“The girl shall stay here through the Christmas holidays. No one shall be without a home and friends at such a season. It will be difficult I know, Polly dear, but if you will talk to the Camp Fire girls they will be kinder to Miss Temple than any request from me could make them. Strange as it may seem to you, Richard, the Camp Fire girls are devoted to Polly and she has an extraordinary influence over them all. But Polly is quite right, we cannot consider asking the girl to become a member of our Camp Fire until we discover whether or not the other girls like and approve of her. You seem to know singularly little concerning your own protégée, sir.” Mrs. Burton’s laughter held a note of teasing, as Aunt Patricia’s directness was always amusing unless one chanced to be the victim. “Yes, well, perhaps that is true, but she comes of excellent family, I believe.” “I care little about family, the question is of the girl herself. Remember, I was a poor Irish girl until my brother left me his fortune, and have no aristocratic leanings. Polly and I will leave you and talk to the girl herself. I have little opinion of a man’s judgment in such a case.” “What is the matter with Richard, Polly, he looks worried?” Miss Patricia demanded as they moved away. “Is it a question of money?” Mrs. Burton shook her head. “I don’t think so, Aunt Patricia, at least he said nothing to me.” Inside the cabin the Camp Fire girls were not visible at the present time. Several of them were engaged with final Christmas preparations, the others had gone for a walk with Betty Graham. Inside the living-room, sitting alone by the fire, was the solitary girl who had appeared so unceremoniously the evening before. She was crouched on the floor upon a low stool looking in the flames when Mrs. Burton and Miss Lord entered, but rose up hastily. Unusually tall, although not so tall as Miss Patricia, Juliet Temple had ash-colored brown hair and gray eyes and a shy, almost colorless manner. “I am sorry to have intruded upon you in this fashion, Mrs. Burton,” she began. “I suddenly lost my position in Washington and Captain Burton was so kind, I did not altogether realize what I was doing in coming to you like this. Now I can see that you can have no possible use for me with so many girls about you. If you will be kind enough to have some one drive me back to the village I shall not trouble you further.” Mrs. Burton put out her hand toward the unknown visitor in a friendly fashion. “You will stay with us a few days in any case, won’t you, Miss Temple? Perhaps after all you may be able to do something for me, or for all of us. Who knows? But in any event you must not think of leaving us until we know that you go to friends, where you will be happy. Was there, by chance, anything beside the loss of your position that made you wish to leave Washington at once?” The girl hesitated and then spoke quickly: