t she really has some friends who will trust
her and believe her at last. She's never had them before."

"She has them now, Eleanor. And it's because you're so fond of her
already that I'm so sure she's telling the truth. I think I'd trust her,
anyhow, but, even if I'd never seen her, I'd take your word."

"Will you tell all the girls why we're going?"

"I think not--just at first, anyhow. We'll just say that we're going to
move on. I'm pretty sure that the people over at Pine Bridge will have
some place where we can make camp, and that we can have our Council Fire
to-night just the same. It won't be as nice as it is here, of course,
but we'll make it do, somehow."

So Mrs. Chester went around to the different Guardians of the Camp
Fires, and told them of the change in the plans. At once the order to
strike the tents and pack was given, and then Mrs. Chester went to make
arrangements for carrying the baggage over to Pine Bridge and for
getting a camping place there.

"I'll get back as soon as I can, Eleanor," she said, "but I may be
delayed in finding a camping place. If I am, I'll send the wagons
over--I don't want to use General Seeley's, while he's angry at us. And
you can take charge and see that everything goes as it should. You'll
just take my place."

"No one can do that, Mrs. Chester, but I'll do my best."

Bessie, forlorn and unhappy, helped in the work of packing, and longed
for someone to talk to. She didn't want to tell Zara, who had troubles
enough of her own to worry her, and Eleanor, of course, was too busy,
with all the work of seeing that everything was done properly. She had
to keep a watchful eye on the preparations of the other Camp Fires as
well as of her own. And then, suddenly, Bessie got a new idea.

"All this trouble is for me," she said. "Suppose I weren't here--suppose
I just went away? Then they could all stay."

The more she thought of that, the more the idea grew upon her.

"I will do that--I will!" she said to herself, with sudden
determination. "I'm just like a sign of bad luck--I make trouble for
everyone who's good to me. Like Paw Hoover! He was always good--and the
fire hurt him more than it did anyone else, though it was Maw Hoover and
Jake who made all my trouble. I won't stay here and let them suffer for
me any longer."

And, very quietly, since she wanted no one to know what she was doing,
Bessie went into the tent, which had not yet been taken down, and
changed from t