tractive adventure than Russia.

"I have it!" cried Anne. "_You_ shall go in my place, Nancy!"

"_I_! I should say not! Are you stark crazy, Anne Leavitt?"

Anne seized her excitedly by the shoulder. "You could do it as easy as
anything in the world, Nancy. She's never laid eyes on me and I know
my father never wrote to her. You'll only have to go there for three
or four weeks----"

"And pose as a real Leavitt when I'm a Leavitt that just belongs to
Dad! Well, I won't do it!" replied Nancy, stubbornly.

"Nan-cy, please listen! You wouldn't have to do or say a thing--she'd
just take it for granted. And you could always make some excuse to go
away if----"

"If it looked as though I was going to be found out! Why, it'd be like
living on a volcano. And I'd be sure to always say the wrong thing!"

"But you could _try_ it," implored Anne. "It would make everything
simple and you'd be doing _your_ bit, then, for Madame Breshkovsky!
Think of all she told us of the suffering in Russia. Surely you could
do a little thing now to help! And if Aunt _did_ like you and left me
her money, it would _really_ be you and we'd give it to the cause!"

"It'd be acting a lie," broke in Nancy.

"Oh, not exactly, Nancy, for you really are Anne Leavitt and, anyway,
it's just as though you were my other half. Way back I know we are
related. If you don't love me well enough to help me out now--well,
I'm disappointed. I'll never forget it!"

Poor Nancy, mindful of the long separation that lay before her and her
friend, cried out in protest.

"Oh, Anne, _don't_ say that!"

Claire, her eyes brilliant with excitement, chimed in:

"Nancy, it's a hope-to-die adventure. Maybe you could make up no end
of stories and plays out of the things that happen up there! And,
anyway, you can finish the 'Child' and come to Merrycliffe that much
sooner!"

Claire had advanced the most appealing argument. North Hero Island
certainly sounded more inspiring than a stuffy flat in Harlem with six
small Finnegans one floor below. And it was an adventure. Anne
hastened to take advantage of the yielding she saw in Nancy's face.

"You can stay here with me until I have to go to New York, and we can
look up trains and I can tell you all about my forefathers, though I
really don't know a single thing. But she won't expect you to
know--don't you remember she wrote that she regretted my being brought
up without knowing the home of my forefat