A PICNIC
Ten days later found Tom Marshall home. The telegram had come from his
cousin stating that the condition of his mother was unchanged. Mary
Lee had told the Quinns of the case and Mr. Quinn had paid a visit to
the sick man. He had talked to him for a little while and convinced as
to the truth of the man's story, had offered to lend him the money
which would take him home.
Marshall had returned the money with a letter of thanks immediately
upon his arrival home.
Now the end of July had come. Letty and Ruth and Bob all came from the
city on the same train. There was a delightful meeting at the town
depot, and much happy, excited chattering on the part of the girls. On
the way home, Mary Lee said:
"I have planned a picnic lunch for this afternoon. I know a lovely
spot and then we can take a long walk afterwards."
"I'll tell you what," said Bob. "If we could get some steak or chops I
would give you the best eating you ever had. Father showed me how
campers cook."
That sounded exciting to the girls. It meant, of course, stopping off
at the village general store which in itself was a novelty. Mary Lee
telephoned Mrs. Quinn and obtained permission to make the purchases.
But Bob insisted that the buying of the chops was his part of the
party and insisted so strongly that he won his point.
They drove home and when they passed the spot where Mary Lee had
discovered the unconscious Tom Marshall she showed the place to her
friends and told them the story.
"My, but you were brave, Mary Lee," said Letty admiringly. "I would
have been so frightened I would have fainted."
The guests helped in the preparation for the picnic as did Tom and
Eddie who had also been invited so that Bob wouldn't feel it was a
girls' affair. Besides, Mary Lee knew how much they would like it. It
was after midday before they started on the picnic, and more than a
half hour later before they reached their destination. It was truly a
pleasant spot. A brook was running nearby and the trees grew so
closely together that they formed a regular bower. The girls were so
delighted that they immediately decided to use the place for all
future meetings and named it Campfire Nook. In the meantime Bob and
Eddie were hunting for a large flat rock on which to fry the chops,
while Tom gathered wood.
"Did you girls bring any matches?" suddenly asked Ruth.
Letty looked at Mary Lee, who in turn looked blank.
"Of course, we need matches for a fire," added Letty. "I'll warrant
you Bob forgot all about them too."
It struck the girls as a great joke, even though they were beginning
to be hungry. They decided that they would not say anything to Bob
until he had everything ready and realized for himself that there were
no matches with which to start the fire.
[Illustration: BOB MAKES HIMSELF USEFUL AT THE PICNIC]
When Eddie and Bob returned the girls said nothing about forgetting
the matches, but waited to see the fun.
But Bob fooled them. He brought forth some matches from his pocket and
lighted the fire in the approved way.
"Did you have them all the time?" asked Letty, somewhat crestfallen.
"Why, of course," answered Bob as if he could never forget so
important a thing, when, as a matter of fact, he had only recalled
that he would need matches at the last moment.
As soon as the big flat stone Eddie found had been cleaned and heated
in the fire, the chops were well seasoned and placed upon it.
The meat smelled and looked so appetizing that the girls stopped their
own preparations to watch it cook.
Bob turned the chops with a would-be fork which he had made from a
small branch, and soon the first supply was ready.
"Isn't Bob clever, to be able to do this?" said Mary Lee as she ate
her chop.
"Aren't they delicious?" commented Letty, while Ruth nodded in assent.
The boys were even more enthusiastic and everyone took a second
helping. It made Bob very happy to have his experiment turn out so
successfully. In addition to the chops there were delightful
sandwiches, and Mrs. Quinn had furnished some delicious fruit and
fresh cake.
After lunch was over, the girls sat about anxious to have a talk. Bob,
Eddie and Tom thought they would like to investigate the source of the
brook and so they were off.
"Aren't you excited about Aunt Madge being married, Mary Lee?" asked
Letty.
"Yes," added Ruth, "and I know who are to be the bridesmaids."
If Ruth expected that this information would cause a commotion, she
was not a bit disappointed.
"You do?" queried Letty.
"Can you tell us?" asked Mary Lee.
Ruth pretended she did not hear them, having found something on one
of the trees which interested her.
Letty and Mary Lee laughingly and excitedly surrounded her, urging her
to give them the information.
"Won't you tell us?" repeated Mary Lee coaxingly.
"Oh, it isn't a secret," answered Ruth, "and I can tell you."
"Well," said Letty decidedly, "I know that you and Mary Lee will be
two of the bridesmaids."
"There are some things you do know, Letty," said Ruth teasingly. "Then
there are other things you do not know."
"I know I am not to be one of them," remarked Mary Lee. She meant it,
too. There were so many nice girls who would naturally be chosen
before her. "But I am sure that Letty will be one. I just feel sure of
that," she added.
"Well, there are some things you also know, but there are many things
you do not," answered Ruth trying hard to be evasive.
Mary Lee and Letty sprang up to encircle Ruth and compel her to give
them the news, but the latter was just as quick in escaping them. Mary
Lee, however, soon caught her and held her so that she could not move.
"Now, will you tell?" asked Letty.
"I was dying to tell all the time," replied Ruth laughingly.
"The bridesmaids will be--" and she paused. "I think I have
forgotten." Mischief was still in her eyes.
Letty pretended to be very threatening, while Mary Lee took a firmer
hold.
"Oh, yes," continued Ruth, "now I remember. They are to be Edith--and,
of course, you sillies, we are the other three."
The conversation then changed to what they would wear, for to all of
them the coming occasion was one of the most important of their lives.
"What will you wear?" asked Mary Lee. She was excited over what the
two friends intended to wear even though she knew that she herself
would have to wear her party dress which was a simple little white
organdie with a pink sash. She was thankful though she had a leghorn
hat with pink streamers. Her white canvas slippers with lisle
stockings would have to do.
"What do you girls think of my wearing my pink crepe-de-chine dress
and my new pink hat with those pretty rosebuds and foliage encircling
the crown, and pink slippers and stockings?" asked Letty.
"I know I am not going to be anywhere up to you, Letty. I can only
wear my white dress over pink China silk and a white hat with a very
pale pink bow, and white buckskin slippers with white silk stockings,"
said Ruth.
"Well, no matter what we may wear," said Letty, "Mary Lee will be the
prettiest of us all. Tell us your plans, Mary Lee," she added.
"Mine are very simple, for it isn't hard to decide when you haven't
many things to pick from," was the unembarrassed answer. "I haven't
much else than my white organdie party dress."
After discussing what they would wear at the wedding the girls next
talked over their plans for school the coming fall.
"The nicest part of it all is that you are to stay with me," said
Letty to Mary Lee.
Just then there was a shout from the boys who were on the other side
of the brook, so the girls hurried forward to meet them.
It was now after five o'clock and time to go home. Bob and Mary Lee
managed to walk along together.
"Well, Bob," asked the girl, "what are you going to do this fall?"
"I'm to go to the academy, father says. He wants me to mingle with
other boys. I shall be glad to do so, too."
"You and your father are great friends now, aren't you?" questioned
Mary Lee.
"We certainly are. Dad's great and he teaches me many things," the boy
replied. "I tell you, it's wonderful to be like other boys and be able
to do what they do. It seems to me I will never cease marveling at it.
Do you know, Mary Lee," the boy continued, "both mother and father
think just everything of you? Father often says that your coming
seemed to bring rays of sunshine into our house which have always
stayed."
The girl blushed. "How kind they are to say such delightful things,"
she exclaimed. "It is glorious to have such friends," she continued
gratefully.
Letty and Ruth joined them at this moment. The house was now but a
little way down the road. Both Bob and Mary Lee were glad to have had
this talk, short though it was.