“That’s so,” answered Poke, adding in explanation to Jim, while a broad smile enveloped his countenance. “You see, Hazard, we’ve got to get permission from home to change our lodgings.”
“But you’ve already done it!” exclaimed Jim. “Suppose—suppose your folks won’t let you?”
Visions of having the room back on his hands, empty again, gave him an anxious moment. But Gil smiled reassuringly.
“Oh, that’ll be all right,” he declared. “I shall wire, ‘Poke moving to village. Am going with him. Wire permission.’”
“And I,” said Poke, “shall say, ‘Gil moving to village. Am going with him. Wire permission.’” He winked at Jim. “Easy, what?”
“Well, I hope it works,” laughed Jim. “Supper will be ready in about ten minutes. Guess I’ll go and wash up.”
“Much obliged for helping us,” said Gil. “See you later.”
Sunnywood Cottage may be said to have formally opened its season that evening at supper. At one end of the table sat Mrs. Hazard, at the other Jim. Hope sat at her mother’s right with Jeffrey Latham beside her, and across from them were Gil and Poke. Jeffrey was a bit shy at first, but by the time supper was half over Gil and Poke had made friends with him and the meal was a very jolly one.
[“This certainly beats dining-hall,” declared Poke], accepting a second dish of Mrs. Hazard’s preserves.
“Well, rather!” Gil agreed. “We never had preserves like this, did we, Poke?”