"
"We can go in our own boat," Cora said, "and really the lake is
quite rough for canoeing this morning. When Laurel comes back she
will likely bring her own boat and then we will have three in our
fleet."
"Why couldn't you, and she come home in her canoe when you found
your boat gone, Cora?" asked Bess suddenly.
"Hers was not at the dock--someone had borrowed it," Cora explained
without explaining.
They had about finished their meal. Belle was already snatching the
dishes, in spite of protests that there was some perfectly good
eating which had not yet been eaten.
"There come the boys now," announced Hazel. "They look sort
of-gloomy."
Cora glanced out of the window and saw Ed, Jack and Walter strolling
along the path. She, too, thought they looked "gloomy," but it was
not her practice to anticipate trouble.
The "hellos" were exchanged before the young men had time to enter
the camp. Then Belle asked:
"Aren't we going canoeing?"
"Guess not to-day," replied Ed, his handsome black hair almost
sparkling in the sunshine as he tossed his head in nonchalance. "We
are still too cramped up. Had to sleep on the roof last night."
"Why?" demanded Cora.
"Choosin' that. My little joke," he replied, "Girls, I'm cuttin'
up," and he tried to hide a serious air with a ridiculous remark.
"But we'll do something. We'll go fishin"' he declared.
"We thought it best to keep out in the cove this morning," Jack was
explaining to Cora.
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