“Oh, Val!” Phyllis said, hugging her exultantly. “You look marvelous this morning.”
“Indeed she does,” Gale agreed, as the three of them walked to their horses.
“I feel it too,” Val declared.
“All the credit goes to beautiful Arizona,” Phyllis said cheerily.
“No it doesn’t,” Val said sturdily. “You girls deserve a vote of thanks on my behalf. I hereby express it,” she said gayly.
“Who is getting thanked and for what?” Janet interrupted, overtaking the three while Madge, Carol, and Virginia lagged behind.
“I’m offering all the Adventure Girls a vote of thanks for helping me back to health,” Valerie said.
“And we claim we didn’t have anything to do with it,” Gale said immediately. “It was sheer grit on Val’s part that she won out.”
“I’m inclined to agree with you,” Janet said to Gale. “She has been wonderful, hasn’t she?”
“My word!” Valerie laughed. “I’m getting a lot of bouquets. You will bring on a rainstorm with such compliments.”