that the condition of affairs was more than she could cope with and
from the day of her arrival home she was constantly in fear lest some
dread catastrophe should befall the family because the "biggest man"
in Hollyhill kept himself severely fortified against the adulation of
his fellow townsmen and the character weakening influence of personal
vanity.

* * * * *




CHAPTER XII.

A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE.


The Flamingo Camp Fire arrived at the Stanlock home on Friday.
Christmas was scheduled on the calendar to fall on the following
Wednesday.

From the day of their arrival all of the girls were busy with
Christmas preparations. Every one of them, several weeks before, had
taken on her the task of making, buying, or assembling from parts
purchased a score or more of presents. As one of the chief aims of
Hiawatha Institute was to teach wealthy men's daughters how to be
economical, it goes without saying that each of these girls had on
hand no enviable Winter Task.

Madame Cleaver laid the matter very plainly before her two hundred and