rself.

The meal was cheerful, almost hilarious. "Mrs. Royall believes in
laughter. She never checks the girls unless it's really necessary,"
Anne explained under cover of the merry chatter. "She----"

But Laura interrupted her. "O Anne, that must be Olga--the dark still
girl, at the end of the next table, isn't it?"

"Yes, and Myra Karr is next to her. All at that table belong to the Busy
Corner Camp Fire."

After breakfast Laura again paddled off to the yacht with Anne. It did
not require much coaxing to secure her father's permission for her to
spend a month at the camp with Anne Wentworth and Mrs. Royall. He kept
the girls on the yacht for luncheon, and after that they went back to
camp, a couple of sailors following in another boat with Laura's
luggage.

"How still it is--I don't hear a sound," Laura said wonderingly, as she
and her friend approached the camp through the pines.

Anne listened, looking a little perplexed, as they came out into the
camp and found it quite deserted--not a girl anywhere in sight.

"I'll go and find out where everybody is," she said. "I see some one
moving in the kitchen. The cook must be there."

She came back laughing. "They've all gone berrying. That's one of the
charms of this camp--the spontaneous fashion in which things are done.
Probably some one said, 'There are blueberries over yonder--loads of
them,' and somebody else exclaimed, 'Let's go get some,' and
behold"--she waved her hand--"a deserted camp."

III

THE CAMP COWARD DARES

Each girl at the camp was expected to make her own bed and keep her
belongings in order. Each one also served her turn in setting tables,
washing dishes, etc. Beyond this there were no obligatory tasks, but all
the girls were working for honours, and most of them were trying to meet
the requirements for higher rank. Some were making their official
dresses. Girls who were skilful with the needle could secure beautiful
and effective results with silks and beads, and of course every girl
wanted a headband of beadwork and a necklace--all except Olga Priest.
Olga was working on a basket of raffia, making it from a design of her
own, when Ellen Grandis, her Guardian, came to her just after Anne
Wentworth and Laura had left the camp.

"I've come to ask your help, Olga," Miss Grandis began.

The girl dropped the basket in her lap, and waited.

Miss Grandis went on, "It is something that will require much patience
and kindness----"