“How’d you get off, Campbell?” asked Cathalina.
“I just told the ‘boss’ that I had a cousin and some friends at Merrymeeting whom I had not yet had a chance to see, and asked if I might not wait to walk with you all to church. Having confidence in me, he said I might. So here we are,” he concluded, looking down at Hilary’s demure countenance.
The walk was all too short for all that there was to say, and at the church Campbell joined the masculine crew from Boothbay, which sat quietly under the observing eyes of the different councillors. After the service, however, the girls saw him for a few moments.
“I’m going to paddle up some time soon, and shall bring Phil up, of course, as soon as he finds he can come. If I don’t come, you’ll know it’s because I can’t help it, and I’ll be there with bells on at the annual picnic. You be sure, girls, to come to our picnic at Boothbay, won’t you?” Though Campbell addressed all, he looked at Hilary, who replied, “Indeed we wouldn’t miss it for the world!” and Cathalina added, “So say we all!”
“How much of that sermon did you hear, Hilary?” asked Cathalina teasingly, as they climbed into the boat for the ride back to camp.
“Lots of it,” said Hilary. “Don’t think you can tease me so much, Miss Cathalina Van Buskirk. It was a good sermon, too, and made me think of Father in his pulpit preaching away and looking like a saint, as he is,—and Mother sitting in the pew so sweet and nice, and the boys, and little Mary. But I wasn’t homesick, some way, just happy.”
“You’re a dear,” said Cathalina affectionately. “You are our pretty, sweet old Hilary so you are, and shan’t be teased. No wonder Campbell,—well, here I go again! Excuse me.”
“You are quite forgiven, Cathie. I don’t mind, only not much before the other girls, please.”
“Honestly, Hilary, and no nonsense, hasn’t Campbell grown up in these two years?”
“Yes he and Phil are both so different, I mean in the way of being young men and not just boys. Just think, it will be two years next Christmas since I was at your house! What fun we had! It was the nicest visit I ever had anywhere.”