"
Miss Ladd spoke these words lightly as if to pass judgment on the
conference as entirely too serious for a Christmas holiday occasion.
Marion and Helen did not respond in tones of joviality, as might have
been expected. They met her jocular reproach with expressions of such
serious portent that the Guardian of the Fire could no longer look
upon it as calling for words of levity.
"What's the matter, girls?" she repeated more seriously. "You look
worried."
"Sit down, Miss Ladd, and read these letters I received last night,"
said Marion without any change of tone or manner. "They will explain
the whole thing. We were just about to call you aside and lay our
trouble before you."
"Trouble," Miss Ladd repeated deprecatingly, "I hope it isn't as bad
as that."
She drew an upholstered armchair close to the girls and began at once
to examine the letters that Marion handed to her. Marion and Helen
watched her closely as she read, but the Guardian of Flamingo Fire
indicated her strength of character by a stern immobility of
countenance until she had finished both letters. Then she looked at
Marion steadily and said inquiringly:
"I suppose you have no idea who wrote these letters?"
"Not the slightest," replied the girl addressed, "unless the shorter
one was written and mailed by some of the Boy Scouts at Spring Lake.
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