Cousin Edna came up just then to tell the girls that she wanted them to come over and meet her friend Josephine.
"She's the dearest little French girl. Her father was killed two years ago over in France. Immediately afterwards she and her mother came to this country to raise funds for the French Red Cross. The mother can't think of anything but the war. She's a regular fanatic on the subject. She gives lectures around at the houses of the 'four hundred' and has made no end of big money for the good cause."
"But how did the daughter get to be a Campfire Girl?" asked Edith.
"The Guardian of our camp met her several times at lectures and felt sorry for her. She seemed to be growing melancholy from so much war talk. She never went anywhere except with her mother, so our Guardian took her under her wing, asked her to join our camp and now she's the favorite everywhere. She's getting her color back and is almost jolly at times."
"I suppose she can tell blood-curdling stories about the war scenes she saw before coming to this country."
"Yes, indeed; but we try to get her mind off the war because it has such a depressing effect on her. But she can tell you the most fascinating things about 'gay Paree' before the war. Her father was a member of President Poincaire's cabinet before he enlisted, and she used to attend all the state balls at the Elysee Palace."
"How thrilling!" exclaimed Letty. "Do introduce us."
"Isn't she a perfect darling?" whispered Edith to Mary Lee, after the introduction was over.
The girls then passed a delightful hour, playing their ukuleles and telling stories.
At eleven o'clock all went down to the beach for a swim. What fun they had diving from the spring board and learning the "Australian Crawl."