Janet came in before the girls were dressed and urged them to hurry and see what she had done to surprise them all. But Norma said impatiently: “Can’t you see how we are racing to get on our things! My fingers are so trembly I can’t button a single dud!”
Janet laughed and helped her fasten her clothes, then the two ran downstairs and out to the pines. Here the others soon joined them, and all stood gazing in rapt admiration at the sheet of water which was the result of landscaping—thus turning an unsightly marsh and briar patch into this most picturesque lake.
The girls crossed and recrossed the bridges, often stopping midway on them to gaze and admire, over and over again, the results of their work and planning. Janet’s goslings were fearless and swam about the lower end of the lake as if they had always lived beside the water and enjoyed its freedom. But the ducklings kept closer to the shore at first and seemed too timid to venture across the lake as the goslings did.
“Janet’s water fowl add the finishing touch to the picture,” said Mrs. James, as she stood beside the decorative coops and smiled at Janet.
“No, not the finishing touch, Jimmy, because the goldfish will add that!” declared Norma jealously.
Sam had been sent post-haste to Solomon’s Seal Camp to break the news that the water was overflowing the dam and the lake was wonderful! This had the desired effect, so that every scout in Patrol One was running up the woodland path before breakfast had been started.
The “Ohs” and the “Ahs” that came from the scouts from camp, and the repeated visits across the bridges to every place on the shores that they had had anything to do with during the week consumed more than an hour. Rachel had trailed about after the scouts as they visited the familiar bushes and shrubs, and walked up and down the flight of steps, or sat upon the bank smiling at the happy faces, until Sam came running across the lawn with dire news for his aunt.
“Aunt Rachel! Oh, Aunt Rachel!” gasped he, breathlessly, “Dat saucepan of milk what you put on the fire for cocoa done gone and run over and now it’s smokin’ and burnin’ to beat the band!”
Rachel’s two hands flew up above her head and she cried “Oh Laws-ee! And dis Sunday, too! And all dem folkses acomin’ to visit the place! And the hull house smoked and smellin’ like eberyt’ing! Oh, oh, oh!”
She had already started to rush for the kitchen by the time she had finished her lament, but she suddenly stopped and sent her nephew a look that should have gone to the marrow of his bones.