Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net [Illustration: THEY DESCENDED IN A BODY ON ADELAIDE’S TENT _Page 125_] WINONA OF THE CAMP FIRE By MARGARET WIDDEMER Author of “Winona of Camp Karonya,” “Winona’s War Farm,” “Winona’s Way.” A. L. BURT COMPANY Publishers—New York _Published by arrangement with J. B. Lippincott Company_ Printed in U. S. A. COPYRIGHT, 1915, BY J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY WINONA OF THE CAMP FIRE CHAPTER ONE The room they called the Den in Winnie Merriam’s house was dark, except for the leaping wood-fire in the big stone fireplace. Around the fire sat and lay five girls. They had been toasting marshmallows, but they were past the point where you eat the toasted ones with pleasure, or even steal the raw ones—which don’t taste burnt—to eat surreptitiously. “Helen Bryan, you’ve been feeding Puppums all your marshmallows for the last ten minutes,” accused Winnie, sitting up. She had been draping herself along a pile of cushions for the last fifteen minutes—thinking, evidently, for she had been quiet—a very unusual thing for chattering Winnie. Winnie Merriam was fourteen, but people usually took her for a year older, because of her slim height. She had big blue eyes in a face that was not regularly pretty, perhaps, but so gay and pink-cheeked and quick-smiling that people always _said_ she was pretty—which does quite as well. Her chum, Helen, defiantly fed a last marshmallow to the fat near-fox-terrier in the centre of the circle, who didn’t particularly seem to want it. “I’ve got to be polite to my hostess’s dog, haven’t I?” she retorted. “And he asked for them so pathetically!” “I expect the poor old pup will look more pathetic this time to-morrow,” said Winnie. “He’ll probably look like Buster Brown’s Tige in the last pictures—both paws up over his aching head. Then you’ll have to come back here and hold ice on his fevered brow, won’t she, Puppums?” “Or yours, maybe,” suggested Marie Hunter, the quiet brown girl in the corner. “What’s the matter, Win? You haven’t said a word for ages. I’ve been watching you.” “I’ve been _thinking_!” explained Winnie, nodding her curly brown head with dignity. “For the first time?” suggested Helen. “Don’t do it if it hurts, honey.” “No,” said Winnie placidly, “I’ve often been known to do it.”