him out of the water! Chase him
out!"

[Illustration: Eddie Grote was in a tight place.]

"Oh, Eddie Grote, ain't you ashamed? And before a girl, too! Oh!
Oh! Oh!"

Eddie Grote was ashamed, horribly ashamed. The water was fast falling
below his knees. To get back to the depths was impossible; to go
straight ahead were greater shame. Facing the inevitable, and
clutching frantically at the flying skirts of modesty, he doubled up
like a little turtle, chin to knees, and cried quits in those last
words of the conquered: "I give up! I give up!"

Margery, who knew the practices of modern warfare quite as well
as he, ceased fire and slowly backed away. She backed amid a
chorus that was like a triumphant "See the Conquering Hero
Comes." Freddy Larkin called out, "What's the matheh with
Mardthery?" and the others took up the chant:

She's all right!
Who's all right?
MARGERY!

* * * * *

Ah, what fun swimming was! Did anything else under heaven equal
it? Come, now, what might, she had drunk deep of one of life's
joys, and the memory of it would long sustain her. And then,
while the boys were still shouting her victory, while her heart
was still glowing with the thought of having made good before
them, it came--a voice that was like the voice of judgment.

"Margery!" it trumpeted sharply. "_Margery!_"

And at that voice five little Adams were suddenly afraid, and,
remembering the nakedness of their shoulders, hid themselves as
best they could in the muddy depths, and the solitary little Eve
covered herself likewise until the waters were up to her chin.
Then six little floating heads turned and gazed in speechless
dismay at the knoll. There stood Henry. In one hand he was
clutching a tin can full of something; from the other he had
dropped a seine.

[Illustration: "Margery Blair, you come right out of that pond!"]

"Margery!" he repeated as though scarce able to believe his eyes.
Then as the vision remained fixed, he changed his tone.

"Margery Blair, you come right out of that pond!"

All the outraged conventionalities of an elder brother sounded in
his voice and showed in the horrified expression of his face.

Margery did not question fate, but meekly obeyed. Slowly and
reluctantly she made her way to shore. Henry was at the water's
edge to hasten her landing. He reached out and dragged her in--no
longer a defiant young Venus, but a very frightened litt