Olga faced her steadily. “Sadie, I’m going to put it to you straight, for if you join, you’ve got to understand exactly how it is.”
“I know,” Sadie broke out angrily, “you’re just letting me in so’s to get ’Lizabeth. You can’t fool me, Olga Priest.”
“I know it, and I’m not trying to,” Olga answered quietly. “Now listen to me, Sadie. I wouldn’t have let you join only, as you say, to get Elizabeth. But Miss Laura wants you for yourself too.”
“’D she say so?” Sadie demanded eagerly.
“Yes, she said so.” Again Olga looked straight into the sharp little suspicious face of the younger girl. “Sadie, you’re no fool. I wonder if you’ve grit enough to listen to some very plain facts—things that you won’t like to hear. Because you’ve got to understand and do your part, or else you’ll get no pleasure of our Camp Fire if you do join. Are you game, Sadie Page?”
The eyes of the two met in a long look and neither wavered. Finally Sadie said sulkily, “Yes, I’m game. Of course, it’s something hateful, but—go ahead. I’m listening.”
“No, it isn’t hateful—at least, I don’t mean it so,” and actually Olga was astonished to find now that she no longer hated this girl. “I’m just trying to do the best I can for you. Of course, if you come in, Elizabeth, too, must come to all the meetings; but I’ll help you, Sadie, just as I helped her, to win honours, and I’ll teach you to do the craft work, and to meet the Fire Maker’s tests later. I’ll do everything I can for you, Sadie.”
“Will you show me how to make the Camp Fire dress and the bead headbands and all that?” Sadie demanded breathlessly.
“Yes—all that.”
“O, goody!” Sadie gave a little gleeful skip. “I know I can learn—I know I can—better’n ’Lizabeth.”