Ed said, there could be no objection to the crockery.

Jack had charge of the water for tea. This took a long time to boil,
owing to the fact that the kettle was a very much bent-up affair that
had been rescued from the ruined kitchen.

Bess was cooking canned peas, while Belle insisted that all she could
do was to turn over, with a fork, the things that cooked nicely on
Cora's pan.

"Done to a turn!" announced Jack, as he jumped down with his pots.
"Now, if you folks need any more you will really have to go into active
service."

His initiative was followed by the others, and presently the less timid
of the guests had put food into pans and taken up their places on the
tables to do their cooking, while it seemed that all at once every one
"fell to" and procured something to eat.

"Let there be no unbecoming haste!" remarked Walter gently, but it was
a great meal, that.

CHAPTER XII

QUEER COBBLERS

"Isn't she disappointing?" remarked Hazel.

"Very," answered Cora.

"To think that she should leave us for a patient!"

"I cannot understand it."

"I have heard that girls not home raised are like that--they have no
sentiment."

"Nor honor, either!"

"Well, she didn't think she was bound to go with us, and, of course,
there was money besides reputation in being on the spot when the hotel
owners would arrive. But I am disappointed."

"I hope the boys will not feel obliged to return for her," and Cora's
lip curled slightly. "She is such a good business woman she ought to
be able to get to the Berkshires from here."

"Walter seems enthralled," and Hazel laughed. "I wonder how Jack got
him to leave her?"

They were on the road again, and Miss Robbins, the physician, the
business woman, the chaperon, had stayed behind to take care of those
who had been injured in the explosion. There were good doctors within
call, but she simply would stay, and saw no reason why the girls should
not go on alone. To her the idea of being obligated to them was not to
be thought of when a matter like professional business came up. Of
course, this was a general disappointment, for the girls would never
have entrusted themselves to her patronage if they had not felt certain
that she would keep her word with them. However, the fact was that
they were on the road again, and Regina Robbins was happy on the sunny
porch of the big hotel, incidentally attending to a cut or two on one
man's face and a bad-looking burn on