ured anyone in his life."

"It is all Lupo's doings and that is one reason why we want you to go
with us down to the village and show yourself, so that they can see you
have a number of very good friends to look after your interests."

The girls all left off their khaki camping clothes and attired
themselves in light summer frocks that morning. There was a reason for
this unusual "hike" as Percy called it, and it pleased Nancy extremely,
who took that opportunity to wear her best blue batiste and her
prettiest hat. Billie wore no hat. It annoyed her when she drove the
car, she said; but as a matter of fact she had lent her only hat to
Phoebe.

From time to time, as the car went down the mountain road, Miss Campbell
glanced admiringly at the mountain girl beside Billie in front.

"Dear, dear," she exclaimed in a low voice, "what clothes will do for
one. And how well the child wears them. She might have been accustomed
to pretty things all her life."

"She puts us all in the shade," whispered Nancy.

If Billie had intended to create a sensation in the village, she
succeeded beyond her wildest hopes. At first Phoebe was not recognized,
but at the village store where everything was sold from groceries to
Indian moccasins, a man loafing at the door exclaimed:

"By golly, that there's Phoebe from up on the mountains!"

Phoebe blushed scarlet and then smiled.

"I suppose it will be a surprise to them," she said.

They waited some time at the general store for purchases and letters,
and by the time the "Comet" had borne them slowly onward to the small
hotel, the news had spread down the street. At the water trough, they
came to a full stop. They had no errands at the hotel, but Billie
pretended to examine the "Comet's" interior mechanism with careful
interest. Pretty soon, nearly two dozen people had gathered at the
trough. The innkeeper himself appeared, pale-eyed and sly; and Lupo made
bold to show his face.

"Look at Crazy Frenchy's gal diked out in all them duds," one of the
company exclaimed.

"She do look good, crazy or no crazy," remarked a swarthy-faced guide
eying Phoebe with admiration.

The young girl seemed entirely unconscious of all the attention she was
attracting. She looked straight ahead down the village street and never
even glanced at the group of rough men gathered near the car.

"How do we know but she didn't aid and abet Frenchy?" burst out the
innkeeper. "How do we know but she didn't he