sombre recollections.

Joe only grinned when Peggy announced herself as a candidate for the
medal he had promised. It was not till a week later, when the print
which chronicled old Bess's display of spirit was exhibited, that he was
convinced. He stood with mouth open, and eyes distended, incredulity
slowly giving way to conviction.

"Well, it _is_ old Bess, galloping off like a two-year-old. You
must have fired off a cannon at her heels. Think of old Bess, legging it
in that style! That there picture had ought to be framed."

CHAPTER VII

THE COTTAGE BESIEGED

Peggy was in high spirits. Ever since her first meeting with Lucy Haines
she had been haunted by a growing desire to find some practical way of
showing her sympathy for the hard-working, ambitious girl. With Peggy
the longing to be helpful was like hunger or thirst, a keen craving
whose satisfaction brought a pleasure equally keen.

On the drive home after the picnic Peggy had questioned Lucy as to the
price she received for her berries, and Lucy's answer had caused her to
open her eyes. "Why, that's queer. We pay twice as much at home."

"Yes, I know. It's the same way with farmers' stuff. The commission men
get a big part of the profits," Lucy explained.

"It doesn't seem fair when you have to stand hours in the hot sun
picking, and all they have to do is to set the boxes where folks will
see them, and they sell like hot cakes. Wouldn't it be nice--" Peggy
stopped abruptly, and gave herself up to formulating a delightful, and
as it seemed to her, a perfectly feasible plan, namely that a part of
Lucy's berries at least, should be shipped directly to Friendly Terrace,
and sold at the market price, Lucy to receive the entire proceeds less
the expense of transportation.

Tired as she was after the exertions and excitement of that eventful
picnic, Peggy could not sleep till she had written a letter to her
mother describing her brilliant scheme in detail. Two days later, the
Rural Free Delivery wagon brought encouraging news. Dick had canvassed
the houses on both sides the Terrace, and nearly every housekeeper had
fallen in with Peggy's plan. Every one seemed pleased at the prospect of
getting berries picked only the day before, and Dick, in spite of his
responsibilities as first baseman for the Junior Giants, readily
undertook to see that the fruit reached its various destinations safely.

But even now Peggy was not satisfied. "You see, girls," sh