A Campfire Girl's First Council Fire / The Camp Fire Girls In the Woods

ways of discovering the truth. So, as Wanaka changed from her bathing suit to a costume better suited to the trip to the village, Bessie went out with a light heart to find Zara. Alread

sie that Wanaka mean

she espied her friend, "It's wonderful! They do all sorts of things. And Minnehah

it for granted that, like Zara, she was unused to the water. Moreover, while she could swim well enough, she was afraid that sh

tures she had seen in the books she had managed to get at the Hoover farmhouse. She noticed, too, that many of them now wore strings of beads

f the time. She had already told Zara that her real name was Margery Burton. "You sit down and rest, and

t all. You cooked our meal; now we'll certainly help to cl

rked. Then, when the things were cleaned and put away, and some preparations had be

the water unless she's here, no matter how well we swim, unless, of course, we have to, to help someone who is drowning. And it's too soon after dinner, too. It's bad for you

it," begged Zar

ing?" said Minn

g, a silver band with

d-Gatherer's ring, and the National Council gives it to us. Those seve

they, Mi

od-Gatherer. Then, later on, you get to be a Fire-Maker, and, after that, a Torch-Bearer. And when you get older, if you do well, you can be a Guardian, and be in charge of a Camp Fire yourself. You see, there

u a Fir

nd then, when I get to be a Torch-Bearer, I'll have a pin, as well as the ring and the bracelet, and there'll be smoke on my badge, as well as fire a

essie. "But this seems differen

We work because we want to do i

t. I always worked because

w Hoover,

er again, and the other girls, seeing that she

don't you worry-Miss Eleanor will know what to do. She won't let them t

es

as to get us all to work to get better milk for the babies in the poor parts, where the tenement houses are. We all helped, b

'd like to be a

n't you be

ut

e hes

told her what Zara had always said, that Maw Hoover couldn't make her stay, couldn't make her keep on working hard every day for nothing but her board. She h

you. And you're going to be happy, Bessie. I'm sure of that. When people do right, and still aren't happy for a while, it's always made up to

id one of the other girls.

ooked fr

ille to see me," she said. "Do y

gs. I'll paddle over for her in a canoe. I don't think the man will come with her, but you and Zara go into t

if he was from Hedgeville he would know her. Everyone knew the girl at Hoovers', whose father and mother had deserted her. Bessie

epped into the canoe. "You'll be all right if you

ir clothes for bathing suits; some had gone into the woods to get fresh water from a spring. For the moment no one was in sight. And suddenly, out of a cle

ke with no warning at all. And Bessie, filled with horror, saw the canoe overturned by the wind. She saw, too, what eyes

scovered-her fear of the man on the other side of the lake. Wanaka might not have seen, and there was no time to lose. The accident had occurred in the middle of the

y lack of skill. Somehow she reached the spot. By that time the other girls had seen what was going on, and help was coming quickly. Some swam and some were in on

epped into the canoe. "You'll be all right if you

ir clothes for bathing suits; some had gone into the woods to get fresh water from a spring. For the moment no one was in sight. And suddenly, out of a cle

e with no warning at all. And Bessie, filled with horror, saw the canoe overturned by the wind. She saw, too, what busy w

ought fresh vegetables for the camp. He had insisted on helping her to carry them out, although Wanaka, thinking of Bessie and Zara, had told him she needed no help. But

innehaha, "that young one's got pluck, so she has! And,

the truth of Bessie's story than all the talk she had heard in Hedgeville. She liked

he said, "if you'll make out

a dared n

ver, with a chuckle. "Got lots of ideas I keep to myself-'spe

at to try to ward him off would be dangerous. There was nothing

ed. "Can you come

r ground. And Paw Hoover's astonishment was as great as her own. This was a new Bessie he had never seen before. She was

struck it rich, ain't you, Bessie

t answer, but

al hold on her, Mr.

et that shed afire on purpose. If you hadn't jumped into the water after that other girl I'd never have suspicioned you was here, Bessie.

ghed. Then he beckoned t

akes mistakes, I've got to let her have her way. Reckon I've made enough on 'em myself. Here, you take this. I g

he longed to tell him that she hadn't set the barn on fire, that it had been Jake. But she knew he would find it hard to believe that of h

to me. I'll never forget you, and sometime I'll

and you'll get along all right. And you stick to

at Paw Hoover had left in it. And then, to her amazed delight, she saw that it

she said. "He thinks I

ot more than that. Now I've found out that what you told me was just right. I knew it all the time, but I made sure. Bessie, how would you and Zara like to stay wi

first time Bessie used the name fre

nly can," s