CHAPTER VI--WHAT HAPPENED THE FIRST DAY
The car flew along by sunny meadows and farms. New York was the firstday's goal.
"Barbara," Ruth said to her next-door neighbor, "you are herebyappointed royal geographer and guide-extraordinary to this party! Hereis the route-book. It will be up to you to show us which roads we are totake. It is a pretty hard job, as I well know from experience; but then,honors come hard. You don't need to worry to-day. I know this coast tripinto New York as well as I know my A.B.C.'s. I have often come alongthis way with father. Let's have a perfectly beautiful time in New York.We'll make Aunt Sallie chaperon us while we do the town, or, at least, apart of it. Have you ever been to a roof garden?"
Barbara's eyes danced. It didn't sound quite right somehow--a roofgarden--but then they were out for experiences, and Miss Sallie wouldn'tlet them do anything really wrong.
Ruth glanced out of the corner of her eye at Barbara. Miss Stuart was agood little chauffeur who never allowed her attention to be distractedfrom running her car, no matter what was being talked of around her, norhow much she was interested, but she couldn't help laughing at Barbara'sexpression; it told so plainly all that was going on inside her head.
"I do assure you, Miss Barbara Thurston, that a roof garden may be afairly respectable thing, quite well suited to entertaining, withoutshocking either Miss Sallie Stuart or her four charming protegees." Ruthcalled back: "Aunt Sallie, will you take us up on the Waldorf roofto-night? You know we are going to stay at the Waldorf Hotel, girls.Father said we might enjoy the experience, and it would be all rightwith Aunt Sallie for chaperon."
Grace pinched Mollie's arm to express her rapture, and that littlemaiden simply gasped with delight. It was Mollie, not Barbara, of thetwo sisters, who had the greatest yearning for wealth and society, andthe beautiful clothes and wonderful people that she believed went alongwith it. Barbara was an out-door girl, who loved tennis and all thesports, and could swim like a fish. An artist who spent his summers atKingsbridge, once called her a brown sea-gull, when he saw her lithebrown body dart off the great pier to dive deep into the water.
Aunt Sallie had been taking a brief cat-nap, before Ruth's question, andawakened in high good humor. "Why, yes, children," she answered, "itwill be very pleasant to go up on the roof to-night, after we have hadour baths and our dinners. I am quite disposed to let you do just whatyou like, so long as you behave yourselves."
Grace Carter pressed Aunt Sallie's fat hand, as a message of thanks.Grace was Aunt Sallie's favorite among Ruth's friends. "She is a quiet,lady-like girl, who does not do unexpected things that get on one'snerves," Miss Sallie had once explained to Ruth. "Now, Aunt Sallie,"Ruth had protested, "I know I do get on your nerves sometimes, but youknow you need me to stir you up. Think how dull you would be withoutme!" And Aunt Sallie had answered, with unexpected feeling: "I would bevery dull, indeed, my dear."
The girls were full of their plans for the evening.
"That is why Ruth told us each to put a muslin dress in our suit cases!Ruth, are you going to think up a fresh surprise every day! It's justtoo splendid!" Mollie spoke in a tone of such fervent emotion thateveryone in the car laughed.
"I don't suppose I can manage a surprise every day, Molliekins," Ruthcalled back over her shoulder, "but I mean to think up as many as Ipossibly can. We are going to have the time of our lives, you know, andsomething must happen to make it."
All this time the car had been flying faster than the girls could talk."This is 'going some,'" commented Ruth, laughing.
When they came into Lakewood Ruth slowed up, as she had promised herfather not to go any faster than the law allowed. "I cross my heart andbody, Dad," she had said. "Think of four lovely maidens and theirhandsome duenna languishing in jail instead of flying along the road toNewport. Honest Injun! father, I'll read every automobile sign from hereto Jehosaphat, if we ever decide to travel that way."
In Lakewood, Ruth drove her car around the wonderful pine shaded lake.
"It's a winter resort," she explained to her companions. "Nearly all thecottages and hotels are closed in the summer, but I wanted you to have asmell of the pines. It will give you strength for the rest of the trip."
Silence fell on the party as they skimmed out of Lakewood. After so muchexcitement it was pleasant to look at things without having to talk.
Mollie had begun, once in a while, to tap the lunch basket with herfoot. The fresh air and the long ride had made her desperately hungry.She really couldn't remember having eaten any breakfast in theexcitement of getting off. But nobody said f-o-o-d! She felt she was theyoungest member of the party and should not make suggestions before MissSallie.
Ruth turned into a narrow lane; a sign post pointed the way to adeserted village.
"Oh, dear me!" sighed Mollie to herself. "Why are we going to a desertedvillage, just as we are dying of hunger!"
Ruth said never a word. She passed some tumble-down old cottages of acentury ago, then an old iron foundry, and drew up with a great flourishbefore an old stone house, green with moss and ivy and fragrant with a"lovely" odor of cooking! There were little tables set out on the lawnand on the old-fashioned veranda, and soon the party was reveling inlunch.
"I didn't know food could be so heavenly," whispered Mollie in Bab'sear, when they were back in the car, for Grace had begged for a seat bythe chauffeur for the afternoon trip.
Soon Ruth left the country behind, and came out on the sea-coast roadthat ran through Long Branch, Deal Beach, Monmouth and Seabright.
From carriages and other automobiles, and along the promenades, everyonesmiled at the crimson car full of happy, laughing girls.
Ruth was driving in her best fashion, making all the speed she could,with the thought of town fifty miles or more ahead. "It is a sight tosee," quoth Barbara, "the way the fairy princess handles her chariot offire."
It was a little after four o'clock when the car boarded the StatenIsland ferry and finally crossed to the New York shore.
"You see, Bab," Mollie said, trying to stuff her curls under her motorcap and to rub the dust from her rosy cheeks with a tiny pockethandkerchief as they sped up Broadway, "I might be dreadfullyembarrassed arriving at the Waldorf looking the way I do, if I were notin a motor car, but riding in an automobile makes one feel so awfullyswell that nothing matters. Isn't it lovely just to feel important foronce? You know it is, Bab, and you needn't say no! It's silly topretend."
Miss Sallie was again on the border of slumberland, so that Mollie andBarbara could have their low-voiced talk.
"Does Ruth know I have never even been to New York before?" askedMollie. "I hope I won't seem very green about things. You must tell meif I do, Bab."
But Bab only laughed and shook her head. "You are a foolish baby," shesaid.
Two respectful porters at the Waldorf helped a dusty, crumpled party outof the big red touring car.
The girls, a little dazed, followed Miss Sallie through a maze of palmsand servants in livery, with handsomely dressed people strolling throughthe halls, until their suite of rooms, which Mr. Stuart had engaged bytelegraph a few days before, was reached.
The three rooms adjoined, only separated by white tile bathrooms. MissSallie, naturally, had a room to herself, and it was decided that Ruthand Grace were to sleep together, leaving the sisters to themselves.
"Isn't it too beautiful!" sighed Mollie, standing in the midst of theirluxurious chamber, gazing around at the single brass beds, with theirrose-colored draperies, and the ivory-striped satin wall paper,garlanded in pink flowers. Ruth and Grace were equally fine in a roomdecorated in blue, and, even in the Waldorf, Miss Sallie's taste seemedto have been consulted, as her room was in her favorite violet shade.
In some mysterious way the crumpled muslin dresses were taken downstairsby a maid, and came back smooth and fresh. Even Miss Sallie's elaboratechiffon gown looked as though it had just come home from the modiste's.
"O Ruth! Ruth!" Mollie exclaimed, as the four girls made thei
r way tothe dining-room, Miss Sallie in the lead, "I didn't know there could besuch a magnificent place in the world as this. I don't know what I canever do to repay you, except to love you and be grateful my whole lifelong."
"Well, I am sure that is all the gratitude I should ever want, Mollie,"laughed Ruth. "But wait until you see the houses at Newport."
All eyes near the door turned to see the little automobile party enterthe "palm room." Miss Sallie swept ahead in her black lace and chiffon,looking very handsome and impressive. Barbara and Grace came next;Barbara with her red-brown hair breaking into willful curves and waves,her big brown eyes glowing with pleasure, and the deep red showing inher olive cheeks; Grace with her look of refinement and gentle dignity.The blond maidens came in last. Ruth's bright gold hair and freshcoloring showed to best advantage in a dainty white muslin and lacefrock. She was half a head taller than dainty Mollie, who looked like aflower with her yellow curls gathered in a soft cluster at the back ofher neck and tied with a black velvet ribbon.
On the Waldorf roof, Miss Stuart and the girls sat under an orange tree,hung in some mysterious way with golden oranges. The whole place wasdecorated with palms and evergreens and beautiful flowers. The soft,shaded yellow lights rivaled the moonlight that glowed above.
"It's like the enchanted garden in the French fairy story, isn't it,Miss Sallie? Where the flowers and fruits bloomed all the year round?"whispered Barbara, who sat next their chaperon.
Miss Sallie smiled very kindly at her enthusiasm.
"I expect it is, but I am afraid I have forgotten the story. It has beena long time, remember, Barbara, since fairies and I have had much to sayto each other."
Barbara blushed. "Oh, I am not so young as all that, Miss Sallie; but Ihave never forgotten the fairy tales I read when I was a little girl.Though I must confess I liked boys' stories better. I just loveadventures!" And Barbara's eyes shone. In a little while the musiccommenced, and she forgot everything but that.
Mollie was differently occupied. What she liked best was to gaze aroundher at the women in their jewels and wonderful gowns.
Just across from her on the other side of the aisle was a rarelybeautiful woman in a white lace gown, with a string of pearls round herthroat, and a pearl and diamond butterfly that glowed and sparkled inher hair.
Mollie was so fascinated by her beauty that she couldn't help watchingthis stranger, and even overhearing a little of her conversation. "Itisn't exactly eavesdropping," Mollie apologized to herself, "because Idon't know them and they can never possibly know me." So nobody noticed,but Mollie, that when the woman gave a laughing toss of her head inanswer to some question from her husband, who sat back of her, that thebeautiful, jeweled butterfly slipped softly out of her hair, fell intothe softer lace folds of her gown and then down--down--to the floor!
The little girl waited half a minute. No one else had noticed the loss.At any time an usher might come down the aisle and crush the exquisitejewel. Mollie forgot herself and her shyness. If it had been Barbara shewould not have minded, but Mollie was timid before strangers. Sheslipped quietly across the aisle and picked up the butterfly.
"I beg your pardon," her soft voice explained, "but I saw this fall fromyour hair, and, as you did not notice it, I was afraid it might becrushed."
The lovely woman turned in surprise. It is just as well to call her "thelovely lady," now, for that was Mollie's name for her ever afterwards.
"My dear," she said, "I am very grateful to you. How could I have failedto see it? I am especially obliged to you, because I am very fond ofthis ornament."
Mollie blushed rosy-red, as the people close to them had observed whathad happened and were watching her. As she tried to slip over to herseat, the lady reached out and gave the child's hand a gentle squeeze ofthanks, glancing across as she did so to see what friends the littlegirl was with, and so caught Ruth Stuart's eye.
The intermission came at this minute.
"Why, Ruth Stuart!" Mollie, to her surprise, heard her friend's namecalled in a low voice, and Ruth came across to them.
"It's Mrs. Cartwright," she said. "I am so pleased! I didn't suppose youwould remember me."
"Of course I remember you, Ruth," Mrs. Cartwright protested. "It hasbeen only two years since I saw you at my own wedding in Chicago. Mymemory is surely longer than that. Isn't that your aunt, Miss Stuart?"Mrs. Cartwright moved across the aisle to speak to Miss Sallie and tointroduce her husband. When they had shaken hands, Mrs. Cartwrightasked: "May I know what you are doing in this part of the world at thisseason?"
"I am playing chaperon to my madcap niece and her three friends, who aredoing an automobile trip to Newport without a man. Ruth is her ownchauffeur," Miss Sallie explained, laughing.
"How jolly of you, Ruth, and how clever! I am so glad you are going toNewport. Did you know my summer place is down there? I am only in townfor a day or two. My husband had to come on business and I am with him.We shall be motoring home, soon, and may pass you if you are to takethings slowly. Why not join me at New Haven? My husband's brother is ajunior at Yale, and we've promised to stop there for a day. There is adance on at Alumni Hall. I'd be too popular for words if I could takeyou four pretty girls along with me!"
Ruth turned to her aunt with glowing eyes. "We did want to see thecollege dreadfully," she said. "I have never seen a big Easternuniversity. We didn't dream of knowing anybody who would show us around.Wouldn't it be too much for you to have us all on your hands?"
"Certainly not," said Mrs. Cartwright, "but a most decided pleasure. Ishall meet you in New Haven, say, day after to-morrow, and I'lltelegraph to-night to my brother, whose name is Donald Cartwright, bythe way, to expect us."
The music was about to begin again, but, before Mrs. Cartwright wentover to her seat, she put her hand on Mollie's curls. "I must see thislittle girl often at Newport. Then I can thank her better for saving mylovely butterfly for me. I hope to make all of you have a beautifultime." She put the jewel into her hair again, and Mollie looked at itthoughtfully. She was to know it again some day, under strangercircumstances.