"—and we're to go to Niagara Falls on Saturday," finished Ethel Blue triumphantly.
Roger frowned.
"All I've got to say is that I'm proud to be the three-mile escort of such travelled young ladies. I bow before you and place my humble services at your disposal," which he did with an elaborate flourish and his hand on his heart.
It seemed to the Ethels that there were a thousand matters to be attended to before they went on Friday. They had to decide what dresses they should wear and what they should take. Each one had her own suitcase and they had been fitting their bags with small travelling comforts for several months before the summer trip to Chautauqua. One or two trifling affairs still remained undone and these they set themselves to make before the eventful day of departure.
"When I see a bag opened I know at once whether its owner is a tidy person or not," Mrs. Morton said. "Everything ought to be neatly arranged and covered with a tuck-in square over all."
It was the tuck-in square that neither of the girls had finished before leaving Rosemont. Now they were determined that if Mrs. Jackson happened to be about when they opened their bags she should see that these daughters were worthy of their neat soldier fathers. They went to the dry goods shop and bought each a half yard of silkoline. Ethel Brown's had yellow flowers on it and Ethel Blue's had cornflowers. These they finished with an inch-wide hem, featherstitched at the top, Ethel Brown's with yellow silk and Ethel Blue's with blue silk. When their bags were all packed they laid these pieces over everything and fastened the straps outside of them.
"The cloth prevents the straps from doing any injury to your freshly laundered clothes, you see," explained Mrs. Morton.
"And it keeps dust out, too," said Ethel Brown.
"And it certainly looks perfectly scrumptious," decided Ethel Blue with her head on one side admiringly.
The Ethels were up bright and early on the exciting morning.