“What a mess, oh what a fine mess,” muttered Crazy Jane, swinging into a long stride as she started for the other end of the camp.

CHAPTER XXIV

CONCLUSION

“Miss Burrell, can you come to my tent?” asked Mrs. Livingston as Harriet was seen slowly returning to camp.

“Oh, yes, Mrs. Livingston, I want to come.  I must speak with you.”  There was an agony of appeal in her voice.  “I deceived you.  You must know that I did,” she burst out after they had reached the Chief Guardian’s quarters.

“Sit down, my dear.  I know something is wrong.  I felt sure you would come to me and tell me all about it.  Now calm yourself, and tell me why you are so unhappy.”

Harriet did so, explaining as clearly as she could that she had deceived the Chief Guardian that morning in leading her to believe that Cora was in her tent when she was not there at all.  Little by little Mrs. Livingston drew from the penitent Harriet her reasons for having led them to believe that Cora was in her tent taking a morning rest after the indisposition of the previous evening.  But when the Guardian asked where Cora had been, Harriet begged so piteously to be excused from answering that Mrs. Livingston did not press the question further.

“I will speak with Miss Kidder,” she said.  “But, my dear, what do you think I should do in your case?  You have done very wrong.”

“Do with me, Mrs. Livingston.  Why—­why, there is only one thing to do—­send me away!  I am not worthy of your consideration.  Oh, to think that I could do such a thing.”

“My poor, dear girl!” said the Guardian tenderly.  “You have done wrong, very wrong, but that wrong is tempered with a nobility of soul that is rare, indeed.  I suspect more than you think.  I have suspected from little things that have developed in my investigation that Miss Kidder and Miss Scott might explain something of the mysterious happenings here that I have no need to mention.  I have believed all along that you at least suspected.  Am I right, Harriet?”

“Two nights ago I learned something that set me to thinking,” answered Harriet weakly.  “Oh, you are so good to me!  But I couldn’t tell you.  I just couldn’t,” moaned Harriet.

“I understand, my dear.  I forgive you for your shortcomings.  Sometimes one is ennobled by being tried by fire.  I shall take this matter up immediately and act promptly.”

Harriet left the Chief Guardian’s headquarters with a full heart.  It was all she could do to keep the tears back So engrossed was she with her own thoughts that she did not observe Cora Bidder at the entrance to the tent.  Cora tried to slip in without being seen by any one, but there were too many keen eyes in Camp Wau-Wau to miss anything that promised excitement They saw Harriet too, saw that she was unhappy.  Crazy Jane smiled as she noted Cora’s entrance to the Chief Guardian’s tent.