th them?

Then for the first time Mrs. Burton mentioned that Gerry had gone away
from camp with Felipe Morris several hours before. But as she had
promised to return in a short time, already she was beginning to feel
worried for fear something had happened.

Then another hour went by and the dusk began to descend. But since it
was late summer and the days were long, some time would still elapse
before actual darkness.

Nevertheless Mrs. Burton at first betrayed her nervousness by walking
alone up and down the little traveled road beyond the camp. Finally she
came back to the group of girls, who were still loitering about their
camp fire before clearing away the tea things.

"Do be good to me, Peggy. I know you are already tired from your long
walk and I won't go far," she promised. "But somehow I am so
uncomfortable about Gerry I cannot keep still. I know I am absurd, but I
have one of those ridiculous premonitions which never amount to
anything. If she does not come back in another hour, I shall motor over
to the ranch to inquire if Mr. Morris has received any word from
Felipe."

In spite of the fact that Peggy was tired and also annoyed at what she
presumed to be Gerry's selfish unconcern, she got up instantly at Mrs.
Burton's request, and as they started off on their walk placed her arm
affectionately inside her aunt's.

"I don't see why you allow yourself to become so worked up over Gerry's
staying away from camp with Felipe longer than you approve," said Peggy
with her usual directness. "If you do not realize how much she is
interested in him, you are the only one of us who is blind. Gerry has
not cared for anything except her friendship with Felipe all this
summer. She has an affection for you, but except for you everything in
our Camp Fire life has bored her."

Knowing by her aunt's expression that she was annoyed by her critical
attitude, nevertheless Peggy, who was not in a good humor, went on with
her plain speaking.

"Sometimes I have thought Gerry was really in love with Felipe; at other
times I have simply thought she liked him just because he was a man and
showed her some attention. Gerry is the type of girl who has not the
faintest interest in other girls."

"Is this your opinion alone, or the opinion of all the Camp Fire
girls?" Mrs. Burton inquired in a tone it was difficult to translate.

Peggy flushed. "Perhaps it is my opinion alone, since it sounds rather
hateful. In any case, I have no