“Isn’t it beautiful?” she cried. “Isn’t it perfectly dandy? Now I can go to camp with you. It’s just like things that happen in books. Mama, I may, mayn’t I?”
“Goodness, child!” exclaimed her mother. “You may what? What’s all this noise about?”
“Camp out with Roy and Chub and Dick on the island! I may, mayn’t I? You know you said—”
“Well, I’m surely not going to let you sleep on the island, my dear, if that’s what you mean. You’d catch your death of cold.”
“Not to speak of the likelihood of being devoured alive by bears,” added the Doctor as he joined them on the porch.
“Bears!” scoffed Harry. “I don’t suppose there’s even a rabbit on the island! And, mama dear, folks never catch cold in camps.”
“Well, I think it will do, Harry, if you go over and visit the boys in the daytime. Besides, maybe they had rather be alone, my dear.”
“But they wouldn’t! Would you, Dick?”
“No,” answered Dick promptly. “We’d like Harry to join us if you will let her, Mrs. Emery.”
“And I’m going to cook for them—sometimes!” exclaimed Harry, eagerly, “and you’re going to teach me how to make an omelet, mama, because Roy has to have omelet for his breakfast. And I’m going to mend their clothing for them, too. I—I don’t believe they could do without me.” And Harry gazed anxiously from Dick to her mother. Dick asserted stoutly that it would be simply impossible and Mrs. Emery consented to Harry’s joining the campers by day. After that it was all arranged very quickly by Harry. One of the boys was to row over every morning to the landing, very, very early, and get her, since she was not allowed to go in a boat by herself, and she was to take over doughnuts and cookies, and—and a great many things!