he
said energetically. "I was just wondering, that's all. I haven't lost
faith in Antha and I don't doubt but what she'll brace up before the
summer is over. If we only knew a recipe for developing grit!"

"Stop worrying about that child and let's go out in a canoe," said
Gladys, catching hold of Katherine's hand and pulling her up.

Katherine rose and smoothed out her skirts--a new action for her. "Do I
look any neater?" she inquired.

"Quite a bit," replied Gladys, looking her over with a critical eye.

"I hope I do," said Katherine with a sigh. "I've spent most of the week
sewing on buttons. But my hair is absolutely hopeless," and she shook
the fringe back out of her eyes viciously.

"Let me do it for you some day," said Gladys, "and I'll see what can be
done with those loose ends."

"All right," said Katherine wearily, and they went down the path
together.

"We won't have time to go out in a canoe," said Gladys when they reached
the beach. "Here comes the launch back from St. Pierre with the mail."

"I wonder if there's a letter for me," said Katherine rather wistfully.
"I haven't had a word from father and mother for three weeks." And she
hopefully joined the throng that stood with outstretched hands around
the pack of letters Uncle Teddy was holding out of reach above his head.

"Oh, I say," he begged, "can't you wait a minute until I show you my
newest treasure? If I give you your letters first you'll all sneak off
into corners and read them and then you never will look at it."

"What is it?" cried an eager chorus, for it must be something splendid
that would delay the distribution of the mail.

Uncle Teddy opened a carefully packed box and drew forth an exceedingly
fine camera, which he exhibited with all the pride of a boy. "I've had
my heart set on this little machine for years," he said happily, "but
I've never had the two hundred dollars to spend for it. But now a
wealthy gentleman whom I guided on a canoe trip last May and whom I was
able to render some slight service when he was taken ill in the woods,
has made me a present of it. Did you ever hear of such generosity?"

He did not mention the fact that the "slight service" had consisted of
carrying the sick man on his back for fifteen miles through the woods.

The boys and girls looked at the camera with awe and were half afraid to
touch it. A thing that had cost two hundred dollars was not to be
handled lightly.

"It has a speed of one th