“Do you girls play?” asked Tom, with a broad smile. “That will be great!”
“Some of us do,” replied Lily. “I guess I’m the craziest about it. It always bores Marj and Alice.”
“I simply can’t sit still that long,” laughed Alice. “And I talk so much it makes everybody furious.”
“Well, nobody keeps quiet here!” remarked Bob. “And nobody intends to, either!” he added, emphatically.
“I say we have a game after supper!” urged Michael, who was as anxious as his brother to play.
“Delighted!” said Lily. “I’ll see that we get another girl. Who volunteers?”
“Not I!” said Daisy; “I have to write home.”
“And I’m such a poor player,” sighed Doris. “I’d rather join in fan-tan.”
“Well, I’d love to, if nobody else cares!” put in Mae.
The big porch was indeed a cheery looking place: even Daisy could hardly be homesick amid such a homelike, friendly crowd of people. Here and there groups were playing games; others were reading or writing; and some were just chatting and joking together. Marjorie went inside to the book-shelves, and looked mechanically at the books; but in reality she was trying to decide whether or not to write to John Hadley. Suddenly she had missed him; she found herself wishing that he were one of the young men among that pleasant gathering. She was sorry for the careless way she had dismissed the whole matter of their vacation as a mutual affair, and for the indifferent manner in which she had said goodbye. She would indeed regret the loss of his friendship; there were no other young men among her acquaintanceship whom she so thoroughly admired.