CHAPTER XI
VIRGINIA GOES HUNT-ING
It chanced that Virginia had never visited Isabel, though a visit had been planned more than once. All preparation had been made for Virgie to go home with Isabel and then go to camp with her, but it would have made extra railroad fare and there was such a short time between the close of school and the beginning of camp that Virginia gave it up. At the last minute, too, a letter from one of the boys announced that the aunt who kept house for them all was sick in bed. Hence it happened that when the girls talked about Virgie’s being with Isabel, they were mistaken. By different routes they had arrived at Merrymeeting at about the same time.
“Bye, Baby Bunting, Virgie’s gone a-Hunting,” sang Lilian, standing by the ’bus as it started to move off with its load of girls. Lilian and Cathalina were to leave for New York later in the day, taking a sleeper.
Virginia laughed, waved her hand in final salute, and turned to Isabel. “You are Hope-ing, I suppose, Isabel.”
“Yes; Hope-ing for a jolly vacation.”
“Do you remember last Christmas at Hilary’s? I am one lucky girl, after all.”
“Christmas at our house won’t be anything like that, Virgie, but I hope that you will have a good time anyway. The boys are lots of fun, and we can do some different things, anyway, from the grind of lessons. It’s a real little town, and everybody knows everybody else. We are called ‘the Hunt boys and Isabel.’”
“Never Isabel and the Hunt boys? Nor Isabel Hunt and the boys?”
“Never.”
“I am surprised. I supposed you were more important than that!”