nding manual labor. It is!

Roxanne sat down beside us, and we sent Mamie Sue in to keep Lovelace
Peyton quiet with her company; only to use the fudge from her pocket
in case she couldn't succeed. We found them both later with chocolate
smeared on their faces; but Lovelace Peyton likes Mamie Sue, for her
easy nature is most lovable.

"Thank you, Phyllis," said Belle, when we had figured the last formula
as simply as I had found out how to do it. "I have always thought that
you are as smart as anybody in the class, and I now think--"

I wish Belle had had time to finish that sentence, for I don't believe
she will be in such a nice temper for a long time; but we were
interrupted by Tony and the Colonel and Miss Priscilla coming past my
house and into the cottage front gate. The Colonel was dressed up in
his white vest and Sunday hat, and Miss Priscilla was flying more
ribbons and ruffles than usual, while I never saw Tony's grin quite so
broad and his freckles shone out more than ever, as they always do
when he is excited.

"Miss Phyllis," said the Colonel, in his grand manner that everybody
in Byrdsville tries to copy when there is anything important to be
said, especially in public, like the mayor does in his speeches, "I
have come to announce to you that this morning's mail has brought a
great honor to you, and through you, to Byrdsville. Allow me to hand
you this medal that is given you for the heroic feat of life-saving by
the Girl Scouts of America, called, I believe, the Organization of the
Campfire. I wrote on to inform the authorities of the deed of the
Patrol Leader of the Palefaces, as your Girl Scout band is named, and
this letter, with the accompanying medal, is the result. I am
informally showing you the medal now, but the letter will be read and
the medal presented at the commencement exercises of the Byrd
Academy." And with a low bow that crinkled the stiff white vest, the
Colonel handed me the medal.

I was paralyzed--real paralysis of both mind and body, especially legs
and tongue--and I believe I would have been sitting there on the front
steps of the cottage yet, in a dumb and stupid manner, with them all
looking at me, if Tony Luttrell who, as I have remarked before, is a
very understanding person, though a boy, hadn't flared his eyes and
mewed under his breath. Then we all laughed so loud that it brought
Mamie Sue to the door though Lovelace Peyton called so loudly that
Roxanne had to run to hi