“Why certainly!” exclaimed Lily. “We’re Girl Scouts, and they have to do good turns every day.”
“And what are Girl Scouts?” inquired the woman, wearily, but the girls knew from her tone that she was not really desirous of an explanation. Instead, Marjorie suggested action.
“Let’s start immediately,” she said. Then turning to the other girls, she added, “It ought to cost us only one day, and you know we have five to spare.”
Both cars turned about and started again towards the east. Travelling at night, which was never a pleasure to the girls, seemed doubly difficult in the desert; yet Marjorie felt that they did not dare wait until the morning; for, even though they might be able to afford the time, she understood the necessity of getting the sick child to safety. So she pressed resolutely on, and said nothing of her hunger pangs.
After they had been driving an hour or so, however, Mrs. Remington felt that it would be unwise to go further without food, and suggested that they stop and make a hasty meal. The scouts were all heartily in favor of this proposition.
“How about you?” asked Mrs. Remington, turning to the stranger.
“A bite to eat would taste mighty good,” she responded, wearily.
They pulled up the cars by the road-side, and took out their folding stove. If they were to continue on their way during the night, they would need coffee and substantial food to re-enforce them.
While Lily and Marjorie were unpacking the hamper, Alice spread a blanket on the seat for the sleeping child. To her surprise, however, the little girl awoke and immediately began to manifest a remarkable interest in the whole proceeding.
It was Mrs. Remington who first began to doubt the truth of the woman’s story.