Part 45 (1/2)

”Oh, love, to be sure! The kind that are run serially in the 'Cosmo'

Magazine. I adore them and the moment the books are out I buy them to read again. I can devour the love scenes again and again, and enjoy them!” sighed Eleanor, sentimentally.

”When that box of books arrives, Eleanor, will you allow me to look them over first?”

”Of course you may, but I can't see why you would want to read them first-you couldn't finish them all in a month!” laughed Eleanor.

”I have no desire to read them, but I must see what you intend bringing into camp. From your words, I should say the books are unworthy the name. I have long taken up the crusade against the trash that some magazines publish as it is unhealthy for young people. There are scores of other periodicals just as bad but they haven't the wealth or influence to advertise and put over their injurious reading that this one you mention has.”

”Why, how queer you are, Miss Miller! Everyone says the authors of those stories make fortunes out of everything written!” Eleanor defended.

”Ah, yes! What will be their report when the Day of Accounts comes and we each have to look at the facts bared by Truth?” sighed the Guide walking away.

Eleanor smiled ironically and looked at Zan. ”Isn't she the funniest thing!”

”No, we all know Miss Miller's great ambition to provide clean wholesome literature for young people and Dad seconds her enthusiastically in her work. She wrote an article to the New York papers showing how subtle and poisonous was the moral and mental perversion of the s.e.x stories so flagrantly advertised by publishers who only thought of gain and notoriety. But the newspapers are not courageous enough to throw the gauntlet down to these publishers. Some of them wrote back that the concerns mentioned spent large sums advertising in their daily papers.

So Miss Miller has to try some other method to open the eyes of the parents and guardians to the danger threatening young people.”

Eleanor stared at Zan and wondered, as half of it was Greek to her understanding. Miss Miller was heard ordering the carpenters to different duties, however, so Zan ran over to join them.

”The Brownies can find birch bark and make the ornaments to decorate the cabin,” said Anna, as the Guide apportioned each group of girls to tasks.

”Moreover, they can remove the large sections of bark from this down-timber for the girls to use on the outside of the cabin after the posts are up,” said Mrs. Remington.

And that is how the name ”Boss” began for the Guide.

”I'll guarantee to have bark, totems, s.h.i.+elds, and other ornaments ready for use when the cabin needs them,” added Mrs. Remington, calling the Brownies to go with Anna and her.

All that day the silent places of the forest resounded with sawing, chopping and hammering, but now and then a hot and tired girl would throw herself down on the moss to cool.

At luncheon that day, Mrs. Remington whispered to Miss Miller: ”This work will take much of the softness out and leave them in good shape for other sport.”

”Exactly!” replied the Guide, looking about at the hungry, eager faces of the members.

A call for ”Boss” from Tim, who was a.s.sisting in the hauling of the logs, interrupted further comment at that time.

”Miss Miller, the young ladies don't want to dig a hole where the logs will rest. I tells them they must do it to have a firm foundation. Fact, I said, a hull cellar ought to be dug to keep the floor dry and sweet-smellin',” said Tim.

”Yes, a cellar must be excavated if only a foot, or two feet deep.

Otherwise the floor will soon be mouldy and damp.”

So that afternoon, the girls dug and shovelled and worked on a pit about a foot and a half deep and as large as the floor was planned to be. The four logs forming the foundation square were well set before the horn sounded for rest that night.

”Didn't the time fly?” asked May, in surprise.

”It always does when one is pleasantly employed,” added Mrs. Hubert, complimenting the Tribe on the work accomplished.

The next day the cross-beams of the floor were laid, and the four corner posts erected and firmly nailed into place. At the luncheon that noon, plans were made for the siding and roofing the cabin. That afternoon, the ridgepole and rafters of the roof were set and the uprights of the walls nailed in securely. When Mrs. Hubert blew the horn for ”Quits” the girls looked longingly at the skeleton of their cabin.

”I'd like to tack a few sheets of tar paper on the outside before stopping work,” ventured Elena.

”Not if you are a member of this union. The rest of us will strike if you are permitted to work over-time,” retorted the Guide, to the amus.e.m.e.nt of Tim who thought the ”Boss” a wonder.