The Three Midshipmen

bligatory tasks, but all the girls were working for honours, and most of them were trying to meet the requirements for higher rank. Some were making their official dresses. Girls who wer

esign of her own, when Ellen Grandis, her Guardian, came t

your help, Olga,"

the basket in her

something that will require

dis. You know that I do not pretend to be kind,

g that you could do more for this one girl than any one else here could. She is comi

girl's tone was p

ame is Elizabeth Page. She is about a year youn

d and a shadow swept

o accomplish almost what you will. Poor Elizabeth can do so few things well that she has no confidence in herself: yet I believe she might do many things i

in the cold voice, and suddenly the eager

mistake in coming to you, after all," she said sadly. "I'm sor

ga looked after her thoughtfully for a m

oking down at her with a curious

Corners," she announced, with a l

e been there before, hav

s time I'm go

ply was a swif

u all think me a coward-I'll just show you!" and with that she wh

y over beadwork, one of them calle

m going to walk to Kent's Corne

edulous laughte

before you start,

d in a flash had twisted it into a rabbit with flopping ears. "Bun

she cried out. "You're all horrid. But I'll show you!" and with a glance

after her and t

lly do it?" one que

get as far as the vil

n alone-never in the world," a

e scared at everything as she is!" This from Mary Ha

this camp," laughed Louise Johnson care

rest of us when she does do a brave thing,"

right if she goes to Kent's

en arranged. Somebody had discovered a pasture where the bushes were loaded with luscio

t baskets or pails and

work thrown aside, and five minutes later t

girls busy

ast Bassett. To be sure, she had never before been even that far alone, but she had been many times with other girls. She passed slowly and lingeringly through the village. Should she turn back now? Before her flashed the face of Olga with that little cold mocking smile, and she saw again Louise Johnson hopping her handkerchief rabbit across her lap. The incredulous laughter with which the others had greeted her announcement rang still in her ears. She was walking very very slowly, but-but no, she wouldn't-she couldn't turn back. She forced her unwilling feet to go on-to go faster, faster until she was almost running. She was beyond the village now and another mile and a half would bring her to Slabtown. Slabtown! She had forgotten Slabtown. The colour died swi

colour drifted back to her white cheeks, and her heart stopped its heavy thumping as she drew a long deep breath. She would not let herself think of Slabtown. She counted the trees she passed, named the birds that wheeled and circled about her, even repeate

e went on. There were no men about the place at this hour-they were at work-but untidy women sat on their doorsteps or rocked at the windows, and a horde of ragged barefooted children catching sight of the girl swarmed out into the road to stare at her. Some begged for pennies, and getting none, yelled

d not a penny with her; she must go hungry until she got back to camp. A boy came up the steps munching a red apple, his pockets bulging with others. The storekeeper's little girl ran out on the porch with a big molasses cooky just out of the oven, and the warm spicy odour of it made Myra realise how hungry she was. She looked so longingly at the cooky that the child, seeming to read her thoughts, crowded it all hastily into her own mouth. Myra laughed a bit at that, and after a little rest, set off on her return. She was tired and hungry, but a strange new joy was throbbing at her heart. She had come all the way to Kent's Corners alone-they could not call her a coward now! That thought more than ba

ot swarm around her. They stood by the roadside and stared, but none called after her or followed her. She did not realise how great was the difference between the girl who now walked by with shining eyes and lifted head, and the white-faced trembling little creature with terror writ large in every line of her face and figure that had scurried by earlier in the day. But the child

eet dragged, but it was from weariness and lack of food. As she drew near the camp her steps quickened, her head went up again, and her eyes began to sh

ck, she tucked a cushion under her head and, with a long sigh of delicious content and restfulness her eyes closed and in two minutes she was sound asleep-so sound asleep that w

the kitchen and delivered

make us some blueberry flapjacks fo

gingerbread,"

juicy pies," c

berry rolypoly!" s

, stood laughing into the sun-

make all them things fer ye t

e of them. But heaps and heaps of flapjacks, Katie dear, i

e now an' lave me in pace or ye'll not get a smirch of a flapja

the kitchen, Mary Hastings came towar

look as sober as an owl!" cried

ed all over the camp for her," Mary answered. "You know

merriment dying out of her eyes. "Yo

e flung out carelessly. "She's somewhere about. Let's call her

towards them. "Where is Myra? Didn't

e was going alone to Kent's Corners, but of course she didn't. She's started th

t be found," she said with quick decision. "Get

een young ears were strained for the response that did not come. In the

ring her, two of you must hurry over to the farm and harness Bi

e happened to Myra, Mrs. Royall?" one of them questioned anxiously. "A

timid little thing. She cann

r air. It was a rigid rule of the camp that the recall should be promptly answered by any girl within hearing, so

ickly as possible," s

out of sight, however, ther

turned towards the small figure coming from the clum

f relief, Mrs. Royall

? Didn't you hear us c

asleep," stammered Myra bewildered by something tens

ohnson with a chuckle. "W

Louise spoke. A quick wave of colour swept the pale cheeks and the small head was lifted with an air that

been asleep? How long hav

her voice, "It was quarter of four by the kitchen cloc

" put in the cook from the kitchen door where she stood,

Corners, my dear?" Mrs.

t Louise Johnson's mocking laugh-forgot

ightened at first, but coming home I wasn't one bit afraid, and

have it at the next Council Fire. I'm so glad, Myra!"

alled out, "Three cheers fo

y were happy tears, as the girls crowded around her with questions a

Laura Haven. "That child was afraid of the dark, afraid of the water, afraid to

aura thoughtfully

me back and found you all gone. It was so still it seemed almost