John looked at his mother. "It will be dandy, Mother, if you and Dad will go, too."
"Father and I wouldn't go, John, if Tom and you will escort the girls," returned Mrs. Brewster.
"Oh, but we couldn't think of going, Mrs. Brewster, unless you chaperoned us among so many men!" exclaimed Barbara. Then when she saw Tom Latimer looking at her she modestly drooped her head.
Tom was thinking: "Of all the empty-headed vain creatures it ever was my misfortune to meet, she takes the cake!"
"That needn't trouble you, girls. If you will come on a Saturday and spend Sunday at camp with us, we will have the Boss's wife there to act as hostess. Mrs. Carew always spends Sundays at camp—unless the Boss rides down to town to visit her. Sometimes she brings the school teacher from Oak Creek, or other ladies who enjoy the novel life in a survey camp," explained Jim, enthusiastically.
"Do let's go, Anne! Can't we say yes?" said Eleanor, eagerly.
"How long will both of you boys be here?" Anne asked of John.
"We planned to wait until we hear, one way or the other, regarding the stones we sent to New York, and about the financing of Choko's Find. Perhaps Dad and Dr. Evans might even come out and look the ground over for themselves, before answering my letter," said John.
"Then we could safely arrange to go next Sunday, or the Sunday after?"
"Oh, yes, we will be home for a month, most likely."