I wish Belle had had time to finish that sentence, for I don’t believe she will be in such a nice temper for a long time; but we were interrupted by Tony and the Colonel and Miss Priscilla coming past my house and into the cottage front gate.  The Colonel was dressed up in his white vest and Sunday hat, and Miss Priscilla was flying more ribbons and ruffles than usual, while I never saw Tony’s grin quite so broad and his freckles shone out more than ever, as they always do when he is excited.

“Miss Phyllis,” said the Colonel, in his grand manner that everybody in Byrdsville tries to copy when there is anything important to be said, especially in public, like the mayor does in his speeches, “I have come to announce to you that this morning’s mail has brought a great honor to you, and through you, to Byrdsville.  Allow me to hand you this medal that is given you for the heroic feat of life-saving by the Girl Scouts of America, called, I believe, the Organization of the Campfire.  I wrote on to inform the authorities of the deed of the Patrol Leader of the Palefaces, as your Girl Scout band is named, and this letter, with the accompanying medal, is the result.  I am informally showing you the medal now, but the letter will be read and the medal presented at the commencement exercises of the Byrd Academy.”  And with a low bow that crinkled the stiff white vest, the Colonel handed me the medal.

I was paralyzed—­real paralysis of both mind and body, especially legs and tongue—­and I believe I would have been sitting there on the front steps of the cottage yet, in a dumb and stupid manner, with them all looking at me, if Tony Luttrell who, as I have remarked before, is a very understanding person, though a boy, hadn’t flared his eyes and mewed under his breath.  Then we all laughed so loud that it brought Mamie Sue to the door though Lovelace Peyton called so loudly that Roxanne had to run to him; and so did Mamie Sue, with the treacherous chocolate smears on her mouth, after having promised not to give it to him unless she just had to.

“Phyllis, if Tony says Kitten Patrol to you one single time more, something will have to be done to him that is serious,” said Miss Priscilla, frowning at Tony with a frown that only seemed to bring out the dimple in her left cheek.  “Now congratulate her nicely, Tony!”

[Illustration:  The Colonel handed me the medal]

“Madam,” said Tony, straightening up and looking so much like the Colonel that it was funny (but of course Tony has learned impersonation), “accept my heartfelt congratulations for thus achieving a triumph of kittenism.  Will that do, Miss Prissy Bubble?” And again we all laughed, the Colonel the most of all, and even Belle a little, too.

“Phyllis, you are one perfectly good brick,” Tony said suddenly, dropping the teasing of Miss Priscilla from his voice; and he looked at me with just as affectionate an expression in his squinty eyes as when he looks at Pink Chadwell.  It is a great thing for a girl to feel that a fine boy likes her as much as he does his most chosen boy comrade.  I felt that keenly.