When the scouts reached the school, they found a number of the other girls back from their holidays. But the halls seemed strangely quiet and deserted; and when Lily reached her room, she was overcome by a feeling of loneliness.

“I wish Marjorie were here,” she thought. “I’d love to tell her all about the party, and John’s disappointment at not seeing her.”

And then she began to wonder how it would feel to have a boy really crazy about her; she had always been too fat and unattractive to make many friends among the opposite sex; and being an only child, without any brothers to introduce other boys to her, she always spent much of her holidays alone. And, for the first time in her life, she realized what she had missed; she felt that other girls were enjoying privileges that she had never known. She had scarcely spoken more than six words to any boy at the party, and yet she noticed Doris and Ruth chatting and laughing with almost all the boys as if they had known them all their lives. What was the secret? Marjorie must know; she had a brother—she would be able to tell her what interested them.

Marjorie did not return to the school until the next morning, just in time for opening assembly. Lily did not, therefore, have a chance to talk with her until lunch, and then she suddenly discovered that she was too shy, or perhaps too proud, to ask such a question.

“I thought you’d be back yesterday,” she said, as she was getting ready for lunch.

“I would have, only I knew all my friends would be away at the party,” said Marjorie. “Besides, I wanted to finish Miss Phillips’s camisole.”

“Oh, let me see it,” cried Lily. “When will you give it to her?”

“To-morrow morning, I guess, before breakfast, if I can catch her in time. I would like to wish her a happy birthday the very first thing!”

The girls linked arms, and went into the dining-room together, glad of the opportunity to talk with each other again. Ethel Todd, who sat at the same table with them, leaned towards Marjorie. Lowering her voice, and glancing in the direction of Miss Phillips’s table, she said:

“The scouts are going to give Miss Phillips a surprise party to-morrow night, in honor of her birthday; and, Marj, we want you in it, too. We got permission from Miss Allen. Meet at half-past eight in our room. You can bring a birthday present if you want, but you don’t have to. Then we’re all going over and sing a little song Frances wrote in her honor—a parody on ‘Perfect Day’—and go into her room with our presents and refreshments. Ruth and Doris are buying everything; the tax will be about a quarter apiece. You’re both in for it?”

“Yes, indeed!” answered Lily.

Marjorie hesitated. “I’d love to,” she said, “but it doesn’t seem exactly right. I’m not a Girl Scout!”

“Nonsense!” exclaimed Ethel. “If there is anything that isn’t right about it, it’s that you aren’t a Girl Scout. I’d like to have seen that Latin paper! I’ll bet Miss White was all fussed about her mother being sick, and marked it wrong, or else got it mixed up with some other girl’s paper!”

“You know I have sometimes wondered about that myself,” said Marjorie. “And especially since I went over the past lessons during spring vacation. I can’t remember putting the wrong things down. But it is too late now, of course, even if there had been a mistake.”

“Why don’t you ask for another test?” asked Ethel. “Oh, I couldn’t do that! I’ll just have to wait till the end of the year now.”

“And lose out on the camping trip!” exclaimed Lily resentfully. “It just doesn’t seem fair!”

“Well, go to the party anyway,” pleaded Ethel; “thank goodness, Latin can’t keep you away from that!”

The girls had difficulty in keeping their secret from Miss Phillips, but with a great deal of effort, they managed to do it. It was fortunate, however, that there was no scout meeting before the event, or somebody would have been sure to give the plan away. But, as it was, she was completely surprised.

She was sitting alone at her desk writing a letter, when, as the scouts had arranged, one of the maids knocked at her door and handed her a box. Miss Phillips wrinkled her brows. “Who sent it?” she asked.

“Some friends who would like to come in to see you,” she answered. “What shall I tell them?”

“I’ll be delighted, of course. Are they some of my girls?”

At this moment, the girls jumped out from around the corridor and rushed up to Miss Phillips, congratulating her and wishing her many happy returns of the day. While she untied the box, Ethel closed the door, and Frances led in the parody of the song, which the girls sang softly, but distinctly.

“Roses!” exclaimed Miss Phillips, lifting them out of the box. “My favorite flowers!”

After the girls had seated themselves, Miss Phillips was handed her presents. She received candy, gloves, handkerchiefs, and fancy collars. Noticing the particular package which Marjorie had given her, she left it till last to open.

“Just what I wanted!” she said, delighted, as she examined the camisole closely. “Did you do all that for me?”

Marjorie nodded, and Ruth began to look after the refreshments, in order to hide her embarrassment.

“That certainly is a pretty pattern,” continued Miss Phillips. “Why, I believe it is the same one Ruth has been making, isn’t it?”

Ruth flushed, but answered unconcernedly, “Yes, I am making a night-gown yoke for mother. Marjorie let me copy it.”

“Yes, I remember, that was the piece I examined for your second-class test.”

Marjorie opened her mouth in speechless amazement. What did all this mean? Ruth had only begun this pattern while she was at home for the holidays—and yet she had passed the test several days before she left! She glanced at Ruth, who was handing around the cake in a most indifferent manner. There must be some mistake—Miss Phillips must have forgotten.

After the girls had eaten, they sang once more the song to Miss Phillips, and went out quietly.

When Marjorie reached her room, she asked as casually as she could, “Do you remember when I first missed my crocheting, Lily?”

Lily tried to think. “It must have been Saturday before we went home, Marj; for you were doing it Friday night while we were at scout meeting. Why?”

“Oh, nothing—I just wondered. And you found it Sunday, didn’t you?”

“Yes, when we came home from church. Aren’t you glad, though? I think Miss Phillips liked your present best of all, Marj!”

“Thank you, Lily,” said Marjorie absently. But over and over in her mind she repeated:

“And a Girl Scout’s honor is to be trusted!”