Nataly looked as if she was about to take a dreadful plunge, but she said, “Yes, I believe I would like to. The doctor says I ought to be out in the open air, and you are, aren’t you?”
“We certainly are!” said Louise. “That’s where we were when you came to call. Want to come?”
Louise was visibly fretting at having to stay indoors, and finally Winona had to lead the way out to the back garden again. And, naturally, the first thing to meet their eyes was the big black tray, with Nataly’s own card fatally conspicuous in the very middle of it. Winona tried to steer her around it, but it was no use. Your own name is one thing you are sure to see or hear before anything else. Winona, talking sixteen to the dozen about everything she could think of, picked up the card furtively and put it in her pocket. Unfortunately it wasn’t possible to pocket the tray.
However, they arranged with Nataly that she go camping with them. She could not join till the next monthly ceremonial meeting, but there was to be one soon after camp was pitched. So it was settled.
“I wonder who she’ll be friends with specially?” said Helen after she had gone. “She doesn’t seem to fit into us, somehow.”
“We’ll have to make her fit,” said Winona gayly. “To tell you the truth Helen, she reminds me of a kitten I knew once. It belonged to three old maiden ladies. It didn’t know how to be a kitten at all—the poor little thing thought it was a cat!”
“Well, perhaps Nataly’ll turn out a kitten, but I doubt it, even with you helping,” said Louise. “Come on, let’s finish our game.”
CHAPTER TEN
As the clock struck eight-thirty Monday morning, on the last week in July, one Guardian, one dog, thirteen big girls and seven small ones lined up for their long-anticipated hike to Camp Karonya. They planned to walk half the distance that day, sleep at a farmhouse about half-way to the woods, and finish the next day at their destination. They were all in middies, with dark skirts, and the most comfortable slippers money could buy—it hurts to hike in tight shoes. They had hats, of course, but Edith Hillis, in addition, carried a parasol. Each girl carried her own night-things and drinking-cup and luncheon. The provisions, and the rest of the baggage, had gone over to the camping-place in Mr. Bryan’s automobile and Louise Lane’s father’s delivery-wagon.
Early as it was, quite a lot of people were out to see the girls off, and even Puppums curvetted proudly as he noticed the attention he was getting, for he was a very vain dog. He might well be vain, because Louise had attached a large label to his collar which said “Camp Fire Dog,” and he was not allowed to chew it off.