“It would be too perfect!” cried the other two girls.
“I’m just in the mood for adventures, anyway,” declared Barbara. “I’ve been feeling it coming over me for a week.”
“When are we going?” asked Mollie.
“Well, why not to-morrow,” replied Ruth, “while the spirit moves us?”
“O joy, O bliss, O rapture unconfined!” sang Mollie, dancing up and down the porch in her delight.
“You see, there is no special getting ready to do,” went on Ruth. “The chauffeur will go over ‘Mr. A. Bubble,’ this afternoon, and put him in good shape. He’s been acting excellently well for such a hardworking old party. I mean ‘A. Bubble,’ of course.”
“Does mother know yet, Ruth?” asked Barbara, with a sudden misgiving.
“Oh, yes, she knows all about it. Papa and I laid the whole plan before her when we picked her up in the village. She was agreeable to everything, but of course she would be. She is such a dear! Aunt Sallie was the only one who was a bit backward about coming forward. She seemed to think that the forest fires would devour us if we dared venture outside of New York. But, of course, they are only in the mountains and there is no danger from them. It took me an age to gain her consent. If she has any more time to think about it she may back out at the eleventh hour.”
“Is it all settled, girls?” called Mr. Stuart’s voice through the open window.
“Oh, yes,” chorused three gay voices at once.