full of experiences than a whole term of ordinary school life.
There were so many interesting people at the camp who had been working
at various absorbing occupations, and were ready to talk about their
adventures. Miss Hoyle could give accounts of celebrities whom she had
been sent to interview by her newspaper; Miss Gordon, the Social
Settlement secretary, had stories of factory girls and their funny
ways and sayings to relate; Nurse Gibbons had much to tell about her
training in a London hospital; Miss Parker was an authority on
munition work, and Miss Lowe, an artist, drew spirited sketches of
everybody and everything, to the amusement of all. There was a great
feeling of comradeship and bonhomie in the camp; everyone was ready to
be friendly, and to meet everybody else on equal terms. There was only
one member who did not seem responsive and ready to mix with the
others. This was Mrs. Vernon, a shy, reserved little woman, who never
blossomed out into any confidences. She would sit and listen
attentively to all the tales told by Miss Hoyle and Miss Parker, and
would even question the latter about her munition work, but she gave
no information at all respecting herself or her occupation. It was
rumoured that she was a widow, but the report was not confirmed. The
Marlowe Grange girls did not much like her, and took very little
notice of her. It was the easiest thing in the world to ignore her,
for she seemed to shrink from even the most ordinary civilities, and
would vouchsafe nothing but a curt reply when spoken to.

On the morning after the expedition to Ledcombe there was considerable
excitement in Raymonde's tent. Katherine woke up with her face covered
with a rash. Morvyth, who slept next to her, noticed it immediately,
and told her that she had better stay in bed until Miss Gibbs saw her.
Naturally Miss Gibbs was in a state of great apprehension, and feared
that Katherine must be sickening for measles, scarlatina, chicken-pox,
or some other infectious complaint. Manifestly the first thing to be
done was to send for a doctor. The nearest medical man lived at
Ledcombe, and in order to save time Raymonde and Aveline offered to
walk in to Shipley village, and telephone to him from the post office
there.

"Nice little business if Kitty starts an epidemic in the camp!" said
Aveline as they went along. "I suppose we couldn't go back to
school?"

"No, and we shouldn't be allowed to pick strawberries either, if we
w