idering, and Miss Kent, familiarly known as "Nyoda," the Guardian
of the Winnebago group, was "mending her hole-proof hose," as she
laughingly expressed it. The three more quiet girls in the circle,
Nakwisi the Star Maiden, Chapa the Chipmunk, and Medmangi the Medicine
Man Girl, were working out their various symbols in crochet patterns.
Hinpoha was down on the floor popping corn over the glowing logs and
turning over a row of apples which had been set before the fireplace to
warm. The firelight streaming over her red curls made them shine like
burning embers, until it seemed as if some of the fire had escaped from
the grate and was playing around her face. Every few minutes she reached
out her hand and dealt a gentle slap on the nose of "Mr. Bob," a young
cocker spaniel attached to the house of Bradford, who persistently tried
to take the apples in his mouth. Nyoda finally came to the rescue and
diverted his attention by giving him her darning egg to chew. The room
was filled with the light-hearted chatter of the girls. Sahwah was
relating with many giggles, how she had gotten into a scrape at school.

"And old Professor Fuzzytop made me bring all my books and sit up at
that little table beside his desk for a week. Of course I didn't mind
that a bit, because then I could see what _everybody_ in the room was
doing instead of just the few around me. The only thing I prayed for was
that Miss Muggins wouldn't come in and see me, because she has taken a
sort of fancy to me and makes it easy for me in Latin, but if I ever
fall from grace she won't pass me. But of all the luck, right in the
middle of the Fourth Hour when everybody was in the room studying, in
she walked. I saw her as she opened the door and quick as a wink I
opened up the big dictionary on the table and buried my nose in it, so
she'd think I had gone up there of my own accord. She stopped and looked
at me, then patted me encouragingly on the shoulder and remarked what a
studious girl I was. I thought everybody in the room would die trying
not to laugh, but nobody gave me away. She came in during the Fourth
Hour for several days after that, and every time I flew to the
sheltering arms of the dictionary, and she always made some approving
remark out loud. Now she thinks I'm a shark and I have a better stand-in
than ever with her. She told her Senior session room that there was a
girl in the Junior room who was so keen after knowledge that no matter
when she came