. Although there was no common basis for comparing the
handwriting of the two missives, one being lettered in Roman capitals
and the other in ordinary script, nevertheless she quickly dismissed
the first suspicion that letter No. 1 was written by Clifford Long or
some other Scout of Spring Lake academy. Both ended with the words
"Look Out." Plainly this was a result of carelessness on the part of
the writer. Evidently he had planned to cause her to believe that the
two letters were written by different persons, for he had taken the
pains of differentiating the superscriptions on the envelopes as well
as the contents within.

But now the question was, What should she do? It was no more than fair
and just for her to inform the girls what they might expect if they
attempted to carry out their original plan, but what method should she
pursue to convey to them this information? She might go at the matter
bluntly and create something of a panic; then again she might so
handle it that the best possible result could be obtained in a quiet
and orderly manner.

Marion felt in this crisis that a great responsibility rested on her
to handle the problem with all the skill and intelligence at her
command. She longed for the counsel of an older and more experienced
head, but there was none present, except Miss Ladd, the Guardian of
the Fire, to whom she might go with her story. The latter, though she
came well within the requirements of the national board to fill the
position which she held, was nevertheless a young woman in the
sensitive sense of the phrase and could hardly be expected to give the
best of executive advice under the circumstances. Marion realized that
it was her duty to exhibit to Miss Ladd the letters she had received,
but if she did this at once, the act would amount to turning the whole
matter over to her and relinquishing the initiative herself, she
reasoned.

Marion was naturally aggressive, and she was not favorably impressed
with the idea of leaving the affair in the hands of another unless
that person were peculiarly fitted to handle it. As she sat studying
over the problem she suddenly became conscious of the presence of
another person close beside her, and looking up she saw Helen Nash,
with an expression of startled intelligence in her eyes. Apparently
her attention had been attracted by the crude drawing of a skull and
cross-bones at the close of the letter lying open in her lap.

"I beg your pardon,