“I won’t try to tell you how much we appreciate what you’ve done,” he said with feeling. “I knew all along that you could do it if you would, but I had almost given up all hope that you’d try. I might have known you would. Meadow-Brook Girls always come to the line when the time arrives. You will in this instance, too.”
Harriet smiled, but made no reply to this confident remark.
“I thank you, too, for fixing my nose,” said Sam, shaking hands with Miss Elting. “It’s a pretty poor nose at its best, I know, but it’s the only one I have and I couldn’t get along very well without it. Good night, ladies. I’ll say more when I can do so without danger of damaging my countenance.”
The boys trooped away singing. They were far happier than they had been since George Baker first broached the subject of the tennis tournament. After the sound of their voices had died away, Harriet sat down by the fire, and, clasping her hands about her knees, gazed into it without saying a word to her companions. She remained in that position until the supper call was sounded.
“Well, my dear, have you planned it all out?” questioned Miss Elting.
“Far from it, Miss Elting. I am beginning to realize that it is a pretty big thing I have promised to do, and I shall need the help and encouragement of every one of you girls even to keep my spirits up to concert pitch.”
“Oh, fiddlethtickth!” scoffed Tommy.
“I think we have forgotten one important factor,” reminded Miss Elting; “that is, the consent of your parents.”
“No, I have not overlooked that. I shall get the consent of each girl’s parents as soon as I find there is any necessity for it.”
The guardian nodded.