Ruth sought Marjorie, and the girls went out together, closer in spirit than they had been for several months, due probably to their common misfortune at being left out of the happy number.
“And to think,” said Ruth, “that Lily Andrews is inside the favored circle, and we are both outside!”
CHAPTER XIII
AFTER THE MEETING
As soon as the opening ceremony was over, and John Hadley stepped forward to speak, he looked eagerly around the audience for Marjorie. But he was not able to locate her immediately; in fact, it was not until the boys had begun to semaphore, that he recognized her earnest, up-turned face.
Neither he nor Marjorie showed by their faces that they had ever seen each other before, but John waited impatiently for the meeting to be over, so that he might have a chance to talk with the girl who had occupied so much of his thoughts during the past days.
When Miss Allen had said that the Girl Scout candidates had already been chosen, and that they were to meet the Boy Scouts for a few moments after the demonstration, John felt sure that he would see Marjorie. For certainly she would be among those selected. Jack had often told him of his sister’s love of the out-of-doors; and the interest she had expressed in scout affairs at the dance assured him that she was just the type of girl to become a Girl Scout.
So, when Miss Allen introduced the seven girls on the way to the gym, it was with a feeling of keen disappointment that John realized that Marjorie was not one of them. Recognizing the ΦΑΒ sophomores that he had met at the dance, he went up and spoke to Ethel.
After they had exchanged the usual greetings, he tried to ask as casually as possible, “Where is Marjorie Wilkinson? Isn’t she a candidate for the scout troop?”
“No,” replied Ethel, “unfortunately she isn’t!”