“Fraulein called it the esprit de corps,” said Ruth. “It means the spirit of the body, or brotherliness.”
“Sisterliness, too,” Polly added. “But it means more than that. It stands for trueness to one another, and pride in the honor of the club, don’t you know. You don’t do anything wrong, and you don’t let any other member do anything wrong, if you can keep them out of it, for the honor of the club. Anyway, it’s what we girls want in our club, and plenty of it. Don’t you all think so?”
Six heads nodded emphatically.
“I think we should draw up a set of ironclad rules, and sign them,” said Ted, solemnly. “Polly, I’ll prick my finger if you say so, and sign with real red ink.”
“You’d better not make fun of this, Ted,” protested Sue. “Polly’s commodore, and you’ll find yourself blithely walking the plank, if you aren’t good.”
“Indeed, she won’t,” said Polly. “I know you’ll all stand by me. If you weren’t the truest, dearest lot of girls I ever heard of, I wouldn’t go to Lost Island at all.”
“Here too, Polly,” echoed Kate, with her quick smile.
“Three cheers for Commodore Polly!” Ted stepped up on a chair, and waved a newspaper as the girls rose, and joined her.
Just at this point the heavy portìeres parted, and Welcome’s turbaned head appeared in the doorway.
“For de mercy’s sake, ain’t you ’shamed to make sech a hullabaloo, and de Admiral entertainin’ company.”