"Let's sit on the top step of these stairs," said Phillis to Rose and
Alice, "and we can see through the balustrades. There's Mrs. Campron!
She's got a lovely dress on, and diamonds."

Rose remained with the two Armatage girls for a little while and Russ
saw to it that the little folks went to bed. Then he came out into the
hall again to see what the girls were doing. Before he could ask them he
chanced to look out of the back window at the end of the long hall.

"Oh!" cried Russ Bunker. "What is that?"

"What's what?" demanded Phillis. "What do you see?"

"Is it a shooting star?" went on Russ. "See that light! I believe it
must be a fire."

The girls came running to join him then, more interested in what Russ
saw than they were in what was going on at the party below.




CHAPTER XVII

MAMMY JUNE IN PERIL


From the big house on the Meiggs Plantation, standing on a knoll--which
means a small hill,--one could see for a long distance all about, in
spite of the shade trees, and especially when looking from the third