mpass, and
just now it occurred to her that by consulting the magnetic instrument
she could tell whether she was going in the direction of Everglade.

She paused in her action to look at the trembling needle.

"Yes, I am going toward camp--due east."

How lightly she paddled along! It seemed now that the sanitarium was
past finding, for the noise of the bell and the whistle had ceased,
and that everything, even the talking of the man to himself as he
pulled the deer over his shoulders, was gone, and Dorothy was all
alone on the delightful lake, moving toward camp. It all seemed like
some horrible dream--all but the thought that she was going back--back
to her dear ones, who must be so anxious.

"I hope I have saved poor Miss Bell," she thought. "That girl seemed
to dread something more than the mere mistake in taking me in instead
of the other patient."

She slowed up, to gather some water lilies. "I'll take them to
Cologne," she thought. "I wonder where the girls are? I suppose
scouring the country for me. Well, Tavia must have been found, at any
rate. Poor foolish Tavia! I hope they have not blamed her."

A gentle swish of the water startled her. She turned to see two canoes
approaching!

"Are they after me?" she thought, and her heart jumped. "I must have
some excuse ready if they question me. I will just say I am from Camp
Capital, and have come out for exercise. They may not know how far
away our camp is."

She heard the other paddles in the lake. Then they ceased to cut the
water. On either side of her canoe the two other craft suddenly
appeared.

"What if this boat is marked!" she thought. "If it should have some
lettering to show it is from the sanitarium!"

That was the first time this had occurred to her. But the canoeists
were now actually looking very pleasantly at her--two young men. They
seemed too well-mannered to speak, and Dorothy wanted so much to speak
with them, now that she felt they had no idea of her predicament.

Finally one said: "We beg your pardon, but might you have a bit of
canvas, that you could let us take? We have a small leak in the side
of this canoe and the water is coming in."

Dorothy breathed a sigh of relief. Then she looked about her
boat--although she knew it was quite empty when she slid it into the
water.

"I'm afraid not," she replied. "I never carry anything for such an
emergency."

"It's a delightful morning," said the other young man, out of pure
civilit