“I’ll gladly let her go to ye next winter, Ma’am, but not to visit.  I would like her to be wid a grand lady like yourself, and if you’ll let me pay her board I’ll consider it a great favor.  And if she might go to some fine school, Ma’am, where she could learn how to be a lady and stay at your house I would pay any price.”

At first Mrs. Hollister objected to the money part, but Mr. Casey begged so hard that, realizing what Nora had done for Ethel, she felt she should be willing to do anything to benefit her.  So she consented.

“You can put me anywhere,” said Nora, “I will be like one of your family.”

Mrs. Hollister put her arm around the girl.

“My dear,” she said, “the best I have ought not to be good enough for you.  It’s little enough for me to take you, and I should like to do so without having your father pay me a penny.”

So it was all arranged.  In November, Nora was to become an inmate of the Hollister household.

Ethel had made up her mind to give the girl her room, she taking one on the top floor.

“I would gladly sleep on bare boards for her,” she said to her mother,—­“the brave girl to whom I have been so unjust.  I’m glad she’s coming.  I’ll devote all my extra time to her happiness.”

CHAPTER XI

BREAKING UP OF CAMP AND A SURPRISE

The time had arrived for the girls to separate.  The Scouts came up and carried Nannie off.  She had become a great favorite.  As Patty expressed it, Nannie was a comfortable visitor because she seemed to “belong.”  She made no fuss and adapted herself to their ways.

She promised to return the following summer and Harvey pronounced their camp as fine as any place they might select.

“So there’s no reason why we boys should not come back, too; but you must let us entertain you Camp Fire girls next year.  It’s been all on your side this.”

So they all went to the train to see them off, and people crowded around as though they might be a circus troupe, staring curiously at them and making remarks.

Then after saying goodbye the different members went to their homes.  Ethel and her cousin Kate were to go to Akron for a week or so, as Uncle Archie Hollister was coming up to spend his vacation.

The girls met him at the train and Ethel was overjoyed.

“Oh, Papa,” she said, “if only you could have been here before Camp broke up.  But we are going up for the day and give you a regular Camp Fire dinner,” and she kissed him affectionately.

“Next year I’ll get off earlier,” replied Mr. Hollister, “but our President was very ill and none of us liked to leave.”

They gave Mr. Hollister a rousing dinner.  Nearly all of the girls were present.  They did their cooking like desserts, bread, etc., at home, but the meat, corn and potatoes were roasted on the coals.  They had Uncle John, Judge Sands, Mr. Casey and Mr. Hollister for guests, and everything went off finely.  Mr. Hollister was loud in his praises of the cooking, and in fact, the whole organization.