“How about everybody bringing what they want?” asked Queenie.
“All right,” answered Marjorie. “Bring your own dessert, and I’ll supply the substantials.”
The selection of a place for the hike was another subject for contention. Most of the girls wanted to turn the hike into a boat-ride and go up the river on a steamer, and dance during the ride. Some of them desired to sojourn to one of the nearby amusement parks. It was only after the greatest persuasion that they were finally won over to the Wissahickon.
“But what can we do there?” demanded Aggie, in a grieved tone.
“Hike!” exclaimed Marjorie. “The scenery’s beautiful.”
Gertie and Clara groaned.
“All right, we’ll do just as you want this time,” concluded Queenie. And whatever Queenie decided was always adopted.
But Marjorie left the settlement house that night with anything but pleasurable anticipation for the event of the coming week. In the eyes of these experienced girls a mere hike into the woods was insipid. They knew nothing of birds or flowers; beautiful scenery had no attraction for them if the opposite sex were not present, and cooking of any sort was a bore. They were missing so much of the best of life, Marjorie thought, yet she had no idea how she was to open their eyes. However, she decided not to worry; perhaps the affair would turn out far better than she dared hope.
The weather itself proved in her favor; the sun shone brightly, the sky was a clear, deep blue, and the colors of the autumn leaves the most brilliant imaginable. The air was bracing, but not cold. How the members of Pansy troop had revelled in such weather, and such excursions; Marjorie experienced a little pang of homesickness as she left the girls of her own class at college on their way to a picnic, and hastened off to meet her new troop.
She was disappointed at the outset to find only four of the girls at the appointed place. Aggie and Clara had succumbed to “dates”; Gertie had pronounced the undertaking too strenuous; and Mame had gone to the movies. So only the four remained—the languid Annie Marshall, bright-eyed Stella Cox, attractive little Dottie Williams, and Queenie. Marjorie felt her spirits suddenly sink; numbers were almost always indicative of success on these outdoor excursions, and it would be hard to arouse the lively spirit of adventure she so desired.