e hiding under the
hay."

Phyllis slipped inside the barn door. But Madge had ransacked the barn
too thoroughly to believe that there was a chance of finding the babies
there. Besides, she had seen David Brewster's face. He was pale through
his sunburn, so she left the barn to Phil and followed at his heels.

"You've an idea what has happened to the children. Please tell me what
you think," she pleaded.

The boy shook his head resolutely. "Don't ask questions, I've no time to
talk," he answered rudely. Yet David did not mean to be unkind. He only
knew that he could not face the look in Madge's eyes should his
suspicion prove true. Besides, there was no time to waste. Already they
must have waited too long to save the children if the little ones had
fallen down the old well.

Instantly David knew. The plank that had lain across the well had fallen
over on one side. The children must have stepped on this plank and gone
down. David dropped flat on his stomach and peered over into the hole.
"Look out!" he cried sharply to Madge, she was so near him.

Madge felt herself reel. The air turned black about her and the earth
seemed slanting at her feet, miles and miles away. A feeling of deathly
nausea crept over her. Then she pulled herself together. There might yet
be hope, and there was surely work to be done. She dropped on the ground
beside David.

As they knelt side by side on the edge of the well they heard a little,
weak, moaning cry, and straining their eyes distinguished faintly the
tops of two curly heads. Madge uttered a cry of relief. As nearly as she
could judge, the babies were standing upright in the well with their
arms about each other. They were nearly dead with fright and
suffocation, but the wonderful instinct of self-preservation had made
them continue to keep on their feet. There was not more than a foot of
water in the bottom of the well, and Madge believed that the fall had
not seriously hurt them.

"Dot! Daisy!" called Madge, trying to speak in natural tones.

Daisy turned a pair of big black eyes to the little light that shone
above her. Hanging over the edge of the well she spied her Madge and
stretched both tiny arms upward.

"You tumbled into a big hole, didn't you, dears?" soothed Madge
cheerfully, although she was trembling. "Stand up just a moment longer,
won't you, darlings? Madge is right here and she will not go away. We
will have you out of that dark place in a minute."

David had