go, and what can we do?"

"Young ladies," a stern voice spoke just outside the door, "kindly
remember this is the study hour. You are expected to keep silence."

An unusual stillness fell on the four offenders. Only Madge's blue
eyes flashed rebelliously. "It's that tiresome Miss Jones. You might
know she would be somewhere about. She is the crossest teacher in this
school."

"Sh-sh, Madge," Eleanor lowered her voice, "Miss Jones might hear you.
She is ill, I am sure. That is what makes her so cross. Phil and I
are both sorry for her."

"Oh, you and Phil are sorry for everybody. That's nothing! Thank
goodness, there is the bell! It is the recreation hour. Come, my
beloved chums, I simply must think of some way to spend our vacation
and I never can think indoors. 'It is the merry month of May,'"
caroled Madge. "Come, Phil, let us go down to the water and take Nell
and Lillian rowing. It is a dream of an afternoon, all soft and
sunshiny, and the river folk are calling us, the frogs, and the water
rats----"

"Dear me, Madge," teased Phil, "do hush. We are glad enough to go
rowing without an invitation from the frogs. We have two hours before
supper time. Shall we ask poor Miss Jones to go with us? She does not
have much fun, and you know it is her duty to make us keep the rules.
Miss Jones admires you very much, Madge. She said you were clever
enough to do anything you liked, if you would only try. But she knows
you don't like her."

"Then she knows the truth," returned naughty Madge. "No, Phil, please
don't ask Miss Jones to come out with us this afternoon, there's a
dear. I told you I wanted to think. And I can think brilliantly only
when in the company of my beloved chums."

Phyllis Alden and Madge Morton were good oarsmen. Indeed, they were
almost as much at home on the water as they were on land. Each girl
wore a tiny silver oar pinned to her dress. Only the week before Madge
had won the annual spring rowing contest; for Miss Tolliver made a
special point of athletics in her school, and fortunately the school
grounds ran down to the bank of a small river.

Phil and Madge rowed out into the middle of the river with long,
regular strokes. They were in their own little, green boat, called the
"Water Witch." Lillian sat in the stern, trailing her white hands idly
in the water. Eleanor sat quietly looking out over the fields.

Suddenly Madge, who always did the most unexpected thing