“Who says we have to wait for winter before we can go coasting,” said Hinpoha, who had overheard the remark.  “You just watch this child.”  Climbing to the top of the hill she beat a path down the slope, and then sat calmly down with her feet stretched out before her and slid down as swiftly as if the hill had been covered with ice.  She had no sooner accomplished the feat than all the Winnebagos were at the top of the hill, eager to try it.  They came down all in a row, each with her hand on the shoulder of the girl ahead of her, so that it looked like a real toboggan.  Then Mrs. Evans tried it, pulling with her stout Mrs. Brewster, who puffed like an engine and got stuck half way down and had to be pushed the rest of the way.  Then Dr. Hoffman and Aunt Phoebe returned from their ramble and the mothers hastily collected their dignity and their hairpins, breathless but bubbling over with the fun of it.  Whoever has not slid down a grassy hillside in June has certainly missed a joy out of his life.

They had frolicked so long in the daisy field that there was no time to go on to the place where they had intended to cook their supper, and they had to stay right there.  Aunt Phoebe had her first taste of camp cookery on this occasion and was delighted beyond words with the experience, as was Doctor Hoffman.  “Sometime you and I vill go camping and you vill make someting like dis, mein Liebchen?” he said to Aunt Phoebe, indicating the slumgullion.  The group sat petrified at the term he had used in addressing her, and Aunt Phoebe blushed fiery red.  Dr. Hoffman saw that the cat was out of the bag.  Laughing sheepishly, he spoke.  “Dis lady,” he said, laying his hand on Aunt Phoebe’s, “has promised to be mein vife.”

Hinpoha dropped her plate in her surprise.  “Aunt Phoebe!” she cried, incredulously, throwing her arms around her.  Then her face fell.  “You are going away and leave me?” she asked anxiously.

“No, dear,” answered Aunt Phoebe, “the Doctor is going to make his home here and we will keep you with us always.”  And Hinpoha, though still dazed by the news she had just heard, breathed easy again.

When the last bit of slumgullion was eaten and Doctor Hoffman had scraped out the kettle, the Winnebagos retired to the other side of the hill to don their ceremonial costumes, and the rest of the company found comfortable seats on the ground from which to watch the coming performance.  As Migwan was wriggling into her gown a letter fell to the ground.  The mail man had handed it to her just as she was starting off with the crowd, and she had thrust it into her blouse to read later.  Being dressed a few minutes ahead of the rest, she tore open the envelope while she was waiting for them.  If the other girls had been watching her as she read it they would have seen her clasp her hands together suddenly and draw in her breath sharply.  Just then Nyoda’s clear Wohelo call sounded, and she went with the rest into the circle around the fire.