Belles on their Toes

that organization.
    Mother wasn't sure she could spare the time. But Mrs. Hoover invited her to a tea at which a delegation of ladies in uniform were present. In a surprise ceremony, Mrs. Hoover announced she wanted to take Mother into the Girl Scouts right then and there. With the other ladies smiling encouragement, Mother arose to recite the oath.
    None of our girls had been scouts. But Frank and Bill both had joined the Boy Scouts some years before. Mother had helped them memorize their oaths and pass their tenderfoot tests.
    Standing in the White House, she raised three fingers of her right hand. Mrs. Hoover nodded reassuringly. It was a solemn moment, Mother started to recite:
    "On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country always, to..."
    The ladies snickered.
    "That's fine," Mrs. Hoover smiled when Mother finished. "That means you're a full-fledged Boy Scout. Now would you like to join the Girl Scouts?"
    Mother said she would.
    "Girl Scouts try,” said Mrs. Hoover. "Their oath start like this. 'On my honor I will try to do my duty.' "
    Mother raised three fingers again and swore to try.
    Later on, she even got a uniform. When our older girls teased her about it, and kept asking her to give her scout's honor every time she made a flat statement of fact, she'd threaten to buy khaki shirt and trousers and a campaign hat.
    "I can always switch to the other branch, if you don't like this uniform," she'd say. "I took both oaths, you know."
    On one of Mother's visits with the Hoovers, the President urged her to bring all of us to a formal afternoon reception at the White House. The affair was to be held within a few days, and was for the Cabinet, Supreme Court and the Diplomatic Corps.
    "I'd like to meet all the Gilbreth children," the resident said cordially.
    Mother was grateful for the invitation. But she knew we didn't like appearing en masse at anything. Besides, she had visions of railroad tickets and new outfits for everybody.
    "They'd all love to come," she said, "but I'm afraid they'd strain the seams even of the White louse."
    "Nonsense," said Mr. Hoover. "We'd love to have them."
    "Suppose," said Mother who thought a compromise was in order, "I just bring the six boys."
    "The boys will be fine," Mr. Hoover agreed hospitably. "Why don't you telephone them right now? Come on. I won't take no for an answer."
    A phone was thrust into Mother's hands, and she put in a call for Montclair. Frank, who was home from the University of Michigan on a holiday, answered the ring.
    "I have great news," Mother said, while the Hoovers beamed. "The President has been kind enough to invite all of you boys to a reception at the White House." She put her hand over the mouthpiece and turned to the Hoovers. "I can just see their faces, can't you?"
    "For crying out loud," Frank groaned. "See if you can't get us out of it, Mother."
    "I can't," said Mother. "I tried, but I can't. I can't believe it's true, either."
    "I don't want to bring all those kids down there,'' Frank complained. "Besides, I've got a date for almost every night of my vacation."
    "You'll have to break it, dear. You'll have to break the news gently so the other boys won't take the roof off the house when they hear the glad tidings. The Hoovers are right here, just think of that,"
    "Good night," said Frank, only much quieter. "I'm sorry. We're trapped then, eh?"
    "You certainly are," said Mother. "We all are. It's not something that happens every day."
    Mother told Frank she had business in Washington and wouldn't be able to return to Montclair to supervise the boys' preparations. They were to wear their best suits and of course white shirts and black shoes. If they took an early morning train from Newark, they'd get to Washington about lunch time. Mother would be waiting for them at her hotel, and they could come to her room and wash up, before the reception.
    Bill, who was now a senior in high school and currently in charge of the checking account, withdrew enough cash from the bank to cover the cost of three full and three half tickets to Washington and return.
    It seemed like a lot of money, and both Bill and Frank thought it would be cheaper to make the trip by car. They felt sure that, once they had arrived in Washington and had explained to Mother about the savings, she would approve too.
    The two oldest boys and Martha were the possessors of a Model T touring car. The vehicle was an antique when they had acquired it the year before