looked as if he would like to beat her."

"I can understand that," laughed Miss Eleanor. "I've wanted to beat
Dolly myself sometimes when she laughed when she was being scolded for
something!"

"Oh, but this was different," said Bessie, earnestly. "Really, Miss
Eleanor, you'd have been frightened too, if you'd seen him. And I do
think Dolly ought to be very careful until they've gone away from Loon
Pond."

Bessie was so serious that Miss Eleanor was impressed, almost despite
herself.

"Well, yes, she must be careful, of course. I don't want the girls going
over to Loon Pond, anyway. I want them to have this time in the woods,
and live in a natural way, and the Loon Pond people at the hotel just
spoil the woods for me. But I don't believe there's any reason for being
really frightened, Bessie."

"Suppose that man tried to carry her off?"

"Oh, he wouldn't dare to try anything like that, Bessie. I don't believe
the gypsies are half as bad as they are painted, anyhow, but, even if he
would be willing to do it, he'd be afraid. The guides would soon run him
out of the preserve if they found him here; no one is supposed to be on
it, without permission. And a gypsy couldn't get that, I know."

"But it's a pretty big place, and there aren't so very many guides. We
didn't see one today, and we really took quite a long walk."