It finally transpired that beside the five old members and the Little Lodge Brownies, but six of the new members could arrange to go to camp with the Tribe. The others had promised visits to pay, or were leaving the city with their families, for the entire Summer vacation.
From the day the invitation was read to the day the girls planned to start, Eleanor was very attentive to Zan, effusing over everything the Chief did or said, until Zan grew annoyed and felt like asking her what it was all for.
The last day in the city, however, Eleanor met Zan on the street, and said: “Are all the Brownies going with us?”
“Sure! There aren’t enough to go around as it is—so we couldn’t spare one, you know.”
“They are such darlings! I am so glad they will be with us!” exclaimed Eleanor.
“I thought you detested them. I heard that you preferred leaving our Tribe if we continued having a Little Lodge,” said Zan.
“What! Who dared say that of me? It is false!” cried Eleanor, furious to find she had been found out.
“Oh, never mind who. You’ll get over this, just as we get over everything unpleasant. Stick to your present desire of being glad the kiddies are with us, and forget the others!”
So Zan, with all her frankness, averted an unpleasant scene with Eleanor. But she mentioned it to the Guide who nodded and said: “Eleanor will climb out of this mire just as Nita got out last Summer, but it seems to cling more tenaciously to Eleanor.”
The short interval given the girls in which to prepare for the camp on the farm, soon passed and amid a chorus of happy good-byes and some regrets from those who remained at home, the Tribe left the city. After several hours of motoring through the lovely country districts of New Jersey, they reached Wickeecheokee.