? And have jolly fires and roast
potatoes and weiners and corn?"

"Gee--I wish you were a boy."

"Why, can't I join anyway?" cried Nancy, inspired. "Some clubs have
honorary members who do nice things for them. Can't I?"

Davy did not know what an "honorary member" was, and an instinct
trained to suspicion warned him now.

"Girls ain't any fun."

"Oh, some girls aren't, I know! But I'm a lot like a boy. I can swim
half a mile--I've done it! I can play ball, too and--and--why I won a
medal for a high pole-vault! I'll bet I can beat you right now in a
race!"

Davy regarded her with wide eyes.

"Bet you can't!"

Nancy sprang to her feet.

"Let's race from--here--to that big elm way down there." She indicated
with her finger a giant elm in the "ten-acre strip."

"How you goin' to get over that stone fence?" And Davy pointed out the
low stretch of stones that marked the dividing line between the orchard
and the ten-acre strip.

"Oh, _that_! That's easy!"

Plainly Davy's respect was growing. He danced first on one foot and
then on the other. "You are a sport. If you can beat I'll let you
join the club. I'll count! One--two--three!"

They were off over the stubby grass. Nancy, longer-limbed, caught the
lead. She vaulted the fence with agile ease. But Davy soon caught up
to her and in the last few yards passed her. Laughing, breathless,
Nancy reached the tree and clung to it.

"Hurray," came from behind them.

There, approaching them, was the "hired man." He had seemingly sprung
from nowhere.

Flushed and disheveled by the race, an intruder on the enemy's own
ground, Nancy was at a disarming disadvantage. Besides, Davy greeted
the newcomer rapturously.

"Say, she's as good's a boy. She's goin' to join the club!" he
announced, with triumph. "As honery member," he added.

Peter Hyde held out a brown hand.

"Congratulations! And to the club, too!"

Nancy was conscious that he was staring at her in a perplexed way. Her
cheeks already red from running took on an added color under his
glance. But there was a friendliness in his, eyes that won, her in
spite of her resolve to avenge at every opportunity her injured dignity.

"I'd have won," she retorted laughingly, "if it hadn't been
for--these," and she swished her white skirts. "But I don't care as
long as Davy says I may join the club. Meetings whenever Liz cleans
the meeting-house," she repeated.

"And she can swim and she