“The camp’s fine. I’m having the time of my life!” Sadie declared, and added, “Elizabeth, you haven’t said one word.”
“She doesn’t need to,” Olga put in quickly, her hand on Elizabeth’s shoulder.
They were climbing the steps now, and at the camp they were greeted with another song of welcome from the Guardians and the rest of the girls, and then Laura put Olga into the most comfortable hammock to rest and, leaving Elizabeth beside her, carried the others off for a talk.
That night the supper was a festival. The girls had gathered masses of purple asters with which they had filled every available dish to decorate the tables, the mantelpiece, and even the tents where the newcomers were to sleep. Miss Anne had brought to camp a big box of tiny tapers, and these stuck in yellow apples made a glow of light along the tables.
Nobody appreciated all this more than Jim. With his hands in his pockets he stood looking about admiringly, and finally expressed his opinion thus: “Gee, but it’s pretty! Camp Fire Girls beat the Scouts some ways, if they ain’t so patriotic.”
Instantly there was an outburst of reproach and denial from Miss Laura’s girls.
“O, come, Jim, that’s not fair!”
“We’re just as patriotic as the Scouts!”
“Boy Scouts can’t hold a candle to Camp Fire Girls any way!”
“We’ll put you out if you go back on Camp Fire Girls, Jim.”