cy, anticipating
objections and endeavoring to spread the skirt to the full limit of its
yard and a quarter.

"Just about as broad as one trouser leg," teased Ben.

Nancy ignored the remark, and the pheasant's feather in her hat seemed
to quiver with indignation.

"Where's the crook?" asked Mary politely.

"I'm her crook," put in Percy. "You'll find she'll be using me as a
staff presently when she has to take a step six inches instead of five."

"We'll be carrying her yet," Ben predicted.

"I think you are all perfectly horrid," ejaculated Nancy, who indeed
looked as pretty as a picture in the blue velveteen. There was the coral
tie at her throat, as she had planned, and perched on her curls was the
jauntiest little hat imaginable that served only to keep the sun off
the top of her head and was no protection whatever to her tip-tilted
freckled nose. Mary and Elinor wore jimmies bought in the village, and
Billie wore no hat at all.

"No, we aren't, Nancy dear. We're just teasing," said Billie. "You look
sweet, but why have you never worn it before?"

"To tell the truth, I was afraid of the scorn of Mr. Lupo," said Nancy.
"All of you are just like a family, so it didn't matter, but Mr. Lupo
might have thought me, well--an amateur. I've been dying to wear it,"
she added, giving a dance step and looking down with pride at the
snug-fitting skirt. "Of course, I know the skirt is a bit narrow. You
know how Mrs. Moxley is,--just determined to have her own way. It was
all I could do to get her to put the extra quarter of a yard in the
skirt. But I think I can manage it if we don't walk too fast. There is
so much level ground on this walk, too,--all that table land, you know."

Ben gave a covert smile and the others laughed openly.

"You funny child," said Billie. "It's really beautiful to see a person
enjoy clothes like that. You look sweet enough to charm a snake, and if
the walking is too stiff, we'll just carry you."

"So far so good," said Ben, "but on the other side of Table Top there'll
be some climb."

Nancy did not hear this prediction.

So far, indeed, the trail was a broad and honest path leading through
the pine forest; but after a while, as it descended toward the
tableland, it grew so narrow as to be imperceptible to everybody but
Ben, whose eyes, trained by long months of camping and vacation walking
trips, could pick out the faintest indication of a path where the others
saw nothing at all.

It w