"How do you know?" Grace asked frankly.
"She would be too frightened to remain at our house after last night. Besides she often goes to New York with Janos. She gets all my clothes there."
"Doesn't she take you to see them, or be fitted?" asked the literal
Madaline.
"Oh no, I am not allowed to go on trains. Someone might see me."
Everyone laughed at this, and Mary saw the joke herself. Nevertheless, she made no attempt to explain why she was not supposed to be seen by people outside of the little mountain town.
"I am afraid I shall have to go alone, if you girls feel you ought not to come," she said presently. "I really have to attend to some important things, and we all left in such a hurry last evening."
"Oh, if you have to go we simply must go with you," Cleo decided promptly.
"Surely, Captain Cleo," spoke up Grace. "You see, Mary, Cleo is our captain when we are away from headquarters. Oh, Mary, I do wish you were a scout, you would just love it."
"I am sure I should, I know it takes a lot of courage, and one must do many noble deeds to keep up to the pledges. I should just love to know all about it, and I hope you will tell me some day. Still," and she shrank a little in that timid self-conscious way, "I don't want you to take any risks with me, on account of your scout pledge."
"Please don't think that way, Mary," begged Madaline, always ready with sympathy. "We all just love you, and want to be with you, it has nothing to do with scouting."