ing of this sort," Marion remarked with humble anxiety.
"I explained to them that there could hardly be any danger even if the
strikers should get ugly, as the mines are some distance from where we
live and any violence on the part of the miners would surely be
committed at the scene of their labors. This seemed to satisfy them.
Most of the miners live at the south end of the town or along the
electric line running from Hollyhill to the mines."

"That doesn't make much difference if the miners once get it into
their heads that the girls are being used to put over a confidence
game on them," Helen argued authoritatively. "Miners are peculiar
people, especially if they are lead by radical leaders of aggressive
purpose. They believe that they are a badly misused set, turning out
the wealth of the wealthy, who repay them by holding them in contempt,
keeping their wages down to a minimum and pressing them into social
and political subjection."

"Where did you learn all that, Helen?" Marion asked wonderingly. "You
are not even studying sociology at school. You talk like a person of
experience."

"My father was a miner," Helen began. Then she stopped, and Marion saw
from the expression in her eyes and the twitch of her mouth that a big
lump in her throat had interrupted her explanation. She seemed to be
making an effort to continue, but was unable to do so.

"Never mind, Helen," said Marion, taking her hand tenderly in her own.
"I am more convinced than ever that I found just the right person to
advise me when I laid this matter before you. We will try to work this
problem out together. Meanwhile we must take Miss Ladd into our
confidence. Why, here she is now."

* * * * *

CHAPTER V.

GIRLS COURAGEOUS.

"What's the matter, girls? You look as if you had the weight of the
world on your shoulders."

Miss Ladd spoke these words lightly as if to pass judgment on the
conference as entirely too serious for a Christmas holiday occasion.
Marion and Helen did not respond in tones of joviality, as might have
been expected. They met her jocular reproach with expressions of such
serious portent that the Guardian of the Fire could no longer look
upon it as calling for words of levity.

"What's the matter, girls?" she repeated more seriously. "You look
worried."

"Sit down, Miss Ladd, and read these letters I received last night,"
said Marion without any change of tone or manner. "They w