A Campfire Girls Test of Friendship | Page 5

what you call just doing the best you can, I'm afraid to think of
what you'd have got for us if you'd been able to pick out whatever you
wanted. It would have been something so fine that we'd have been
afraid to take it, I'm sure."
"Well, we thought perhaps you'd find them useful if you're going on
this tramp of yours," said Marcia, blushing with pleasure. "And I'm
ever so glad you like them, if you really do, because I helped to pick
them out. There's one for each of you, and then we've got a big
Mackinaw jacket for Miss Mercer, so that she'd have something
different."
"I can't tell you how happy this makes me!" said Eleanor, swallowing a
little hard, for she was evidently deeply touched. "I don't mean the
presents, Marcia, though they're lovely, but the spirit in which you all

bring them."
"We--we wanted to show you we were sorry, and that we understood
how mean we'd been," said Marcia.
"Oh, my dear, do let's forget all that!" said Eleanor, heartily. "We don't
want to remember anything unpleasant. Let's bury all that, and just
have the memory that we're all good friends now, and that we'd never
have been anything else if we'd only understood one another in the
beginning as well as we do now.
"That's the reason for most of the quarrels in this world; people don't
understand one another, that's all. And when they do, it's just as it is
with us--they wonder how they ever could have hated one another!"
"Why, where's Gladys Cooper?" asked Dolly, suddenly. She had been
looking around for the girl who had been chiefly responsible for all the
trouble, and who had been, before this meeting, one of Dolly's friends
in the city from which she and Marcia, as well as the Camp Fire Girls,
came. And Gladys was missing.
"She--why--she--she isn't feeling very well," stammered Marcia
unhappily. But a look at Dolly's face convinced her that she might as
well tell the truth. "I'm awfully sorry," she went on shamefacedly, "but
Gladys was awfully silly."
"You mean she hasn't forgiven us?" said Eleanor gently.
"She's just stupid," flashed Marcia. "What has she got to forgive? She
ought to be here, thanking Dolly and Bessie King for finding us, just as
I am. And she's sulking in her room, instead!"
"She'll change her mind, Marcia," said Eleanor, "just as the rest of you
have done. I'm dreadfully sorry that she feels that way, because it must
make her unhappy. But please don't be angry with her if you really
want to please us. We're just as ready and just as anxious to be friends
with her as with all the rest of you, and some time we will be, too. I'm
sure of that."

"We'll make her see what a fool she is!" said Marcia, hotly. "If she'd
only come with us, she'd have seen it for herself. She said all the girls
here would crow over us, and act as if we were backing down, and had
done this because someone made us."
Eleanor laughed heartily.
"Well, that is a silly idea!" she said. "Just explain to her that we were
just as pleased and as surprised to see you as we could be, Marcia. You
didn't need to come here this way at all, and we know it perfectly well.
You did it just because you are nice girls and wanted to be friendly, and
we appreciate the way you've come a good deal more than we do the
lovely presents, even."
"Well, I hope we'll see you again," said Marcia. "If you're going on that
half past nine boat we'll go back now, and let you pack, unless we can
help you?"
"No, you can't help us. We've really got very little to do. But don't go.
Stay around, if you will, and we'll all talk and visit with you while we
do what there is to be done."
"I'm awfully sorry Gladys is cutting up so. It makes me feel ashamed,
Dolly," said Marcia, when she and Dolly were alone. "But you know
how she is. I think she's really just as sorry as the rest of us, but--"
"But she's awfully proud, and she won't show it, Marcia. I know, for
I'm that way myself, though I really do think I've been behaving myself
a little better since I've belonged to the Camp Fire. I wish you'd join,
Marcia."
"Maybe I will, Dolly."
"Oh, that would be fine! Shall I speak to Miss Eleanor? She'd be
perfectly delighted, I know."
"No, don't speak to her yet. I've got a plan, or some of us have, rather,
but it's still a secret so I can't tell you anything about it. But maybe