“What has happened to you, Madge?” Lillian inquired.  “Eleanor said you were upset because you are obliged to spend the first of your vacation with your hateful Cousin Louisa.”

“Hateful?  Did I ever dare to say that my Cousin Louisa was hateful?  She is one of the loveliest women in this world!  Just think!  Cousin Louisa has written to say that she can’t have me, or rather won’t have me, visit her.  She is going to shut up her house, and is going to sail for Europe.  I know it is just to escape my odious presence.”

“Why, Madge, what will you do?” Eleanor asked.  “You’ve nowhere else to go.”  You know how you hate those awful children at Charlottesville.”

“Wait, Eleanor Butler—­wait!” Madge cried dramatically.  “You do not know what has happened, nor why I now truly love and adore the same Cousin Louisa whom I once thought I disliked.  Just look here.”  Madge waved a small strip of paper in the air.  “Cousin Louisa has sent me a check for two hundred dollars!  She says I am to spend the money on my summer vacation in any way I like, provided Aunt Sue and Uncle William approve.”

“But you can’t go off traveling by yourself,” objected Eleanor.  “I should think you would hate to spend your summer alone.”

“Alone!” Madge answered indignantly.  “Who said I meant to spend my vacation alone?  I want you three girls to spend the six weeks with me.  Only last night Eleanor and I said that we four girls could never be really happy anywhere without one another.”

“Generous Madge,” smiled Lillian affectionately.  “Two hundred dollars seems quite a fortune.  Perhaps you ought not to spend it all.  Where can we go, and what can we do?”

“Young ladies,” a stern voice spoke just outside the door, “kindly remember this is the study hour.  You are expected to keep silence.”

An unusual stillness fell on the four offenders.  Only Madge’s blue eyes flashed rebelliously.  “It’s that tiresome Miss Jones.  You might know she would be somewhere about.  She is the crossest teacher in this school.”

“Sh-sh, Madge,” Eleanor lowered her voice, “Miss Jones might hear you.  She is ill, I am sure.  That is what makes her so cross.  Phil and I are both sorry for her.”

“Oh, you and Phil are sorry for everybody.  That’s nothing!  Thank goodness, there is the bell!  It is the recreation hour.  Come, my beloved chums, I simply must think of some way to spend our vacation and I never can think indoors.  ‘It is the merry month of May,’” caroled Madge.  “Come, Phil, let us go down to the water and take Nell and Lillian rowing.  It is a dream of an afternoon, all soft and sunshiny, and the river folk are calling us, the frogs, and the water rats——­”

“Dear me, Madge,” teased Phil, “do hush.  We are glad enough to go rowing without an invitation from the frogs.  We have two hours before supper time.  Shall we ask poor Miss Jones to go with us?  She does not have much fun, and you know it is her duty to make us keep the rules.  Miss Jones admires you very much, Madge.  She said you were clever enough to do anything you liked, if you would only try.  But she knows you don’t like her.”