Curled up on the same bed, Marjorie proceeded to tell what she had correctly guessed to be the truth--that Harold Mason, in disguise, was really the old man. She described his appearance, and showed the grey hair. Then, too, she reminded Lily of his embarrassment at seeing it, and his urgent desire to make his escape.
“And that accident was all cooked up, too,” she concluded. “Of course he couldn’t make Frieda want to drive the car, and run into a tree, but he was going to get around it somehow--to make us late for the meet.”
Lily was so angry now that she could scarcely sit still.
“And do you suppose that Ruth knew all about it?”
“I’m going to go accuse her, this very minute!” flashed Lily, jumping off the bed.
“Don’t Lil; it won’t do any good. She’ll deny that she had any part in it. But I’ve let her know that I have solved the problem, and she’s pretty uncomfortable when I’m around. The best thing we can do about it is to ignore it--and her, as far as possible, without seeming rude.”
“Well, she’s no longer a friend of mine!” exclaimed Lily.
“No, nor anybody else’s in the troop,” added Marjorie. “For I think most of the girls have found her out!”
Saturday proved to be cooler, and delightful; the girls were up early to enjoy the fine air of the morning.
“But I don’t move from this porch till time to dress for the meet,” announced Marjorie, with a significant glance at Ruth. “I’m not taking any chances.”
At eleven o’clock the Girl Scouts, all in bathing suits covered by raincoats, drove in the machines to the shore of the lake. Already crowds of people were sitting on the benches, and standing on the shore, waiting for the meet to start.
Through a megaphone Mr. Remington thanked the audience for their splendid support, and announced the relay and obstacle races which were to constitute the first part of the program. These, he said, were not included in the reckoning of points for the silver cup, and ribbons would be awarded to the successful teams. As lots were drawn to determine the participants of each side, the rivalry was not sharp; in fact Ruth, Frieda, and Marjorie, the three best canoeists, were all on the same side, so that they easily came in ahead. The real excitement lay in the individual contests.