“I don’t know.  Nothing I suppose,” returned Harriet with a wan smile.

“That’s just it.  You’ve got to fight if you don’t want to get walked on in this world.  My dad says so.  He’s a fighter, he is, little one, and he has a daughter who can take her own part and half a dozen other people’s besides.  My sleeves will be rolled up all the time after this.  You watch me get into action when I discover the girl, and——­”

“I think you had better leave all that to me, Miss McCarthy,” advised a voice at the door of the tent.

At the first sound of the voice Harriet thought either Patricia or Cora had come in.  Then she saw that it was Mrs. Livingston.

“Please don’t involve yourself in difficulties, my dear.  Now, will you leave us, please!  I wish to speak alone with Miss Burrell.”

Jane went outside the tent where she paced up and down waiting until the Chief Guardian should come out, when Jane intended to return to the tent and talk further with her friend.  She intercepted the other Meadow-Brook Girls who had come over to sympathize with Harriet.  All save Tommy returned to their own tents.

“Now, my dear,” said Mrs. Livingston, seating herself beside Harriet on the edge of the latter’s cot, “please do not take this quite so hard.  You will have plenty of opportunity to win other ‘honors’ before leaving Camp Wau-Wau.”

“It is not the loss of the ‘honor’ that is disturbing me, Mrs. Livingston.  It is the thought that you suspected me of being the author of that trick,” answered Harriet quite frankly.  “You will understand that I am not saying this in an impertinent sense.”

“My dear girl, I know of course that you are not.  Let me tell you something.  It may serve to make you feel this less keenly.  I sought for the moment to be a little harsh with you thinking that possibly the girl who had done this might rise and confess at once rather than see you bear the burden of the accusation?”

“There is little danger of her doing that.”

“So I infer.  But you have a suspicion as to who she may be?” added the Chief Guardian quickly.

“I may have, but I should not wish to name any one.  You see my suspicion may be entirely wrong.  In fact I am convinced that it is.”

“My child, if you have a well-founded suspicion of any girl here you should make it known to me.  It is your duty to do that.”

“That is just the trouble,” answered Harriet with a faint smile.  “My suspicion is not a well founded one.  Even if it were I should not be sure that I ought to tell you.”

“I will not press you to tell me, my dear.  I will leave it all to your good judgment.  At breakfast to-morrow morning I shall announce that you are in no way held to blame for this unpleasant incident.”

With a kind “good night, Miss Burrell,” the Chief Guardian left Harriet.

Patricia and Cora were about to enter the tent when they espied Jane walking up and down.