“After eating all those cakes this morning I don’t see how I could have eaten all this dinner,” said Bob, looking at his empty plate.
“I do,” returned Mr. Pattison. “I don’t think any one of us can throw a stone at the others. My plate is as empty as yours, Bob, and the same can be said of the rest.”
“That makes me feel better,” said Bob.
Leaving the boys at their camp the others went on to Washington to reach there before dark. Joanne, laden down with her basket of arbutus, a store of eggs, and a pair of chickens, was not questioned too closely by her grandmother, though she was honest enough to say: “I got lost in the woods when I was hunting arbutus, but I came across two Boy Scouts and they took me home. Guess who one of them was, Gradda.”
“How should I know? I am not acquainted with any of your Boy Scouts.”
“You are with this one; you know his mother, too. I was so surprised when I ran across him. It was Bob Marriott, Gradda, and the boy with him was named Jack Barry.”
“I wonder if he is any relation to Eleanor Lewis; she married a John Barry. I knew the Barrys well,” said Mrs. Selden reminiscently, more concerned in this question than in the manner of Joanne’s meeting the boys. “Eleanor Lewis was an intimate friend of your mother’s, Joanne. A mighty nice girl she was, too. I should be glad to meet her again. Do these Barrys live in Washington, did you say?”
“They live at Chevy Chase. Jack’s uncle owns the place next to Cousin Ned’s; that’s how they happened to be up there. The boys promised to come to see us; then you can find out if it is the same family of Barrys. Bob is visiting Jack, you know.”
This matter so occupied Mrs. Selden’s mind that she asked no more questions, and Joanne congratulated herself that she had avoided a lecture. She told her grandfather all about it, however. He listened gravely and shook his head solemnly as she concluded her story.
“Joanne, Joanne,” he said, “I’m afraid I can’t permit you to go to the country again unless you promise on your word of honor never to go into the woods alone.”