Every one had had a good mouthful by this time and every one looked at the Captain reproachfully.
“Really! I’m sure I didn’t salt this chowder as heavily as this! I tasted it just before you arrived and it was delicious,” exclaimed Mrs. Vernon in self-justification.
Joan now looked dreadfully concerned. She tasted the soup and then made a wry face. But she was not going to have any one falsely accused, so she spoke up:
“Verny, you know when you told me to salt something-or-other, I thought you meant chowder; so I put in as much as I felt it needed. Maybe I misunderstood you.”
“Oh, Joan! I called to you and said not to salt the chowder because I saw you seasoning everything you could find!”
Joan looked so woe-begone that every one laughed, and Betty said regretfully: “It’s too bad, Joan, ’cause the chowder was cheap so it was to be the filler, you know. Now we won’t have enough dinner without eating our preserves.”
That made every one scream with merriment, and the salty soup was passed by without further reproach. While waiting for the steaks (?) John cleared his throat as a signal, and said:
“You won’t see me here again this summer.”
“Why not?” queried his sisters.
“’Cause I’m going to camp on Wednesday—Daddy fixed it with the Master at our gym.”