“The following Saturday, I hope. You see the marks come out the next Monday, and the Gym team will be selected; so new girls will be eligible to the troop after that. And I want one hike by ourselves—as a reward for the good work you have done.”
“How many new girls do you think we shall have?” asked Marian.
“There will be ten girls on the school Gym-team, but probably some of those are already Scouts. And then there is a possibility that some of the girls who are either hockey or swimming-team members may pull up their marks in their studies and qualify.”
Lily clapped her hands. “I do so hope Marjorie makes it,” she exclaimed with such enthusiasm that Miss Phillips did not have the heart to reprove her for her breach of discipline. “And she will,” she added, “if she makes 90% in her Latin test.”
Ruth looked annoyed. Half the fun of being a Girl Scout was the publicity of it—the fact that she was one of the eight distinguished members—that she belonged to something Marjorie could not join.
“As soon as we get more girls into the troop,” announced Captain Phillips, “we will give a play, to earn enough money to pay for our camping trip this summer.”
The girls were so interested that Miss Phillips was forced to go into details about the plans; they talked such a long time that it was necessary to adjourn without the customary games.
Marjorie’s evening had been spent in her own room, studying Latin. Although the test was not to be held until the following Tuesday, she felt that she had not a minute to lose. The hardest part to her was, of course, the English into Latin—“prose composition,” Miss White, the teacher, called it. It was in this that she had failed before; therefore, she directed all her effort to mastering it. There was not one construction of which she felt uncertain; she did not see how she could fail.
Just as she was gathering her books into a neat pile for the night, the door opened and Lily came in. She was full of the plans for the hike, the play, and the camp; and she poured her news into Marjorie’s eager ears.
When she stopped a moment for breath, the other girl exclaimed, “I simply must make it! I’d love to be in the play, and go camping! Just think of the fun! Of course, Miss Phillips will go with you this summer?”