"And if we see anything that is likely to cause her trouble, we must shield her from it. That is what I mean by sort of keeping watch over her. At the same time, I believe that she is not altogether what she seems. She is hiding something from us--even though we are trying to be so kind to her. But she doesn't really mean to do it. She is just afraid, I think." "And you really believe that lieutenant knows her?" "He may. At least I think, from what you said, that he is honest in his belief. But we will watch and wait. We must try to help Estelle in the hour of trial." "Of course we will. Now hurry, for they are waiting for us." "Such a funny thing just happened to me!" cried Estelle to the party of young folks when they were in the automobile and on the way to the village. "I was mistaken for some one else." "What--again?" asked Alice. "No, the same incident that you witnessed," and she related the episode of the lieutenant as Alice had detailed it to Ruth. "That was queer," commented Hal Watson. "I should say so!" exclaimed Russ. "Was he at all fresh?" Paul asked, and his air was truculent. "Not in the least!" Estelle hastened to assure him. "He was honestly mistaken about it, that was all," and she enlarged on the incident, and seemed so genuinely amused by it that Alice nudged her sister as much as to say: "See how much in error you are." But Ruth only smiled, and Alice noticed that she regarded Estelle more closely than ever. The party made merry in the town, going into the "Emporium," for ice-cream sodas; and even the presence of Maurice Whitlow at the other end of the counter, where he was imbibing something through a straw, could not daunt Alice's high spirits. Whitlow smiled and smirked in the direction of his acquaintances, but he received no invitation to join them. As Estelle was going out in the rear of the party, the extra player slid up to her and asked: "Mayn't I have the pleasure of buying you some more cream?" "You may not!" exclaimed Estelle, not turning her head, and there were snickers from the other patrons in the place. Maurice turned the shade of his scarlet tie, and slid out a side door. "You're getting too popular," chided Alice to her friend. "First it's the young lieutenant, and now it's your former admirer." "I can dispense with the admiration of both!" "Even the lieutenant?" asked Ruth, meaningly. "Oh, he wasn't so bad," and Estelle either was really indifferent, or she assumed indifference in a most finished manner that would have done credit to a more experienced actress than she was. "What's the matter--are we late?" asked Paul, as, on the way back to Oak Farm, he saw Russ look at his watch and then speed up the car a bit.