ed supreme in the girls' warm hearts, and there was not one of
them but felt "that nothing was too good for her."

"Let's be thankful for small blessings," laughed Lucile, referring to
Evelyn's last remark. "By the way, girls, have you heard about
Margaret?"

"No; what is it?" They were all eager interest at once.

"Why, Judge Stillman called a consultation yesterday and the doctors
pronounced Margaret absolutely cured!"

"Hurrah!" cried Jessie, springing up from the rock she had been using as
a seat. "We knew she was better, but--oh, say, isn't it great?"

"Rather; but that isn't all," said Lucile. "The Judge insists that we
have done it all--and the camp-fire, too, of course."

"Oh, nonsense," Evelyn exclaimed. "It was the woods and the air and the
water that did it. That was all she needed."

"Humph, speak for yourself," Jessie interposed. "I admit she could have
done without you very well; I could myself, but----"

"Do I hear a gentle murmur as of buzz-saws buzzing?" quoth Evelyn, dreamy
eyes fixed on space. "Methinks it grows more rasping of late----"

"For goodness sake, girls, stop it," begged Lucile, despairingly. "If you
are going to be like this all summer, how on earth can I take you with
me? I don't want to live in a hive of hornets."

"Take us with you?" they cried, bewildered. "What do you mean?" and
Jessie added, tragically, "Tell me quickly or I die!"

"Oh, I just thought I might." It was Lucile's turn to regard the heavens
fixedly.

"Lucile, I'd like to shake you. You can be the most exasperating thing at
times!" cried Jessie excitedly, and Evelyn, with an inelegance that was
none the less forceful, "If you have anything up your sleeve, let's have
it!"

Lucile's gaze came down to earth abruptly.

"You seem to be in a great hurry," she protested. "You haven't given me
time yet, you know."

"Oh, we'll hunt him up for you some other time," Evelyn wheedled, and
Jessie added, sagely, "We're only losing him this way, you know;" then
added, in desperation, "If you don't explain right away, you'll have a
corpse on your hands, Lucy."

"Why, there's nothing to explain; you are just going, that's all," said
Lucile, as if the matter were definitely settled.

"Lucy, are you fooling? If you are, I'll never, never forgive you." It
was Evelyn who spoke, her whole body quivering with excitement.

"No, she's in earnest; can't you see? She means, she means----" and
Jessie paused before the fateful wo