“And that was why you kept it secret!” said Nora. “Well, Vita, I did think you were—mean,” she paused to soften the word, “but now I know why. And I am so glad to find Lucia again. You see, I knew her before.”
“You bring her the cakes——”
“And you knew that, too?” Nora’s secrets were fast evaporating. “Well, at any rate, Vita, you gave me a nice tin box and all the good things you could make, so I won’t blame you. I’ll run along and ask Cousin Ted about the attic. Dear me! What a blessing the girls came over with me! We might have been going on this way—for weeks and not have found out,” she added. “But the girls have to hurry off; it is getting time to answer the night roll call. I’ll be back in a minute, Vita,” she was talking fast. “Don’t let Lucia move until I tell you,” she warned.
“All right, little Nora,” replied Vita fondly. “I have two little girls, now; yes, Lucia?”
“The girls have to leave without hearing this whole wonderful story, Nora,” said Ted, as they crowded out to the car, “but I have asked them to come over tomorrow. They will die of curiosity in the meantime if Miss Beckwith does not keep them too busy to get into such mischief,” added the young woman jocularly.
“Oh, Nora!” called out Wyn, “you come right over about daylight, will you? We’ll leave a tent flap loose and you can crawl in. I would have nervous prostration if I had to wait until after inspection to hear the sequel. Good night!”
“Good night! Good night! everybody!” went up the customary shout, and when the reliable little car, so recently called fractious by its owner, rumbled out into the roadway, the Scouts were actually singing their camp song.
How wonderful to be girls! And how wonderful to be Girl Scouts!
[CHAPTER XXIV—FULFILLMENT]
“Of course, she’ll come over. Didn’t I say I’d leave a flap up?” asked Wyn. It was so early that the very Chickadees, after whom the patrol had been named, were still asleep in their own tree-top scout tents.