“Yes, that’s what we came to tell you,” said Alice. “We’ve just been watching it wash away our beautiful moonlight picnic.”
Hannah sat up and looked out.
“Isn’t it beastly?” she remarked.
“I should call it foul,” said Catherine, beginning to comb out her great braids.
“Why not fish-ous?” suggested Alice mischievously, whereupon Hannah pitched a pillow at her.
“Ow! Look out for my glasses!”
“Well, don’t make such flat puns then. I believe you sleep with your glasses on. How funny they must look staring away in the dark. There goes 273 the rising-bell. I’ll beat every one of you to breakfast.”
Dr. Helen was not sorry to see the rain. An all afternoon picnic, with the evening and a late-rising moon added, did not seem to her a wise plan for the day before going back to college,–“though I do dislike putting a damper on your pleasure,” she said at breakfast.
“There’s a damper on this one,” sighed Catherine. “Alice has not been up the river yet, and the other girls haven’t been to one real Boat Club picnic. Mother!” and an inspired look came into Catherine’s eyes, “why couldn’t we have our picnic in the library instead? It would be as appropriate a way to end this summer as on the river, and this is one of the closed evenings. Don’t you think we could?”
The other girls held their breath with eagerness, while Dr. Helen considered.