Fred’s face showed disappointment, and then he cried boyishly, “Oh, I say, Miss Nathalie, you’ll miss all the fun!” Then, as if half suspecting what might be the cause of Nathalie’s staying at home, he said, “As for Miss Nita, if she wants to come with us we’ll fix it so she won’t have to walk a step!”
Putting his fingers to his mouth he emitted a sharp whistle, which two scouts lagging in the rear heard and immediately turned about and retraced their steps. “Here,” continued Fred, “you fellows improvise a stretcher to carry Miss Nita so she can hike with us!”
Nita’s eyes began to gleam, but Mrs. Van Vorst approaching from the other end of the veranda at this moment, and hearing of the proposed plan of navigation, demurred, thanking the boys most graciously for their kindness, but declining to let Nita go, claiming that it would be too much for her that warm day.
Fred, thus forced to be content, after a lingering look of regret raised his cap and then hurriedly joined the party who were already disappearing in the winding path of the woods.
Nathalie, with an unconscious sigh, turned away. O dear, it did seem mean to have to give up that walk. It had been hard enough to win the first battle over the temptation to go, but this second one had seemed even harder. But immediately seeing that she was a great baby to let a little disappointment mar the pleasure of the beautiful day, she turned with smiling eyes to the princess, and suggested that they have a nice little row to one of the tiny islands in the center of the Lake.
This, Nita was very glad to do, and so with notebooks and pencils, and with the remark that they could have a nice little salmagundi hike all by their lone selves, they started for the boat-house.
And indeed, Nathalie and her little friend spent a most enjoyable afternoon, for, as she afterwards declared to Helen, “It was lovely and cool down on that little island with the green trees and shady coves. And do you know,” she continued, “I was so surprised, for Nita is a most observant little person. Why, she knows the names of many of the grasses and wood flowers, and the birds—she knows their names, can tell what birds are nesting in August and any number of interesting things about nature. I am sure she will make a most wonderful little Pioneer, after she becomes acquainted with the girls.”
Of course Helen had many things to tell about the salmagundi hike, and the different objects they had seen and noted on their tramp. She had taken notes and Nathalie was invited to take a peep at them some time, Helen suggesting that she might find them of some help later on. The scouts, she said, had been most kind and had told them lots of interesting things, particularly about tracking the footprints of animals.
“Well,” declared Nathalie as Helen finished telling of the good times they had had, “I have had two good times, instead of your one, for I had a fine time with Nita, and then I have had the coziest of chats with you, which has proved almost as good as if I had been with you on the hike.”