CHAPTER IX
NEW FRIENDS
Her hands filled with the bank bills Fred had thrust into them, herbag under one arm and the lunch box under the other, Betty stoodforlornly on the platform and watched the horse and wagon out ofsight. Mr. Peabody had merely nodded to her by way of farewell, andBetty felt that if she never saw him again there would be little toregret. As a matter of fact, she was to meet him again and not undermuch more favorable aspects. But of that she was happily ignorant.
The whistling of the lanky young station agent, who was covertlystaring at her under pretense of sweeping up the already neat boardsbefore the door, roused her. She remembered that she did not want togo to Pineville.
"Why, I guess I can fix it up for you," said Dan Gowdy cheerfully,when she had stated her predicament, withholding only the reason fornot telling Mr. Peabody. "Let me see--twelve-three stops atCentertown. But you don't want to spend the night on the train. Goingfrom Centertown, you'd get to Washington about ten in the morning."
"I'd rather not sleep on the train," answered Betty timidly, hopingthat she was not unreasonable. Aside from the expense, she was notused to traveling, and the idea of a night alone on the train for thefirst time rather daunted her.
"Well, then--Wait a minute, I've got it!" shouted the agententhusiastically. "You buy a ticket up the line to Halperin. That'squite a town, and the through trains all stop. My brother-in-law'stelegraph operator there, and I'll send him a message to look out foryou, and he and my sister will keep you over night. They've got apretty place right in the country--trolley takes you to the door--anda baby that's named for me and some kid if I do say it. Then in themorning you can take the seven-forty-five for Washington and getthere at five-fifty-two if it isn't late. How's that?"
"But your sister!" stammered Betty. "She doesn't know me. What willshe say?"
"She'll say you have eyes just like Juliet, the little sister whodied when she was about your age," declared Dan Gowdy gently. "Don'tyou fret, Sister, she'll be glad to have you. Now here's your ticket,and I'll talk to Steve as soon as you're on board the train. That'sher smoke now."
Betty was conscious that there was something else on her mind, butit was not until she was seated in the train and had had her ticketpunched that she remembered. She had thanked kind Dan Gowdy ratherincoherently, though as warmly as she could, and had only half heardhis explanation that she was taking the 12:01 train up the lineinstead of the 12:03 down, and it was no wonder that in the bustle ofboarding the train she had forgotten her intention of telegraphing toher Uncle Dick. He had given her his address as the Willard Hotel,and the letter was already six days old.
"But I really think in the morning will be better," decided Betty,watching the flying landscape. "He wouldn't have given me the addressif he didn't expect to be there for some time. Before I take theWashington train I'll telegraph him and let him know when to meet me."
The train made three stops before Halperin was reached, and Bettystepped down to find herself before a pretty, up-to-date stationbuilt of cream-colored brick, with a crowd of stylish summer folkmingling on the platform with farmers and townspeople. Severalautomobiles were backed up waiting for passengers, and there were oneor two old-fashioned hacks. A trolley car was rounding the streetcorner, the motorman sounding his bell noisily.
"Betty Gordon, isn't it?" asked a pleasant voice.
A round-faced man was smiling down at her, a young man, Bettydecided, in spite of the white hair. His keen dark eyes werepleasant, and he held out his hand cordially.
"Dan told me you had cornflowers on your hat," he said quizzically,"and I, knowing that Dan calls all blue flowers cornflowers, pickedyou out right away. Only they are forget-me-nots, aren't they?"
"They're supposed to be larkspur," answered Betty, laughing andfeeling at ease at once. "Perhaps the milliner didn't have a garden."
"Well, anyway, they're blue," said the brother-in-law comfortably."Don't suppose Dan told you my name?"
He was guiding her around the station toward the trolley tracks ashe spoke.
"He said the baby was named for him, but he didn't say what yourname was," admitted Betty dimpling.
"Just like him!" grinned her companion. "Dan's so all-fired proud ofthat youngster he never lets a chance slip to tell we named himDaniel Gowdy Brill. Though Dan senior usually forgets to add theBrill."
"Does--does Mrs. Brill know I'm coming?" ventured Betty.
"She sure does! I telephoned her the minute I heard from Dan, and Isuspect she and the baby are sitting out on the fence now watchingfor you to come along. Sorry I can't go with you, but I've just comeon duty. You tell the conductor to let you off at Brill's, and I'llsee you at supper to-night."
He helped her on the car, tipped his hat, and ran back to thestation, leaving Betty with the comfortable feeling that the Brillswere used to company and rather liked it.
She repeated her instructions to the conductor, who nodded silently,and, after a quarter of an hour's ride, signaled to her that herdestination was reached. They had passed the town limits, and were inthe open country. Betty had noticed several farmhouses, of theartistic remodeled type, evidently summer homes of the well-to-do, asthe car rattled along.
She saw one of these as she stepped from the trolley car, and also,under a tree, a young woman holding a beautiful, rosy baby. These twoimmediately swooped down upon her.
"I'm so glad you've come!" Mrs. Brill kissed her unaffectedly. "KissDanny, too! Isn't he a nice baby? We waited lunch for you, and ifyou're half as starved as we are--"
Still chattering, she led the way into the house. Mrs. Brill was anelder sister of the Hagar's Corner's agent and very like him in face,manner, and bright, cheery way of speaking. The house was tastefullyfurnished, and a white-capped maid could be seen hovering over thetable as they went upstairs. Betty learned long afterward that Mr.Brill's father was wealthy and idolized his son's wife, who had giventhe younger man the ambition and spur his career had lacked until hemet and married her. It was lovely Rose Gowdy who persuaded SteveBrill to take the job of telegraph operator, forgetting hisprematurely white hair, and she who encouraged him to work his way tothe top of the railroad business. Rose, and Rose's son, were givenall the credit of that ultimate success by the older Brill.
"I had a little sister once who looked just like you," said Mrs.Brill, as she watched Betty smooth her hair at the mirror in thechintz-hung guest room. "Her name was Juliet. Poor old Dan nearlybroke his heart when she died."
"He said something about her," replied Betty shyly. "Oh, look atthat cunning baby! He thinks he can eat his own foot!"
"He will, too, if he doesn't get his bottle soon," said the baby'smother, rising. "Come, dear, we'll go down. Danny has his bottle inhis wheeler right in the dining-room."
The little maid served them a dainty meal, and the round-eyed babyfell asleep as they ate and talked, lying in blissful content in awhite-enameled contrivance that was like a crib on four wheels, andsucking quietly on his bottle.
"Now if you want to lie down, you may," said Mrs. Brill when theyhad finished. "I'll be busy for the next couple of hours with two ofmy neighbors who are planning a minstrel show for the country club.They had already planned to come when Steve telephoned. If you're nottired, perhaps you'll enjoy looking over our farm. Even if you'vespent your summer on one, you may find things to interest you."
Betty was not tired, and she had been longing to explore the belt ofgreen fields that encircled the old farmhouse. Hatless, but carryingher sweater over her arm, she went happily out.
There was a small but well-kept poultry yard with some handsomewhite leghorns lazily sunning themselves; a gentle-eyed Jersey cowstood close to the first pair of bars; and a fat, lazy collie snoozedunder a cherry tree but declined to accompany Betty on herexplorations, though she petted and flattered and coaxed him with allher powers of persuasion. He wagged his tail cordially and beamedupon her good-naturedly, but as to getting up and walking about sosoon after dinner--well, he begged
to be excused.
"You're a lazy thing!" said the girl indignantly, finally giving upthe task as hopeless and climbing the fence into a larger pasture.
Over in one corner of the field she spied something that quickenedher steps with pleasure. A baby colt, long-legged, sleek of head andaltogether "adorable" as Betty would have said, ambled more or lessungracefully about enjoying the shade of a clump of trees andsampling the grass at intervals.
"Oh, I do hope you're tame!" whispered Betty softly.
She was fond of animals, and Bramble Farm, with the exception of afew lambs, had had no young life in its pastures and stables. Thelittle calves were always sold as early as possible that there mightbe more milk for butter, and Betty was fairly aching to pet something.
She walked cautiously up to the colt, who sniffed at hersuspiciously, but stood his ground. He pricked his ears forward andlooked at her inquiringly.
"You dear!" said the girl quietly. "You little beauty! You wouldn'tmind if I patted you, would you?"
She put out one hand and touched the rough side of the littleanimal. He stood perfectly still, and she stroked him for a minute ortwo, speaking gently to him. Presently he nuzzled her playfully.
"Oh, you darling!" she cried delighted. "Wouldn't I love to take youwith me and have you for a pet! If you wouldn't grow any larger thanyou are now, I'd take you everywhere just like a dog."
She had both arms around the colt's neck now, and he seemed to enjoybeing petted. All at once Betty thought she heard hoof-beats on theground, and at the same time the colt raised his head and whinnied.
Betty looked up and across the field toward the house. She stoodback from the colt and stared in dismay and astonishment at what shesaw.
Tearing across the ground, headed directly for her, was a fierceanimal with flashing red nostrils, huge mouth open wide and showingtwo great rows of strong yellow teeth bared to the gums. Sparksseemed to fly from the hoofs and a coarse black tail streamed in thewind.
"Good gracious!" gasped Betty weakly. "That must be the colt'smother!"
The colt whinnied again in welcome and delight, but Betty feltrooted to the earth.