“Absolutely!” cried Queenie, suddenly flinging her arms around Marjorie’s neck. “You’ve got the goods—we’ll all do what you tell us!”
“All right!” agreed Marjorie, returning the embrace. “Then that’s settled. But I have some news for you, Queenie.”
“Goin’ a be married?” demanded the other, dropping her arms into her lap.
“No,” laughed Marjorie. “Nothing so serious. Only that I’ve promised to go to a class dance next Saturday evening, and so I can’t come to the scout meeting.”
“That’s all right—we’ll work just the same.”
“Would you like me to send somebody in my place—one of the girls of my own old troop?”
Queenie considered the suggestion thoughtfully.
“No, I think we better not risk it. The girls like you, but it might be pretty hard to break anybody else in. I’ll learn ’em myself about that flag stuff, and threaten ’em that if they don’t get it, you won’t come back.”
“All right, then, that’s settled. Now—will you stay to dinner with me, Queenie?”
“To dinner—me—here at college?” she repeated, incredulously. “I’d disgrace you, Miss Wilkinson. They’d all laugh at me!”
“No, they wouldn’t, Queenie. Well-bred people don’t laugh at others—besides there would be no occasion to. You know how to be a lady.”
“Do you honest to goodness mean that?” she cried, rapturously.
“I’m glad you think so—I’m awful glad. But I won’t risk it, Miss Wilkinson. I’d rather go now. Maybe, if I get more like you——”
Marjorie laughed good-naturedly; she felt suddenly at peace with all the world. She had not dreamed of such an easy victory.
“All right, Queenie; as you wish. But I want to ask you something before you go. Would you like to have my room-mate, Miss Andrews, act as lieutenant of your troop?”
“You bet!” cried the girl. “If she’s a friend of yours, she’s the cat’s pajamas!”
Then, with another resounding kiss upon Marjorie’s cheek, she skipped out of the room, leaving the young captain dazed by the whole interview.
Although Marjorie felt elated at the girls’ evident desire to go on with the troop, she was too clever to be deceived by Queenie’s enthusiasm, too far-seeing to expect miracles from her repentance. Queenie herself was sincere in her promise, there was no doubt about that; but the others would probably be only half-hearted. She realized that a tremendous amount of work lay before her.