“Oh, do come in, Stacia,” called Jacqueline.  “I am just reading this girl scout manual and can’t understand these signal tests.  Did you ever see one of these manuals?” and again Tessie was confronted with the persistent little blue book which had so conspicuously affected her life.

“I have something you would just love!” exclaimed Tessie, taking impulse from Jacqueline’s enthusiasm.  “I—­that is, a friend of mine found it.  It’s a merit medal,” she had declared almost before she realized what she was about.

“Oh, a real merit badge?” asked Jacqueline.  “Not really a genuine badge of merit?  Those are all registered and can only be used by the original owners.”

“I’ll show you,” agreed Tessie, and now there was no turning back.  The girl, too helpless to share in scout activities, was examining and fondling that merit badge a moment later, and seeing her delight, Tessie felt amply repaid for her generosity.

“I’ll tell you!” decided the child, pinning the little wreathed clover leaf on her silk negligee, “I’ll keep it carefully, and every day you and I can make our scout pledges.  Then, when I know you long enough to be awfully sure you understand it, I am going to let you into a wonderful secret.  Won’t that be splendid?” and her blue eyes begged confidence from the brown eyes, as both girls thrilled with scout magic.

“Oh, yes, I would love to know your secret,” Tessie felt obliged to reply, “and maybe some day we will find the girl who lost the badge.”

This ended the transfer of the much-prized emblem, and in giving its story Tessie succeeded in covering the detail of locality by vaguely stating “a girl friend found it and gave it to her.”  So Jacqueline had no means of knowing of its connection with the Girl Scouts of True Tred Troop.

That night Tessie felt a peculiar relief.  It was as if some great burden had been lifted from her.  To give to dear Jacqueline anything worthy of her was in itself a thing worth doing, and to make good use of the badge was also an important consideration.

“I never had any luck since I carried that around with me!” she decided, but that was a false statement.  There never is, nor never was any question of “luck.”  The real fact of the matter was simply that Tessie, while in possession of the little badge, was continually reminded of its purpose, and the ideals it stood for, so that in her rather reckless career the emblem confronted her with constant mute appeal.

Meanwhile, Jacqueline refused the urgent demands of her nurse that she retire.

“No, nursie dear.  Do be lovely to me tonight,” she pleaded, “and let me wait for Jerry.  I have the most glorious news for him.”

“If all of this nonsense does you good, Jacqueline, I am sure I shall not oppose it,” replied the nurse.  “But personally, it is beyond my experience.  There is Mr. Gerald now.  Just ring when you want me.”

So Jacqueline was left to tell the handsome big brother about her wonderful acquisition.