Miss Dodge was not long in giving them the reason for her pleased expression. “Girls,” she began, “I want you to give three cheers for Mr. Pattison; he has offered this place to us for the month of July so we can have our summer camp here.”
It is needless to say that the cheers were given with a will, then the girls crowded around with a dozen questions and with vociferous thanks. Finally they started off on their eight mile hike to the station singing “We feel just as happy as big Sunflowers,” a song which Miss Dodge had resurrected from an old book, and which they had taken over as particularly fitting for a Sunflower troop.
Joanne reached home tired but very happy. She flung down her pack and bounced into the room where her grandparents were sitting. “We’ve had just the gloriousest time,” she exclaimed, “and just think of it, I have walked eight miles this morning.”
“Oh, Joanne,” cried her grandmother, “you must be quite exhausted. You’d better go right up-stairs and go to bed. I will send your lunch up.”
Joanne made a funny little grimace at her grandfather. “But, Gradda, I don’t want to go to bed, and I am as hungry as a hunter. I have grown such an appetite you wouldn’t recognize it. I shouldn’t like to tell you how many cakes I ate for supper last night. Miss Dodge has learned to make just as good griddle cakes as Unc’ Aaron’s, and we all have tried, too. Mine aren’t quite so good yet, but they weren’t so bad.” She turned to her grandfather. “Please, Grad, say I don’t have to go up and even lie down. I feel fine as silk.”
He took her by the shoulders and looked her over critically. “I must say I never saw you looking so well,” he declared. “I don’t think she need go to her room, my dear,” he said to his wife.
“But I am sure she will have a headache if she eats when she is exhausted,” returned Mrs. Selden.
“But I don’t feel exhausted or even tired,” persisted Joanne. “We came home on the cars and that rested me. Why, Gradda, I have been going like a steam engine ever since I left.”
“How many headaches have you had?”
“Not one. Isn’t this fine? We are going to spend July up at that heavenly place, all our troop.”