“Well, no, I hope not. I’d try mighty hard to chirk up outside no matter how I felt inside.”
“There! What did I tell you? I think you’ve made a big jump from babyhood into—what shall we say?—Girl Scouthood? Allow me as patrol leader as well as sister Scout to say that you need not be discouraged; we’ll have you a Golden Eaglet yet if all goes well.”
“Oh, Claudia!”
“Sure thing. Chirk up; you’ll get there. I turn off here. Good-bye, and don’t forget my parting words.”
Joanne waved a farewell and went on with high hopes. “What darlings they are; even Claudia, that I was half afraid of and was sure I shouldn’t ever be real friends with, is a perfect love. It’s been a wonderful day. I believe, after all, that I am glad our trip to the country is ahead of us instead of being half over.”
She went into the house humming: “The End of a Perfect Day,” and found her grandmother looking for her.
“Well, my dear,” said Mrs. Selden, “I thought it was high time you were here. You didn’t walk home without your rubbers, did you?”
“No, Gradda, Winnie lent me a pair of hers. Claudia and I saw the sunset from the bridge; it was gorgeous and the cathedral loomed up so grandly as we looked up Rock Creek. We went out of our way so as to see it all. I like Claudia.”
“Did you have a good time, and have you had any return of your headache?”
“We had a great old time with a baby, and I have forgotten that I ever thought of having a headache. I don’t mean to have any more.”