hoot, and loud vituperations from the defeated. Mary cannily waited
until the last, and came down, clad in a white sweater and heavy white
tweed skirt, after the others had cleared the generous platter of ham
and eggs, and the mountain of corn bread was a hillock of crumbs.

"Oh, Mary!" said Mr. Dinwiddie, reprovingly, "and you as prompt as
royalty. In camp----"

"I've no thought of going without my breakfast," said Mary
unrepentantly. "Ring the bell, Din."

The men had risen, but Clavering alone had determination in his eye.
He pulled out a chair beside his own, and Mary accepted it gracefully,
waving a morning greeting to the others.

"How good of you to keep this chair for me, Mr. Clavering," she
murmured. "It is shocking of me to be so lazy."

"I'm sick of this game," growled Clavering. "If you act today----"

"Shh! I am sure you are going to take me out on the lake immediately
after breakfast."

His amiability was immediately restored, but his gaiety was somewhat
forced. "You are looking charming this morning, Miss Ogden. I wished
last night that there was a guitar or even a banjo in the camp, that I
might serenade beneath your window."

And Mary actually blushed. She had slept dreamlessly, and between the
light mountain air and her new role, she felt as light-hearted as Eva
Darling, who was holding Mr. Dinwiddie's hand openly.

"Oh, Excellence!" cried Mrs. Minor from the other end of the table.
"What do you say to having a picnic lunch? Didn't you tell me that you
knew of a lovely gorge about six miles from here? Steak broiled
between forked sticks! Potatoes roasted in the ashes! Flapjacks!
Heavenly."

"Anything you say," replied Mr. Dinwiddie rather tonelessly. "Want to
put it to the vote?"

"Let me answer for the crowd," commanded Todd. "It is our duty when in
the woods to eat our meals after as much unnecessary toil, and to enjoy
as much discomfort, as is humanly possible. Otherwise we might as well
stay in town. We'll hilariously tramp six miles with packs, sit on the
damp ground, extract earwigs, eat burnt steak and half-cooked potatoes,
and then tramp back again, our spirits gradually rising at the prospect
of a decent meal eaten in comfort----"

"Kill-joy!" cried Minor. "Don't we come to the woods to tramp? I want
to lose twenty pounds this trip, and if you don't you ought to. I vote
we make Rolly carry a sack of potatoes."

"It's agreed then?" asked Mr. Dinwiddie, veili