remarked Miss Phillips. "We are to see and learn things as well."

"Oh, please tell us who it is!" cried Ruth, almost swallowing her olive
in her haste to satisfy her curiosity.

"I dare not! I promised!"

"My, how you do love mysteries, Captain!" observed Ethel.

"Is it a man?" pursued Ruth.

Miss Phillips hesitated. "Yes, it is. I'll tell you that much. And I'll
tell you something more. He has promised to equip the girls for a canoe
trip this summer, if they win the Pioneer badge!"

"A canoe trip!" repeated Marjorie. "Oh, how wonderful!"

"It will be a nice change from regular camping," said Miss Phillips.
"But the pioneer test is a difficult one."

The girls discussed it for a while, and, after supper was over, went up
to their rooms. They were too tired even to go to the movies, but Miss
Phillips had brought cards, and they played a rubber of bridge before
seeking their beds.

They were up early the next morning to find the dining-room almost
empty. Again they had the fun of ordering "the things we don't get at
Miss Allen's," as they themselves put it, and the meal passed
pleasantly.

Most of the day was spent in sight-seeing. They visited the White House,
and the Capitol; stopped at the Smithsonian Institute and laughed over
the dresses the Presidents' wives had worn; took the elevator to the top
of Washington Monument; and, after luncheon, rode to Mt. Vernon. It
meant a great deal to them to see all the places they had read so much
about.

They came back to the hotel tired; but a bath, fifteen minutes' rest,
and fresh clothing, revived them; and at dinner they were as gay as
usual. In the evening they went to the theater.

On Saturday they took a sight-seeing bus about the city and ended up at
the Girl Scout Headquarters.

All of the girls were tremendously excited as they walked into the
office; it was the first time they had ever met other officers, or
visited any Scout office. Fortunately, Miss Phillips had insisted this
time that they all wear their Scout uniforms, and in these they felt
more at ease.

Instead of finding only one or two officials, the place was crowded with
them. The girls stepped back shyly, while Miss Phillips made the
advances.

"We are Girl Scouts from Miss Allen's Boarding School--in Pennsylvania,"
she explained; "we're seeing Washington, and, of course, we couldn't
miss the Girl Scout Headquarters."

The hostesses were most cordial, showing the girls everything, an