“That’s exactly what I shouldn’t want to see her do,” he said.  “I do not know what I am going to do if, as she gets older, she grows more energetic,” he added to Mr. and Mrs. Canary.  “Betty is more than a handful for a poor bachelor uncle, I do believe!”

He forbade any more excursions away from the camp after that unless the excursionists took some adult person with them.  He went himself to Candace Farm to see Hunchie Slattery; but he took only Ida Bellethorne with him.  They went on their snowshoes.  During this trip Mr. Gordon won the abiding confidence of the girl.

Meanwhile the youthful visitors at Mountain Camp allowed no hour to be idle.  There was always something to do, and what one could not think of in the way of fun another could.

Mr. Canary’s men had smoothed a coasting course down the hillside to the lake not a quarter of a mile from the Overlook.  There was a nest of toboggans in one of the outhouses.  Tobogganing afforded the nine young people much sport.

For the others insisted that Ida Bellethorne share in all their good times.  She declared she never would get Libbie’s blouse done in time; but Libbie said that she could finish it afterward and send it on to Shadyside.  Just now the main thing was to crowd as much fun as possible into the remaining days of their vacation.

The young folks from Fairfields were paired off very nicely; but they did not let Ida feel that she was a “fifth wheel,” and she really had a good time.  These snow-sports were so unfamiliar to her that she enjoyed them the more keenly.

“I do think these boys are so nice,” she said to Betty as they climbed the hill from the lakeshore, dragging the toboggan behind them by its rope.

“Of course they’re nice,” said the loyal Betty.  “Especially Bob Henderson.  He’s just like a brother to me.  If he wasn’t nice to you I should scold him—­that I should, Ida.”

“I never can repay you for your kindness,” sighed the English girl, quite serious of visage.  “And your uncle, too.”

Betty flashed her a penetrating look and was on the verge of speaking of something that she, at least, considered of much importance.  Then she hesitated.  Ida had never mentioned the possibility of Betty’s having dropped anything in Mrs. Staples’ store.  Betty shut her lips tight again and waited.  If Ida did know anything about her lost locket, Betty wanted the English girl to speak of it first.

They went in to dress for dinner that afternoon just before a change in the weather.  A storm had been threatening for some hours, and flakes of snow began to drift down before they left the slide.

“Let’s dress up in our best, girls,” Louise said gaily.  “Put on our best bibs and tuckers.  Make it a gala occasion.  Teddy, be sure and scrub behind your ears, naughty boy!”

“I feel as though I ought to be in rompers the way you talk,” said the Tucker twin, but he laughed.