“For once, Burd, you have said something with some sense to it,” Darry declared, as with strong quick strokes he headed the canoe about and started back toward Forest Lodge, the girls in their wake.
They made the trip back to the dock in record time. The boys beat the girls, but they refrained from taunting them with the fact. They were too much occupied congratulating themselves over the fortunate escape from Belle and Sally.
But to their chagrin, a few hours later that afternoon they found these same two girls camped before the door of the lodge, quite evidently on the watch for them. Aunt Emma had been talking to Belle and Sally, and the Radio Girls chuckled at the look on their chaperone’s face.
The young folks had been for a tramp in the woods and had come back, talkative and happy—to this. Belle and Sally were seated in a pony cart, and Belle held the reins negligently over an exceedingly wide-awake and alert looking pony.
“Oh, so here you are!” called out the girl, as Jessie and Darry, leading the party, came in sight. “You were gone so long we began to think you were never coming back!”
Belle spoke gayly and with seeming cordiality. However, the girls were not deceived by this attitude. It was assumed, they knew, so that Sally and Belle might ingratiate themselves with the boys. It seemed probable that their sole motive in visiting Forest Lodge was the prospect of speaking to Darry and Burd again.
“Would that we had stayed a little longer,” said Darry, in a mournful undertone to Jessie, and the latter shot him a mischievous glance.
Belle caught her look, and it did little to increase her good temper.
“Well, aren’t you even going to say hello?” she asked pettishly. “I must say you are not very polite!”
“Sorry, Belle, I am sure,” said Jessie coolly. “Of course we did not know you were here or we would not have stayed away so long. Won’t you come in for a little while?”