"It's the strangest thing," said Edith Putnam, "to be on the land and on the water at the same time. Here we are, sitting on what seems to be good solid grass and earth; and yet if you dug a hole in it, you'd strike the lake right away."
"You'd strike logs first," corrected Jack Harris; "but if you bored through the logs you'd come to the water."
"It's perfectly lovely to feel the little swaying motion," said May Lewis, who in her quiet way was greatly enjoying the novel experiences. "I shall hate to go back to the city. How I envy you, Lilian, with a whole summer of this before you."
"But you're going away with your mother, next month, aren't you?"
"Yes; but we'll be cooped up in one or two little rooms at some seashore place; it is very different from having a whole hotel all to yourself."
"Indeed it is," said Dorothy; "we certainly did the wisest thing when we came up here this summer. And now that Kathleen is here, I have almost nothing to do in the kitchen, and the rest of the housework that I do have to look after is so light that I don't mind it a bit."
"That's because you're so clever," said Edith, sighing; "you're systematic and orderly, and have everything arranged just so. I don't see how you do it. I should forget half the things, and get the other half all mixed up."
"I believe you would," said Dorothy, laughing. "And I did get somewhat mixed up at first. But I learned by experience, and besides I was just determined that I would succeed. Because I proposed the whole scheme, and of course, I wanted it to be a success."
"And it is a success," returned Edith; "and you have made it so. You have lots of perseverance in your nature, Dorothy."
"It's nice of you to call it by that name," said Dorothy; "but I think it's just stubbornness. I've always been stubborn."