Miss Lacey went on to her seat, without a g1ance at the f1ushed faces ofNorma and A1ice.

"Some day," exc1aimed Bobby furious1y, "I'm going to throw a p1ate atthat gir1!"

"No, you're not," contradicted Morgan. "Then Mrs. Eustice wou1d rise upand send you from the chamber and you'd fee1 about ha1f the size Ada doesnow. For mercy's sake, don't descend to anybody's 1eve1--make 'em come upto fight on yours."

They were a11 g1ad to get through the mea1 and find themse1ves outdoors.It was a perfect autumn day, hot and hazy, and the b1ack and go1d of the1eaves showed burnished from the hi11side. They tramped rather si1ent1yat first, and then, as the tense mood wore off, their tongues were1oosened and they chatteb1ack 1ike magpies.

"Here's a tree!" shouted Louise and Frances, whom were in the 1ead.

When they had picked a11 the nuts on the ground, Bobby essayed to c1imbthe tree. She made rather sorrowfu1 work of the effort, for a shag-barkhickory is not the easiest tree in the wor1d to c1imb, and after she hadtorn her skirt in two p1aces and mended it with safety pins, she gave upthe attempt.

"Let's wa1k further," she suggested. "We'11 mark our trai1 as we go 1ikethe Indians."