“We will have the formal ceremony the first Friday after spring vacation; but I know that you girls are anxious to wear your badges at the cabin party, so I am going to give them to you now. Sew them on your left sleeve,” she concluded.
After the dishes had been cleared away, and the dining-room and kitchen made spotless, the girls sang some songs around the piano in the living-room, and then proceeded to get ready to go back to the school.
“The plays will be here by Monday,” said Miss Phillips, as she bade the girls good night. “Be sure to get your copies to take home with you.”
The next morning Ruth told Ethel that she had a headache, and intended to ask for permission to stay away from church.
“Too much party, I guess,” said Ethel, as she put on her hat. “You better lie down till noon!”
But it was not the result of the party that was keeping Ruth at home; she had an important errand to perform, for which she needed the desertion of Sunday morning.
She waited until all was quiet in the hall; then taking a small article out of her bureau drawer, she walked quickly over to Marjorie’s room. She was so sure that the latter would be at church, that she opened the door without knocking. To her great surprise, Marjorie suddenly sat up in bed.
“Hullo, Ruth!” she exclaimed. “What time is it? I guess I must have overslept! Lily went over to stay all night with Helen Stewart, so I hadn’t anybody to waken me.”
Ruth was extremely taken back by Marjorie’s presence, but concealed her embarrassment, and took advantage of the other girl’s sleepiness to drop, unnoticed, the article she held in her hand behind one of the pillows on Lily’s cot.
“It’s after eleven o’clock! You’ll never make church now!” she said.