Fire girl this summer, why you will learn an awful lot about keeping
house and being first aid to broken babies and everything you need to
know. Never mind, don't let's argue about the question now, just come
along, for the motor is waiting at the gate. Nearly all the girls I
have asked must be at home by this time, but I have to collect two more
people, Martha McMurtry--you know how I love her--and yet she carries
the information in her brain of the right way to organize a Camp Fire
club. Also there is Eleanor Meade; being a genius, you know Eleanor
can't be expected to remember anything, should a wave of inspiration
happen to flow over her."




CHAPTER V

THEIR FIRST MEETING


The drawing-room at the Ashton homestead ran the whole length of one
side of the house and on this particular May afternoon was so filled
with sunshine and light that even the old portraits on the walls
appeared to change their severe Puritanical expressions and to look
down, from out their heavy gold frames, with something almost
approaching friendliness, on the strange girl now alone in the room,
although nothing in her appearance or manner suggested the birth and
breeding partly responsible for their New England pride.

The girl was also humbly engaged in placing fresh flowers on the tables
and mantel and in rearranging the chairs and ornaments in the room to