and
dangerous and unwise, but insisted it was the most alluring, appealing
madness in the world. David, for over three years limited to the
orderly, methodical, unstimulating confines of a screened porch, felt
quite the old-time throbbing of his pulse and quickening of his blood.
Even the doctor waxed enthusiastic. He looked into David's tired face
and said:

"I think it will do him good. It can not do him harm."

In the excitement of getting ready for something unusual, he developed
an unnatural strength and simply could not be kept in bed at all. He
slept soundly, ate heartily, and looked forward to the trip in the car
so anxiously that to the girls it was really pitiful.

Then came a glorious day in September when the Harmer Six stood early
at their door, the lunch basket, and suit-cases were carefully
arranged, and they were off,--off in the beautiful Harmer,--off to the
country,--to the mountains and canyons,--to climb one of the sunny
slopes that had beckoned to them so enticingly. Almost they held their
breath at first, afraid the first creak of the car would waken them
from the unbelievable dream.

Always as they climbed a long hill, Carol reminded them that they were
climbing a sunny slope that would lead to a city of gold at the top, a
city where everything was happy and bright, and there was no sickness,
no sorrow, no want. And looking ahead to the spires of a little
village, nestling cloudy and blue on the plains, she vowed it was a
golden city, and they leaned forward to catch the first sparkle of the
diamond-studded streets. And when they reached the city itself,
little, ugly, sordid,--a city of gold, perhaps, to those who had made a
fortune there, but not by any means a golden city of dreams to the
Arcady travelers,--Carol shook herself and said it was a mistake, she
meant the next one.

Rooms had been engaged in advance at the Bijou, on the ground floor,
for the sake of David's softened muscles, and they reached the town
ahead of the regular Frontier Day crowds, allowing themselves plenty of
time to get rested and to see the whole thing start.

Julia frolicked on the wide velvety lawn with all the dogs and cats and
children that could be drawn from the surrounding neighborhood. David
sat on the porch in a big chair, enjoying the soft breezes sweeping
down over the plains, looking through half closed lids out upon the
quiet shaded street. Carol crouched excitedly in another chair beside
h