The Three Midshipmen

e by illness in her family, and she aske

country road. "You know I should not have been able to stay here much longer anyhow

't had half enough trai

o help Laura to understand their needs. "And there's Elizabeth Page, who is coming to-morrow," she went on. "I always think of her as the Poor Thing. O, I do so hope the Camp Fire will do a great deal for her-she's had so pitifully little in her life thus far. Her mother died wh

st for her," L

you'll meet her when

e," Laura

ched the station, but Miss Grandis' last

e. Elizabeth was seventeen, but she might have been taken for fourteen until one looked into her eyes-they seemed to mirror the pain and privation of half

en, at the camp, a crowd of girls came to meet the newcomer, she looked wildly around as if for refuge from all these strangers.

rabbit?" giggled

said Bessie Carroll. "I'm awf

to herself, "There it is-Poor Thing. That name

first day; she was quiet and still as a ghost, did as she was told, and watched all that went on, but she spoke to no one and never aske

t, just speak, and I shall hear you. But I hope you will sleep so soundly that yo

the shadowy spaces beyond the tents, and Laura hastened to add, "You need

s out, she lay trembling, and staring wide-eyed into the darkness. A thousand strange small sounds beat on her strained ears, and when suddenly

cry. "It's nothing but an owl,

er knees, clinging des

Please please let me stay here with you. I

gers. "Get back to your bed!" she ordered under

l only let me stay. I-I must touch s-somebo

d if you don't keep still I'll report you in the mornin

under her breath. "I-I want to go

ce," muttered Olga, and turning her face away from the wretched

Olga started to yank the blanket away, but the look of suffering in the white face stayed her impatient hand. She touched the thin shoulder of Elizabeth, a

gain. Neither did Olga, and she was uncomfortably aware that a pair o

d Elizabeth to put on a bathing suit that Miss Grandis had left for her, but no urging or coaxing could induce her to go into the water even to wade, though other girls were swimming and splashing and frolick

old her. "Look at Myra, there-she has always been afraid to try to

e at Myra Karr, nervously trying to obey Mary Hastings' directions and "act

ark head, anxiety at last conquered

she cried under her b

she said, leaning towards her, "Olga's a perfect fish in the w

. When presently she walked up on the beach, a pale smile glimmered over Elizabeth's face, but it

shed and she drew he

the Poor Thing made no reply; she only gulped down a sob as she looked after

s she walked back to camp with her friend.

reed. "But she seems to have

hey all failed. And Olga would do nothing. Yet Elizabeth followed Olga like her shadow day after

egan abruptly, "I know what you want of me, Miss Haven, but it's no use. I can't be bothered with that Poor Thing-she makes me sick-always hang

face and went on sulkily, "Nobody ought to expect me

ung out, "You might as well say it.

of Elizabeth. If you saw her drowning you'd plun

't have her hanging on to me li

in 'hanging on' to you-as you express

ou mean, M

t-or ever had any one try to make her happy. Is it any wonder that she doesn't know how to be happy or make friends? It seems strange that, from among so many who would gladly

. I don't think any of you ought to p

g it on you," retu

d the two walked some distance before she spoke again. T

make over that poor girl mind and body-I might almost say, soul too. She thinks she can do nothing but household drudgery. She is afraid of ev

ave her was so repellent that she shrank away, and went off alone to the Lookout. Later Laura tried to interest Elizabeth in the making

" she said with gentle indifference, h

eyes shining. "O Anne, what do you think?" she cried. "Ol

g. It shows what Olga might

eth did not go away and leave her. No other girl in camp wo

the difference. But that Olga should take the trouble to m

al in Olga, Anne-I am sur

wade-clinging tightly to Olga's fingers all the time-but further than that she could not lead her. Day after day Elizabeth would stand shivering and trembling in water up to her knees,

, who flushed and paled nervously under that steady silent scruti

lizabeth falter

and repeated

owly. "I-I like Molly. And

ur brothers

beth

h is

s real pretty," Elizabeth declared prou

Olga persisted. "What would you like

ought," was t

oor Thing shrink and tremble. She brought out her

's pretty?"

touch the necklace, but gazed admiringly at th

like it if you wan

ho'd giv

tones and animals and birds. You can get as many in a few days. I got that green one for making a little bit of a basket, that-for making my washstand there

stammered in her weak gentle voice, "I can'

ung out at her impatiently. "Say-wha

hrough them beseechingly at the other. Olga drew a long exasperated breath. She wanted

home?" she demanded

beth answered with

"You didn't sit and stare at Molly and the others all day

red, "I didn't do anything but cook and sweep and wash

, and care of babies. At last she had found some things that even the Poor Thing could do. With flying fingers she scribbled down the girl's answers. Finally she cried excitingly, "There! See what a goose you were to say you couldn't do anything! Why, there are lots of girls here who coul

wonder. "But-but," she faltered, "I guess there's some mistake. Just ho

ow beads at the next Council Fire, and if you half try you can win some blue and br

. Then she began to whimper, "I-I-can't ever d

ou can walk

wal

you to walk to the vill

couldn't

alone? You'll walk to Slabtow

th you," said the Po

Sometimes she almost hated E

she declared, "but next day y

into herself, s

u won't go with some other girl, you ca

or Slabtown. Halfway there, Elizabeth suddenly cru

?" Olga demanded,

es. "I don't know. You wa

and waited until a little colour had crept back into the oth

e one of your red beads," was her comment when they

lass of milk and some crackers, she f

" she demanded, and the Poor Thing answered vaguely

crackers," and when Elizabeth had obeyed, added, "Now get into that

rted a game of blindman's buff, Olga seized Elizabeth

r did," cried the Poo

now and so are you. Come!" and Eliza

o joined them. It was little Bess Carroll who

r cease--Olga Prie

"Bless her heart-she's doing it just to get that P

she submitted meekly, at a look from Olga. Half a dozen girls flung themselves in her way, and the one on whom her limp grasp fell ignored the fact that Elizabeth could not name her, and gaily held up the handkerchief to be tied over her own eyes

lga glanced at the clock in the dining-room and made a swi

out of this jellyfish of a girl and she did not mean to fail. That was all there was about it. So every day she led forth the reluctant Elizabeth and patiently stood over her while she blundered through a game of basket-ball

"I say, girls, we're just a lot of selfish pigs to leave that Poor Thing on Olga's hands all th

should. I should take her down to the dock some night and

urs there are for the way she endur

tely though. She really deigns to speak amiably n

ry. "Olga is splendid, girls! She makes me ashamed of myself twenty times a day. Do you realise what it means? Sh

ut we don't know how. Elizabeth turns her back o

"but if we really try w

he was always happy when she was with Olga, but at other times-when they were not walking-her content was marred by the consciousness that Olga was not really pleased with her because she co

ection than any other. She would often stop and watch the dirty half-naked babies playing in the bare yards; and as she watched t

oys and girls walking along the top of a stone-wall that bordered the road. A

d a will of her own, for she made such an outcry that at last her sister exclaimed, "We've got to take her

ll, but by no means did she "hush up." She writhed and twisted and screamed,

" one boy demanded, and another shouted, "T

but she was sitting on the wall now, holdin

kes her stick it out like

baby's cries redoubled, and a woman put her head out of a window

ted across the road and caught the wailing c

t you see? It's hurting her dreadfully. You slip

older girl flashed back, sticking out her tongue

mother?" Eliz

one," chorused a

ne of them held out her arms to the child, but she hid her face o

" one of the women demanded when Peggy

g. O, I wish I knew how to slip it in again! It wouldn't take a minute if we only knew how. Now we mu

ctor nearer'n East Bas

there," Elizabeth said to Olga, who f

enty minutes-maybe fifteen

oned the women-"can any

hers all had excuses; no one offered to take the child to East Bassett. No one really belie

the Poor Thing declared. "I g

back?" demanded the ch

answered with decision. "Come quick! I tell you it's

face all white and drawn

the rear, but as she went she turned and shouted back to one of the boys, "Jimmy, you come along too with the wagon to bring her home in," and presentl

minutes; but the child clung to Elizabeth, refusing to be transferred, and at

She's not so very heavy. She m

re good luck found the doctor at home. He was an old man, and over his glasses he looked up with a twin

ils tha

" Elizabeth said.

he baby's shoulder, there was a quick skilful twist, a shriek of

ecause she's frightened," the doctor said, snappi

eth ex

y the arm another time," the doctor said, with a kindly

are feet nervously one over the other as the doctor loo

n. And where

gesture included Olga,

about the affair now. When Elizabeth had told him, he looked at her curio

uldn't let her-and she was crying, so--" E

nly he inquired in a gruff voice, "Well no

r thought of that. It was hurting her so-and she's so little-I

ho's her father?" t

Jim Johnson. I guess meb

when Jim Johnson's wife died a year bef

w you pull your little sister around by the arms after this.

ifted to the old doctor's face as she spoke. He rose, and

," he said. "But don't lug a three-year-old a mile and a half ag

wagon, kissed the small face, dirty and tear-stained as it was, and stood fo

Was this really the Poor Thing who could not do anything-who would barely answe