As Lilian and Hilary walked down, one little girl came up the hill crying. “O,” said Lilian, “what is the matter?”
No response.
“Come on with me and have a good time,” said Lilian coaxingly.
A councillor appeared hurrying up the slight ascent after the child. “She is homesick,” she explained, “and when she thought she could not sit by me she said she wouldn’t go.” Kindly the young councillor led her along and finally got her on the boat. The girls saw her later, contentedly watching the gulls which flew about the landing as the boats started.
Everybody had been longing to get out on the water on this ideal day. Blue, rosy or golden, the sunset colors stained the waters with like reflected hues. The start of the war canoe was funny indeed. No one was in practice and as Isabel said, the paddles were going in ragtime in spite of the regularly called time. But by the time they were fairly out in the river the paddles swept in unison. Girls sat both within and on top of the Aeolus, and out on the front and rear of the Truant. A pretty sight it was as they floated out into the sunset, and there we may leave them, knowing that we shall find them in their klondikes in the morning.
CHAPTER VI
A COSTUME PARTY AND A TRIP TO BATH
Squirrels’ Inn contained a congenial group. There were the four Greycliff girls, Cathalina, Hilary, Lilian and Betty, with whose characters and talents we are fairly familiar by this time. Frances Anderson was one of the strongest girls in camp, a good, all-round, dependable girl, having ideas of her own, but what the girls called a “good sport”.
Nora McNeil was as tall as Frances and had soft, fluffy black hair, big blue eyes, and the complexion that goes with this Irish combination. She was slight and active, as happy as the rest to be in camp, for this was her first year, too, and she was experiencing all the thrills of a first time.
Marion Thurman was an Eastern girl, using the soft a’s, the r’s omitted or softened in certain places and put in in others, characteristic of New England speech. Her long hair was in shining black braids that usually hung Indian fashion over her shoulders. Large, expressive hazel eyes, a straight nose that was Isabel’s admiration, and a sweet mouth, gave expression to a very bright, attractive face.
All the girls were sensible, having no trouble over the daily program of keeping the klondike in order, going for the water, and performing the other small duties of common interest. Nobody was too lazy or selfish to take her turn, or refused to do it at the proper time. The Greycliff girls declared that Frances, Nora and Marion must all come to Greycliff for the next school year. Isabel and Virginia Hope came over once in a while to sputter about two or three girls in Piggly-Wiggly and on this particular morning were sitting on the top of two wardrobe trunks in Squirrels’ Inn.