“Scout Todd,” answered Miss Phillips, “if you remember correctly, I announced several months ago, that no girl in Pansy troop could become a second-class scout without submitting samples of both knitting and crocheting. You all know our standards are very high, and Miss Allen and I both agreed that in all the cases where the handbook gave a choice of two alternatives, we would require both. It is entirely fair, because it is the same for everybody. Do you understand?”
Ruth sat perfectly still; but she saw her hopes of wearing the green clover badge home at vacation fading, for though she knit splendidly, she had never done a stitch of crocheting in her life.
Miss Phillips distributed the paper, and the girls gave their attention to the written part of the test.
As they were getting ready for lunch the next day, Ethel asked Ruth whether she could crochet.
“Yes,” replied Ruth, after a slight hesitation.
“And have you something ready to take this afternoon?”
Ruth opened her drawer, and took out a square of filet. “I haven’t done much of it, but I guess it’s enough to show Captain Phillips what I can do!”
“How pretty,” said Ethel admiringly. “Oh, Ruth, couldn’t you teach me; I do so want to get that second-class badge!”
“I’d love to,” replied Ruth; “but I can’t before to-night, because it’s pretty hard to learn, and I want to practice for the play. I think I stand some chance of getting the heroine’s part, if I read it over several times. But I wouldn’t if Marj Wilkinson were in the troop. She’s a peach at dramatics!”
Ethel was disappointed, but decided to wait until spring vacation to learn. She was not, however, the only girl to fail to win the second-class badge for this reason. When the scouts met a few hours later in the Gym, it transpired that Ruth and two others were the only ones to produce samples of their work.