“And now it is for you, Girl Scouts of Pansy Troop, to decide what must be done with Ruth Henry. Shall we expel her from the troop? I would like to hear some arguments on both sides of the question.”
Ethel, who probably disliked Ruth more intensely than any other girl in the troop, and who had originally been the cause of her failing to make the sorority, spoke against her. The girl had broken the first law of the scouts; she was a menace to the welfare of the troop; the sooner they got rid of her, the better.
Before the speech was finished, Marjorie rose to her defense. “I have known Ruth a long time,” she said, “and I think I understand her. She is dreadfully ambitious—always has been—but girls, I think she has learned her lesson. And I have forgiven her—so can’t you do it, too? Oh, please let her stay in the troop! Honestly, she’s suffered an awful lot already!”
Frances also spoke in her behalf. When the vote was finally taken, the Ayes carried it, twelve to four. Miss Phillips promised to take the news to Ruth; the scouts pledged on their honor to drop the incident from their minds.
All the candidates who took the second-class test that night passed with honor, but Marjorie’s mark was highest of them all.
“Be up early to-morrow morning to get ready for our orphans,” said Miss Phillips, as the troop separated; “we want to make them the happiest girls in the world.”
“We couldn’t do that,” said Marjorie to Lily; “because I’m the very happiest! Oh, Lil, I’m really going camping this summer!”
CHAPTER XXVI
THE PLAY
“Good-bye! good-bye!” shouted the twenty-four happy little girls, leaning out of the windows and waving their handkerchiefs, as the train pulled out of the station the following afternoon. The scouts watched it until it was out of sight; then they turned towards the school.