other.

"I'm not even sure I'm going!" said Mary Bell, ruefully.

The sudden look of concern in his face went straight to her heart.
Jim Carr really cared, then, that she couldn't go! Big, clever,
kindly Jim Carr, who was superintendent at the power-house, and a
comparative newcomer in Deaneville, was an important personage.

"Not going!" said Jim, blankly. "Oh, say--why not!"

Mary Bell explained. But Jim was encouraging.

"Why, of course your aunt will come!" he assured her sturdily.
"She'll know what it means to you. You'll go up with the Dickeys,
won't you? I'm going up early, with the Parmalees, but I'll look out
for you! I've got to hunt up my kid brother now; he's got to sleep
at Montgomery's to-night. I don't want him alone at the hotel, if
Johnnie isn't there. If you happen to see him, will you tell him?"

"All right," said Mary Bell. And her spirits were sufficiently
braced by his encouragement to enable her to call cheerfully after
him, "See you later, Jim!"

"See you later!" he shouted back, and Mary Bell went back to the
kitchen with a lightened heart. Aunt Mat wouldn't--COULDN'T--fail
her!

She carried a carefully prepared tray in to her mother at five
o'clock, and sat beside her while the invalid slowly finished her