"Not to Alma," answered Treble. "She certainly had a vision if she did not see a prince. Here she comes. Look at the bundles! Land sakes alive!

If it's more grub I'm going to duck. My fingers are mooing now from spreading b.u.t.ter," and Treble plastered a slab of the yellow paste on a square of bread, quite as if it were intended as mortar for a sky-sc.r.a.per.

An hour later they were on their way. Nora might have ridden out to the Ledge in the little runabout, but she preferred to walk with the girls.

"I'm so excited about joining," she confided to Betta and Alma, her hike partners. "I feel as if I were going to have my final exams."

"You don't want to," advised Betta. "You know your manual perfectly, and have nothing to worry about. But we shall all be so glad, Nora, when you are really a Scout. It is all well enough to be a lone Scout out in the wilderness, but while we're around there is no sense in such isolation."

"The Lone Scout! Oh, I was fascinated reading about the provisions for such an individual arrangement. Just imagine being a troop of one," said Nora.

"About as interesting as Laddie's collection of one piece of genuine mica," replied Betta. "As much as I detest the girls" (she gave Alma's arms an affectionate squeeze in explanation), "still, I would rather be pestered with them than to be a Lone Scout on the Big Mountain. There, Nora! That would make a stunning t.i.tle for your coming book."

"What book?" demanded the unsuspecting Nora.

"The one that is coming next," serenely replied Betta. "But let us hasten! See yon girls are turning into the other yon road," she went on.

"We betta----"

A warning chuckle from Alma, cut short her "Betta." Until this attractive girl learned to respect the all-American R she would never know peace with her companions.

Joining the others the merry party hiked along; singing, whistling, calling, laughing and making noises peculiar to girls out on picnics bent.

Mr. and Mrs. Manton rode to the Ledge, deposited their treat and were ready to be on their way and leave the girls to their own good time, almost as soon as the party arrived.

"Oh, stay," besought Pell. "We are counting on having you in for our games----"

"I wish I could," replied the big brown Jerry. "But the fact is this wife of mine has planned a little picnic all of her own. You see, when she got me in on this she knew I could not back out on hers. Yes," he sighed affectedly, "she has made me promise to take her out canoeing, and I am not sure what terror she has set for me at the end of the stream."

"Oh, are you really going down the stream?" cried Treble. "I have just longed for a ride down through the rapids----"

"Well, you best not take it," spoke up Mrs. Ted. "I am going down the stream only to explore. And I would not go without the strong arm of a man at the keel."

"Oh, Jimbsy, where art thou?" wailed Thistle. "Why didn't we treat you right! Your gallant craft----"

"Get the water there, Cicero," shouted Doro. "This lunch is to have lemonade a la carte, and there isn't a drop of water in the house. Sorry to disturb the oration----"

"Gimme the pail," snapped the interrupted Thistle. "I never yet started anything that Doro didn't finish."

But even the delightful lunch, served on a gra.s.sy table with every girl holding down her own table cloth, for a light little breeze flirted outrageously with the service--even all this did not tempt the Scouts to tarry long from the delights of the great, wild open; and before the normal eating hour had pa.s.sed the girls were formed in groups and circles, to suit their individual and collective tastes, and through field and glen their laughter supplied the marching tune.

Nora was clinging to Alma, with a motive. She had seen the great field of corn just behind the Ledge, where fertility could be depended upon, and she was wondering, secretly, if little Lucia might pick weeds out there?

"Could we go over to those gardens?" she asked the leaders, when the other girls had all chosen their points for exploration.

"Why, certainly. I am glad to see that you are interested in real gardens," replied Miss Beckwith. "Those are called the Italian gardens because Italians work there, not because they bear any resemblance to the wonderful gardens of Italy."

The temptation was strong within Nora to tell Alma just why she wanted to go up close to the big women with hoes and rakes; but the memory of Lucia's dark eyes, that looked so like dewy pansies when the child begged: "You will never tell," that memory sealed Nora's lips, while she eagerly sought out any small figure that might be that of the little slave of labor.

"I don't like those horrid women," said Alma. "Why don't you want to go over the other way, out into the pretty woodlands, Nora? Come on and let's run back. I am almost afraid of that ugly creature coming over that dug-up place," Alma declared.

"I don't like her, either," admitted Nora. "I only wanted to see--them work--close by."

"Going in for scientific gardening when we make you a real Scout?" Alma continued, as they both hurried back to the uncultivated territory.

"Lots of girls are trying it, but it's wickedly hard on the hands."

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that, Alma. But I just----" She stopped and looked frankly into Alma's gray eyes. "Alma," she began again with an unexpected sigh, "would you think me mean if I asked you to do something to help me without, well, without explaining fully?" she floundered.

"Why, no, certainly not, Nora. You must have good reason for not wanting to confide----"

"I do want to confide," Nora quickly took up the charge. "But this is not my own affair. I have promised not to tell."

"Then don't bother to explain," said Alma, generously. "I'll do all I can to help you. I am sure it's for a good cause."

"The n.o.blest charity----" Nora checked herself. "I'll tell you. I want to take my picnic lunch to--some place----" It was next to impossible to go on without going all the way.

"Nora, darling! You are truly a brave Scout!" declared the admiring Alma. "There you haven't touched your lovely lunch. Saved it for a secret charity. Just you wait until you are received into the band of Chickadees! I'll be your sponsor if I am allowed it, and I'll find a way----"

"Alma! Alma!" gasped Nora, tragically. "You really must do nothing of the kind. As happy as I am now at the idea of being a Scout, I shouldn't even join if I thought that in any way this secret would become known."

She was breathless at the very thought, and had jerked Alma to a standstill right in the middle of a mud patch, in her excitement.

"Oh, don't worry," soothed Alma. "I had no idea of telling any part of the secret, that, of course, I really don't know anything about. I was just planning what I might say to your especial credit if the promoter should call upon me," she finished with a tinge of disappointment.

"Then help me carry my lunch back to--the woods near our house," said Nora while the glance she exchanged was a unspoken volume.

"I hope you are not going to give it away to some wild animal," Alma could not refrain from remarking.

"Oh, no indeed," Nora a.s.sured her companion.

"Then why do you not eat it?"

"I have promised----"

"Maybe it's Jimmie," said Alma, with a sly little chuckle.

"Jimmie! Why I have never spoken to him!"

"Oh, you should," the Scout a.s.sured her. "He is such a nice, useful boy."

"Does he work on the farms?" asked Nora seriously.

"I guess he doesn't really work any place in particular, but almost every place in general," replied Alma. "But let's hurry. The others will think we got hoed in with the corn."

So they did hurry back to the picnic and back to their strategy.

CHAPTER XVIII

THE LITTLE LORD'S CONFESSION