in
it at the same time."

"That's clever! I've read about it, but I've never seen it worked."

Joy, who had been dancing around on one foot, suddenly came to a stop,
munched the last of a raspberry tart and exclaimed: "Girls, I've got an
idea!"

"Hooray!" cried Bet. "Joy has an idea, the first one today! Speak,
child!"

"Wait a minute, girls,--now keep still just a second! There, okay!
The picture is taken!" announced Shirley.

"Now for that idea, Joy. Let's hear it." The girls selected a shady
spot and seated themselves while Joy continued:

"Wouldn't it be nice to form a club of some sort and meet every
Saturday?"

"And as many times during the week as possible," readily agreed Bet.
"What fun we can have!"

"But if we are a club, we should have a serious purpose. All clubs
do," said Shirley.

"We might even do things for other people, like the Camp Fire Girls or
the Girl Scouts," suggested Kit.

"Of course we wouldn't want to be selfish and think only of ourselves.
We must stand for something. Honor, Loyalty and Friendship!" prompted
Shirley again.

"Oh isn't that a good idea!" exclaimed Bet. "Let's do it."

"And we must have a name for our club," said Joy. "Bet, you think of
something nice."

Bet buried her face in her two hands to shut out all the disturbing
things about her, the trees, the blue sky and the big dark cloud in the
distance. Usually she had ideas at the tip of her tongue, but it was
the quiet Shirley who had an inspiration.

"Let's call ourselves the Merriweather Girls! I do love the name of
Colonel Baxter's estate. Merriweather Manor!"

"How lovely!" exclaimed Kit. "Merriweather, what a pretty name! I'd
love to be called a Merriweather Girl. --And wouldn't Mother be proud!"

"And we can take as our ideal the lovely Lady Betty Merriweather, the
Lady of the Manor," said Bet thoughtfully.

"Oh tell me about her!" begged Kit.

"It's too long a story, Kit. When Bet gets talking about Lady Betty of
the Manor, she keeps it up for the whole afternoon. Some rainy day
when we have to stay in, she'll tell you the story," replied Shirley.

"Anyway now, we want to get this club started properly," cried Joy.
"Come on and join hands!" The girls formed a circle, pressed their
hands in a warm clasp and thus their club was formed and plans begun
for helpfulness, friendship and fun.

They had hardly more than finished their lunch when the first cloud
came over their friendsh