So busy had the girls been with their basketball practice, and so elated were they over their first victory, that they seemed to have no time or to plan a Christmas party. Marjorie, tired though she was, had suggested a dance, but to her relief they had vetoed the proposition.  
So the night of the game had been the final event of the year for Troop Two Hundred, as their group was now designated. Two two-pound boxes of chocolates, tied with gay red and green ribbons, presented to Marjorie and Lily by Queenie in the name of her patrol were the only of Christmas in the occasion.
 
Both officers were surprised and delighted with the gifts, and exclaimed appreciatively. It was characteristic of Queenie that she had to explain the truth of the matter.
 
“Clara works in a candy factory,” she said, “and she got ’em cheap, so it didn’t set us back as much as you’d think.”
 
Marjorie laughed, really pleased by the girl’s frankness. It meant a great deal to her to have the want to give her something.
 
“Well, I thank you a thousand times,” she said; “and I hope you all have a very merry Christmas. Don’t forget meeting—the first Saturday night in January!”
 
“We’ll all be there!” Queenie promised.
 
She climbed into John’s car and dropped into her seat. She thought she had never been so tired in her life before.
 
“Thank goodness that’s over!” she breathed at last. “And only three more days of college!”
 
“Are you really so worn-out, Marjorie?” inquired John . “You oughtn’t to have played tonight!”
 
“And lost the chance of that victory—with what it means to the scouts? Oh, John, I’d have played till I dropped!”
 
“I believe you would!”
 
“But when I get home I certainly am going to take things easy. Breakfast in bed every day, afternoon nap, retire at half past nine. It’s going to be the simple life for me after the next ten days.”
 
“Then mayn’t I come up and see you?” he asked, a trifle .
 
“Yes, indeed—whenever you like, if you don’t demand entertainment. You will probably be bored to death; I don’t even feel as if I’ll be able to talk about anything—not even my scout troop!”
 
John’s eyes lighted up; it would be a pleasant occurrence to have Marjorie all to himself, not even disturbed by her own plans.
 
As soon as she reached her home town and was met by her family, she outlined the same program to them. Her parents were astonished at the idea of such a vacation, so different from the busy social whirl she usually lived in. Mrs. Wilkinson was actually worried.
 
“You don’t feel sick, do you dear?” she asked.
 
“No, only tired,” her daughter assured her.
 
“And you haven’t made any engagements at all?”
 
“Only one—Lil is giving a to announce her engagement. So I’m going over to New York on Tuesday.”
 
“Good for her!” cried in approval. “I don’t need to ask who the lucky fellow is.”
 
“No, I don’t think anybody will be very much surprised,” his sister rejoined.
 
“Sis, you better hurry up!” teased the other. “You’ll be the old maid of the troop!”
 
“I don’t care!” retorted Marjorie . “There are worse fates!”
 
“Marjorie,” asked her mother seriously, “have you made up your mind yet what you are going to do next year?”
 
“Stay home with her old daddy, aren’t you, dear?” put in Mr. Wilkinson hopefully.
 
“No, papa—I’m sorry I can’t. I’ve made up my mind to do scout work.”
 
“That’s a great idea!” he exclaimed . “Start a troop right here, in your own home town!”
 
But Marjorie shook her head.
 
“No, papa, not a troop. I mean to become a scout director. I have for a six weeks’ training course this summer.”
 
“Marjorie!”
 
“And we won’t even have you this vacation, then?” questioned her mother wistfully.
 
“Part of the time I’ll be with you. The camp doesn’t open until July first, and closes the fifteenth of August. Even if I get a position I wouldn’t begin before the first of September.”
 
“Oh, dear!” sighed Mrs. Wilkinson. “Well, if it will make you happy, that’s all I care about—Now, tell me about your troop, the new one, I mean.”
 
Marjorie was willing to talk about it for a while, but soon she pronounced herself weary of it, and went off to take a nap.
 
It was not until the next day that Mrs. Wilkinson began to realize how very tired her daughter was and she did not disturb her until long after noon. Then she suggested that she see no callers.
 
“Only—John!” whispered Marjorie.
 
“Why, Marjorie!” exclaimed Mrs. Wilkinson, her eyes brightening. “You want him?”
 
“Yes, it’s funny—but—I sort of rest better when he’s around. I guess that’s silly——”
 
“Not a bit, dear! He sent you some flowers this morning, but I didn’t bring them up because you were asleep. Do you want them now?”
 
“Yes, indeed! What are they?”
 
“Violets.”
 
“I knew they would be. He knows they’re my favorite.”
 
In honor of the gift Marjorie selected a violet-grey voile from among her simpler dinner dresses and waited for her visitor in her own little private sitting room. He came in eagerly, seeming to bring freshness and health with him as he entered.
 
“It’s good to see you with so much pep, John,” she said, admirably. “I’ve been so lazy all day.”
 
“It’s just what you needed to be, my dear,” he answered tenderly. “You think of everybody else but yourself. Your classmates—and those Girl Scouts!”
 
“John, don’t let’s talk about scouts tonight. Your flowers—they’re so wonderful—my lazy mood—everything makes me feel like poetry. Let’s read.”
 
“I’d love to!”
 
Marjorie drew down one of her favorite volumes—a collection of Alfred Noyes’ poems—and gave it to him to read aloud. She curled up in her big chair and watched him dreamily.
 
It was a charming evening for both of them, too charming for John to risk spoiling by chancing the refusal a repeated proposal would probably bring. A few more evenings like this, he told himself, would only serve to her more closely to him.
 
He inquired about her plans for Christmas day, and she invited him to spend it with her. But he160 refused, for he did not want to leave his mother alone.
 
Marjorie told him about Lily’s luncheon.
 
“I think it’s a surprise to most of the girls,” she explained. “Probably not to Ethel—she’s such a wise old . But I’m certain Daisy and Floss and Alice haven’t an inkling.”
 
“Who else will be there?” he asked.
 
“Everybody’s coming—even Doris and the baby. Mae and Tom are running on from Ohio.”
 
“Is Tom to be at the luncheon?” John demanded jealously.
 
“Oh, no—only girls. He’ll have to look up somebody—some of his frat brothers, I guess.”
 
“You mean the ones that trailed your car to the coast?” laughed John. “Did you ever hear anything of them again?”
 
“No, never.”
 
“I thought one of them was quite with Daisy.”
 
“So he seemed, but I guess he was ashamed of himself.”
 
Reluctantly John to go; Marjorie needed the rest.
 
“Marjorie, I am leaving your Christmas present with your mother, since I won’t see you on Christmas. And may I come up the day after?”
 
“That’s the luncheon.”
 
“Well, I want to hear all about it.”
 
“I thought maybe I’d stay over night at Lil’s.”
 
“Then let me come there—Lily will have Dick, and you know that &lsqu............