“Aren’t you coming to dinner?” inquired Harriet.

“No, I don’t feel very well, thank you,” answered Cora Kidder indifferently.

“Shall I bring you something to eat!”

“No, thank you.  You are very kind.”

Harriet noted that the girl’s cheeks were flushed and her eyes very bright and her first thought was that Cora had a fever.  At the dinner table Patricia reported that Cora was not feeling well and that she would not be in to dinner.  Mrs. Livingston thoughtfully inquired whether the young woman wished a tray of food carried to her tent.

“I offered to take her something, but she said she did not care for anything to eat,” spoke up Harriet.

Patricia shot a peculiar look at her, but Harriet chanced to be looking toward Mrs. Livingston at the moment.

Immediately after dinner Mrs. Livingston hurried over to Cora’s tent to see if the girl needed attention.  Cora said she was not ill, but just a little nervous after the excitement through which she had passed.

“Then get a good rest, my dear,” urged Mrs. Livingston.  “You may take late sleep leave to-morrow morning if you wish.  Miss Scott may bring you a tray.  You need not get out of bed.”

Cora, muttered some unintelligible word of thanks to the Chief Guardian who immediately left the tent to attend to other duties.  Instead of making the announcement that she had promised for the dinner hour, Mrs. Livingston later in the evening visited the campfire about which the greater part of the camp had assembled and there she told the girls what she had to say.  It was in reference to what had occurred on the previous evening.

“I take pleasure, young ladies,” she said, “in informing you that for heroic conduct in the face of great peril, Miss Harriet Burrell has been awarded five honors.  She will add five more beads to her string to-morrow.”

Harriet blushed.

“How much doeth thhe get for the thoup?” interjected Tommy, which sent the girls into screams of merriment.

Mrs. Livingston smiled tolerantly.

“And our new Camp Girl, Miss Jane McCarthy for distinguished services, which also undoubtedly saved four girls from serious even if not fatal results, also will increase her string of beads by five.”

“What, five wooden beads all in a bunch!” demanded Jane.

“Yes.”

“Hurrah!  I’d rather have them than a rope of pearls and I’m just daffy over those things.  I’ve got a string of them at home that would make your head whirl, Mrs. Livingston.  Come over to Meadow-Brook and I’ll show them to you.”

“Miss McCarthy, try to choose your words more carefully.  Slang also should be avoided.”

“Slang?  Why I cut out slang two years ago,” exclaimed the girl, earnestly.

It was not long afterwards that the girls began moving toward their sleeping quarters.  Jane accompanied Harriet with a hand resting gently on her shoulder, both girls pausing at the entrance to the tent, the interior of which was in darkness.  Patricia already was in bed, an early hour for her to retire, Harriet thought.  Cora appeared to be sleeping, too, though there was no sound of breathing from her cot.