“Oh, Miss Dodge,” said Winnie eagerly, “Joanne and I have the most heavenly plan.”
“That sounds encouraging,” said Miss Dodge. “Suppose you divulge it. I can guarantee that the girls will listen.”
So Winnie divulged, turning to Joanne once in a while for information. Of course there was a great buzzing and exclaiming when she paused to take breath, and questions came thick and fast.
“Wait, wait, girls,” said Miss Dodge. “Let’s get to the practical part of this before we begin to talk of taking things to eat and all that. We cannot be at all sure that it would be feasible to go by canal. In the first place we shall have to find out how long it would take, and on what day this grain boat will make the trip. We should have to go on Friday afternoon and get back on Saturday, of course. If the boat did not arrive before the middle of the night I should not want to go on it.”
Winnie and Joanne looked at each other. “We never thought of that,” murmured Winnie.
“But if it does go on Friday afternoon, and we are sure that it would get there before dark we could go, couldn’t we?” spoke up Joanne.
“Oh, Miss Dodge, please say yes,” coaxed Miriam.
“I can’t, right off like that,” Miss Dodge answered, smiling. “I shall have to investigate further. It sounds delightful, I admit, and I hope we can make the trip, but don’t set your hearts on it.”
“How soon can we know?” asked Esther. “We ought to fix on as early a date as possible, while the weather is mild, don’t you think so?”
“Next Friday! Next Friday!” clamored several voices.