"I desire to become a Camp Fire Girl and to obey the law of the Camp
Fire," said Gladys, in a mechanical, sing-song voice, entirely different
from the serious tones of those who had preceded her.

"She's laughing to herself," said Marcia, indignantly. "Just listen!
She's repeating the Desire as if it were a bit of doggerel."

They heard her saying:

"Seek beauty, Give service, Pursue knowledge, Hold on to health, Glorify
work, Be happy. This law of the Camp Fire I will strive to follow."

"Give service," repeated Eleanor slowly. "You have heard what I said to
the other girls, Gladys. I want you to understand this point of the law.
It is the most important of all, perhaps. It means that you must be
friendly to your sisters of the Camp Fire; that you must love them, and
put them above yourself."

"I must do all that for my chums--the girls in our Camp Fire, you mean,
I suppose?" said Gladys. "I don't care anything about these other girls.
And, Miss Mercer, all that you're going to say in a minute--'So cleave
to these others, your sisters'--that doesn't mean the girls in any old
Camp Fire, does it?"

Startled, Eleanor was silent for a moment. Mary Turner looked at Gladys
indignantly.

"It means every girl in every Camp Fire," said Eleanor, finally. "And
more than that, you must serve others, in or out of the Camp Fire."

"Oh, that's nonsense!" said Gladys. "I couldn't do that."

"Then you are not fit to receive your ring," said Eleanor.

CHAPTER VI

AN UNHAPPY ENDING

There was a gasp of astonishment and dismay from the girls. Somehow all
seemed to feel as if Eleanor's reproach were directed at them instead of
at the pale and angry Gladys, who stood, scarcely able to believe her
ears, looking at the Guardian. There had been no anger in Eleanor's
voice--only sorrow and distress.

"Why, what do you mean, Miss Mercer?" Gladys gasped.

"Exactly what I say, Gladys," said Eleanor, in the same level voice.
"You are not fit to be one of us unless you mean sincerely and earnestly
to keep the Law of the Fire. We are a sisterhood; no girl who is not
only willing, but eager, to become our sister, may join us."

Slowly the meaning of her rejection seemed to sink into the mind of
Gladys.

"Do you mean that you're not going to let me join?" she asked in a
shrill, high-pitched voice that showed she was on the verge of giving
way to an outbreak of hysterical anger.

"For your own sake it is better that you sho