"Hurry along!" called Grace, who was impatiently waiting for Cleo and
Madaline, both of whom seemed to enjoy lagging while Grace wanted to be
early rather than late. "Don't you know we have to take our tests and
Captain Clark ordered us to be at headquarters at seven-fifteen sharp?"
"All right," responded Cleo, "but here come Mable Blake and Mildred
Clark. We can all be together if you just wait half a second for us,
Grace."
"I don't mind seconds, but I hate hours!" retorted Grace. "I don't want to be a moment late and give anyone a chance to think up hard questions for my tests."
"Oh, you needn't worry," Cleo assured her. "I know you can beat us all at knots."
That brought back to Grace her attempt to make a "clove-hitch" and a "running bowline carry out her noble deed" and she flashed a significant look at Madaline, who shared a part of her secret.
"Oh, yes, I know the knots," she replied. "But you just ought to see me try to light my fire in the open, with two matches! More like two boxes I guess."
"And my simple dish," contributed Mildred Clark, who now, with her companions, had joined the group, and all were merrily making their way to the meeting room. "I thought I would select the very simplest of the simple, and I took pork and beans."
"You did!" exclaimed a chorus.
"Yes, and it is a real wonder I am here. I thought I never would get out of that old hot kitchen. Martha told me I should have taken Irish stew but—"
"But you preferred the Boston Bake," interrupted Mable Blake.