“When college is over and I have this Girl Scout matter and my future definitely settled.”
“But I want to settle your future!” he cried, leaning forward and laying his hand over hers. “I want you to promise to marry me—and then you can take charge of all the scout troops you want to!”
Marjorie did not take her hand away, but looked at him tenderly. She admired him more than any man she knew, perhaps she loved him—she was not sure—but she was not ready to surrender her future into his keeping. She had other plans for herself.
“I can’t promise, John, dear, because my mind is just filled with other things—work, I mean, a career, if you want to call it that. You wouldn’t want me half-heartedly. And I’d never be satisfied if I didn’t give my ideas a try.”
John’s hand dropped listlessly over the arm of the chair, and he gazed into the fire in silence. There was nothing more to be said; he knew Marjorie too well to attempt to dissuade her from her purposes.
“Tell me what you have been doing, John,” she said, with forced cheerfulness.
“Oh, the same old thing. Had a raise in salary—but—oh, what’s the use!”
Marjorie laughed good-naturedly, and both felt that the tension had suddenly been relieved.
“Do you suppose your mother would chaperone me back to college?” she asked. “I really want to see Lil tonight.”
“Certainly!” he answered. “I’ll call her and bring the car around to the door.”
It was not until they reached the college that the cause of Marjorie’s visit was referred to again. Then Mrs. Hadley tried to make her promise to give up the troop.
“I can’t promise till I talk it over with Lily,” she said finally. “But I think I shall, now.”
“That’s right, dear!” returned the older woman waving good-bye to her as she entered the doorway.
She rushed up to her room, unable to control her emotion any longer. At least it would be a relief to cry.
But to her dismay she found that Lily had company. Jeannette Killough was there.
“We were hoping that you’d be back to hear about our thrilling party,” Lily explained. “We’re going to have a class dance next Saturday night.”
“And you simply have to come!” ordered Jeannette. “We won’t take ‘No’ for an answer.”
Marjorie dropped wearily into a chair, keeping back her tears with difficulty.