ay that he never saw a
group of people living together in such perfect harmony, or getting so
much pleasure out of life. Then he makes a proposal. He has, among his
goods and chattels, a pair of twins, which, as we have reason to
suspect, are rather a handful for him to manage. He finds that business
calls him back to the city for the entire summer, and as his wife has
gone to a sanitarium to recover from nervous prostration, he is at a
loss to know what to do with the aforesaid twins. He wants to keep them
outdoors all summer, because neither are as strong as they should be.
He has a fancy that Ellen's Isle is a good atmosphere in which to make
spindly plants grow into hardy ones, and, in short, he asks us, nay,
begs and beseeches us, if we will take the twins off his hands for the
summer. What does the Council say to acquiring a good pair of twins at
a reasonable price?"

From all sides there rose a storm of protest. "We wouldn't have those
twins up here for anything," said Gladys emphatically. "We had just as
much as we could stand of them in two days. Have you forgotten what a
cry-baby Antha was?"

"And what a snob Anthony was?" said the Captain. "'I guess you didn't
get much of a war canoe, did you?' 'I guess your papa can't be very
rich, is he?'" The Captain mimicked Anthony's patronizing tone to
perfection and recalled the scene vividly to the others.

"Our whole summer up here would be ruined," continued Gladys. "Why can't
we let well enough alone? This isn't a reform camp for spoiled children.
We came up here to rest and play; not to wear ourselves out with people
of that kind."

Everywhere her sentiments were echoed. Mr. Evans gave no sign of his
secret wish that the Council would take the twins. The others did not
know the details of the failure of the spring water company, nor the
judge's connection with it.

"Then the Council decides that we shall turn down the judge's
proposition?" asked Mr. Evans. "Let each one register his or her vote,
for or against. If you want them to come, say yes, if not, no. Gladys."

"No."

"Slim."

"No."

"Migwan."

"No."

"Dan."

"No."

"Sahwah."

"Nosiree!"

"Peter."

"No."

"Katherine."

"May I say something?" asked Katherine, instead of replying directly yes
or no.

"Certainly," said Mr. Evans, leaning forward a little.

Katherine rose and stood in her favorite attitude, with her toes turned
in and her shoulders drooped forward. "When the twins