noon on Saturday
She made two beautiful new blouses of white flannel with wide collars and cuffs of pale blue . Upon the right sleeve of each blouse Eleanor embroidered in a shade of blue that exactly matched their collars and cuffs the mysterious letters , M.M.M. , which stood for `` Mates of the Merry Maid . '' These blouses worn with their dark blue serge skirts made very attractive rowing costumes . The time appointed for the boat race was at noon on Saturday . The boys had worked manfully and the grounds looked as though they had been arranged for a Fourth of July picnic . When the houseboat party arrived they were greeted with great cordiality by the young men of the camp . Flora Harris and Alice Paine did not put in an appearance until within five minutes of the starting time of the race .