girls became alarmed.

"Do you feel ill?" asked Medmangi, feeling her pulse with a practised
hand. Medmangi is going to be a doctor and is in her element when she
has a patient to attend to. Pearl opened her big blue eyes languidly.

"I just got light-headed," she said, in a weak voice. "I think maybe
it's because I'm--I'm hungry."

"Why didn't we think of it before?" asked Hinpoha, filled with self-
reproach. "We might have known you hadn't had anything to eat since
yesterday if you stayed in that storeroom all night. We'll stop in this
village and get you something."

"I'd rather you wouldn't," said Pearl, in a somewhat embarrassed
manner. "I really don't want anything to eat."

"Not want anything to eat!" echoed Hinpoha. "Why don't you want to eat
if you're hungry?"

"You see," answered Pearl, still more embarrassed, "when I, when I ran
away, I didn't stop to take my purse and I haven't any money to pay--"

"That's nonsense," said Gladys, firmly. "You have got to let us help
you. It isn't any more than you would do for someone in the same
position."

They stopped and got her something to eat and the others drank pop to
keep her company. In spite of her being as hungry as she must have been
Pearl did not eat very much; her trouble had evidently taken away her