It was all glorious, beautiful!  The fairy queen was seated on the rock—­the throne simply lost in flowers.  She wore a robe that sparkled with something like spangled crystals, and she held in her hand a golden wand.

Seated at the foot of the rock was a girl dressed simply and representing the Wayfarer.

And now we have guessed these characters are none other than Jacqueline and Tessie!

“What a perfectly beautiful picture!” On every lip and tongue were such exclamations, when suddenly from the “victim at the tree” a weird sort of whistle music, made on the most artistically shaped instrument, like the pipes of Pan, sounded through the woodland.

“Oh!” was all Grace could articulate, and with its ejaculation had pinched Cleo’s arm into a promising “black and blue!”

After the piper had played his tune Captain Clark gave the signal for the troops to be seated, then she stepped forward and stood on a stone by the side of the Queen’s throne.

“This is the end of the rainbow!” began the captain, “and I am sure we are satisfied now that all Fairyland is not limited to books.  I want to introduce Miss Jacqueline Douglass,” indicating the queen, “and her brother, Mr. Gerald Douglass,” pointing to “Pan.”  “Last spring we took a hike to this wood and one of our members tried to do a humane service by making a capture!”

(Grace felt her cheeks would ignite, but Cleo was trying to reassure her.)

“It is not always what we do, but it is always what we try to do,” went on Captain Clark, “and Grace Philow tried to capture a tramp.  In the attempt she made fast a staunch friend, for Mr. Douglass now stands as our ally, rather than our victim!”

A shrill blast on his pipes signified “Pan’s” agreement, and the troops applauded until the echo came back from the other side of the river.

“I heard the bandit say she was after Mrs. Johnston’s wash,” Pan declared, with Captain Clark’s permission, “and she gave me a merry chase after my ‘gob bag.’  Little sister Jack and I had been spending an afternoon in the woods, and while she went out to the road in her chair I was to lug the bag.  You really are an expert little highwayman, Bandit!” he finished, addressing Grace, who stood right at the end of the line.

“And now I shall ask a word from our queen,” announced Captain Clark.

Jacqueline smiled and the girls could not help but exclaim how pretty she was.

“You see I have been unable to walk since last winter,” spoke the queen, “and when brother Gerald told me about the woodland girls, I begged him to play out the game, and you see he did.  He wrote the letters, and hid them in this rock, then the girls sent the scout I wanted, and oh, it has been altogether so wonderful!  We will have to have a real rally to tell you all about it, for the doctors say I will be all right again very soon.”

Cheers greeted this news and Jacqueline waved her wand in appreciation.