Sure enough Betty, hurrying across the campus a moment later to intercept the man who had promised to crate her desk and then never come for it, was stopped by a timid little sub-freshman with her hair in a braid, who inquired if she was going to take the “major French” examination, and did she know whether it came at eleven or twelve o’clock?
“So we’re all got to go off on a trolley-ride,” shouted Bob jubilantly, and though Betty protested and called Helen to witness that she hadn’t promised Bob any trolley-ride whatever, everybody agreed that they ought to have one last picnic somewhere before they separated. So they all hurried home to do what Katherine called “tall strides of work,” and at four o’clock they were waiting, with tempting-looking bags and bundles tucked under their arms, for a car.
“We’ll take the first one that comes,” Bob decided, “and go until we see a nice picnic-y place.”
Generally no one place would have pleased everybody, but to-day no one said a word against Bob’s first choice,—a steep, breezy hillside, with a great thicket of mountain laurel in full bloom near the summit and a flat rock, shaded by a giant elm-tree, for a table.
“LADIES, BEHOLD THE PRECEPTRESS OF THE KANKAKEE ACADEMY”
It was such a comical supper, for each girl had obeyed Bob’s haphazard instructions to bring what she liked best. So Roberta had nothing but ginger-snaps and Babbie solemnly presented each guest with a bottle of olives. Madeline had brought strawberries with sugar to dip them in, and Helen, Betty and Eleanor discovered to their amazement that they had all chosen chocolate éclairs.
“It’s not a very substantial supper,” said Madeliner “but we can stop at Cuyler’s on our way back.”
“For a substantial ice,” jeered Bob.