t noon. Then, from the tonneau of the machine, came the waving of a red squa

een meadow, bordered on one side by a country road and on the other by a small brook of clear water and a patch of dark woods. It was an ideal place to ha

ut her cup of tea. In the meantime the girls spread a cloth and set out their fare. There were dainty chicken sandwiches with crisp lettuce leaves lurking between t

ing from attending to the a?roplan

rselves," declared Roy, "girl

ghed Jess. "I suppose you mean that

nd at the "sprea

of Miss Prescott's own particular kind of tea was in the air. The boys preferred to try the water from the brook, despite Jake's dir

et any we might as well pr

he woods for wild flowers which grew in great profusion on the opposite side of the stream. Crossing it by a plank

st about to return to the a?roplanes and resume their

t's that?"

hat had arrested her attention; a sharp c

e defini

se; don't hi

ild!" excl

ggy, "some one is

to think that a child was being subjected to ill-treatment, an

s, while we see what's

hing!" rejoined the plucky

e," advised Roy; "we don't know

forward. After traveling about two hundred yards they found themselves in a small clearing where a most unus

elfin. The woman wore the garb of a gipsy, and the presence of some squalid tents and tethered ho

at first she did not see the newcomers. It was not till Roy ste

to this child?" dema

the retort, as the woman for an in

darted to the sheltering arm

e will kill me," the chil

tenderly, "don't cry. We won

had seized her arms and held them. At this the crone set up a hideous shriek and, as if it had been a si

cried, as they ran up, rega

trying to steal the Wren

he boys, one of them waving

woman," they s

ommit violence. But Roy, releasing his hold of the struggling gipsy woman, put up his fists in such a scientific manner that, for an ins

l them!" she cr

ting to escape a furious assault. Neither of the lads was a weakling, and good

ded a heavy blow which, if successful, must have injured him seriously. The girls, screaming, rushed off, carrying "the Wren," as

worthy, as he picked up a monkey wrench, the on

received a terrific blow on the arm from one of the gipsy's cudgels. The boy's arm dropped as if paralyzed. With a howl of triumph the ruffian who had dealt him the blow ru

his one," cried Jake, rushing into the mêlée, wh

in a group, gazed

be killed!" s

e careful!"

a personage had been within a dozen miles, was not needed. A clever blow from Roy laid the cudgel wielder low, and the other

," cried Roy, as he saw

y, wringing his left hand; "I be

as the two boys made their wa

nounced, after an examination. "Wel

cried Jess; "we thought

e hopes,' not forgetting Jake," smiled Roy

," cried Bess admiringly, giving

, unless we'd run away," laughed Roy, "and n

her bewilderedly. Her clothing was a red gingham dress that fitted her like a sack. She was shoeless and stockingless. Her brown hair, unkempt and

ppose we ask Aunt Sally? I don't want to let the gipsies

le creature burst int

me back; don't," she begged

ess. Tears came to the girl's eyes a

e child's head, "you shan't go back if we can he

gal right to take

ose indignation had been fully aroused, "come on. Let's get ba

before any more of those fellows come up. There must be

o ran off, have gone to call them," put i

walked behind and, with Jake, formed a sort of rear guard to ward off any possible attack. But either the other members of the band were

istened to the tale they had to tell. From time to tim

's bruised arms. They were black and blue from rough handling, and

e asked, motioning to the chi

ys called me," was the response,

r name?" asked Mi

d shook

with the tribe. I remember a home and my mother,

gipsy," declared P

napped her some pl

problem of what to do wi

to those people," declar

how are we to look a

olve itself," said Miss Prescott, a

hat?" ask

t may not be legal, but humanity comes above the la

e's as militant as a newly blossomed suffrag

y with you?" que

" came from

ted lady's lap and burst into a passion of

oods. From them a group of men had burst, armed with sticks and stones. T

you had better get in the machine and drive