“That’s up to you, Miss Wilkinson. If you’ll keep on with our troop, we’ll do just what you tell us. If you say to can ’em, we’ll put the lid on tight and stand ’em up for a date we made for tonight.”
Marjorie was silent, totally at a loss as to her correct course of action. If she advised the girls not to see the young men, they might do it in secret; on the other hand if she did not protest, would not that be approving their conduct? If only she were experienced; if only she had some one to advise her!
“Do you really want to go on with the troop?” she asked, waiving the question for the moment. “Are you serious?”
“Yes, why not?”
“But the hike bored you, you think that the tests are silly——”
“But you don’t bore us, Miss Wilkinson! We want you, and so long as you’re for the scouts, we’re for scouts. Get me?”
Marjorie could not but be pleased at such frank, such sincere admiration. She never doubted the girl for a moment.
“I’d have to have a solemn pledge from you all,” she finally replied firmly.
“A pledge for what? That we wouldn’t see those fellows again?”
“Oh, no, that doesn’t matter so much, if they are all right. But I mean a promise that you won’t do that sort of thing again; that if you decide for scouting, you will go in for it for all it is worth. I will not have a half-hearted troop.”