“Last night at ten o’clock,” he answered. “The ’bus wouldn’t come up from the village at that hour, so I walked. It was great. How are all of you?” he added, wiggling the nosegays in front of their noses.
“We’re as fine as silk,” answered Billie, with a happy laugh. “And it’s such fun that you and Percy are here. Papa kept it a secret so as to surprise us, I suppose.”
“I hope it’s a pleasant surprise.”
“The jolliest kind,” they cried, running downstairs at the second call to breakfast.
Those of you who have read the first volume of this series, “The Motor Maids’ School Days,” will recall Percy St. Clair and Ben Austen, two West Haven boys who were great friends of the girls during that winter when Billie Campbell and her red car first made their appearance in the town. Percy, in the transition from boyhood to manhood, has changed very little. He is of medium height, and his handsome fair face still flushes like a schoolgirl’s, to his great annoyance. Ben, at nineteen, is six feet tall. His face has developed since we knew him some years ago. His features are large and regular, his dark eyes filled with serious intent, and a mop of curly black hair covers his head like a thick cap.
Downstairs they found Mr. Campbell pouring for himself a cup of coffee. The camp table was never to be set for breakfast, but the dishes were to be piled at one end and the food at the other, and each camper was to help himself to what he chose. There was a good deal of laughing and scrambling at this morning meal. It started everybody off in a good humor, and in time it became the hour for jokes and absurdities that will never die out as long as there are boys and girls enough to keep them alive.
After they had disposed of quantities of very good food, at least it seemed good to mountain appetites, Mr. Campbell took a sheet of letter paper from his pocket and rapped for quiet.
“Young people, I want to read you a few rules which must be obeyed if camp is to be run on a military basis, the only way a camp can be successfully conducted. Here they are:
“‘RULES FOR SUNRISE CAMP.
“‘Unless physically unable, all persons must appear at breakfast promptly at six-thirty. Penalty for not appearing—general housework for a day.