dared to insist we have Kara at
camp with us when she is so ill and unhappy except for Miss Frean's
nearness."

Her task accomplished, Louise turned aside from her cot bed and put
her arm about the other girl's shoulders.

"Dorothy, I know I am selfish with you. I suppose because I am so
tongue-tied with other people I pour forth everything upon you. I have
not forgotten you said you wanted to speak to me about something this
morning when we were alone. What is it?"

Dorothy stooped and glanced in the small square mirror which hung
suspended from