CHAPTER XIX
BETTY SEES "X" SURPRISED
The weeks went by. Father's little goldfish had passed thelife-saving tests! She could also do some more diving "stunts" andin "endurance tests" was growing proficient. She was a candidate formore G. A. A. honors at the final award of honors. Hikes you woulddo anyway, of course. She tramped ten miles one day with a Lyon "Y"group whose leader became rather mixed as to route and the five-milehike became ten. Oh, well, Betty said, it would count just that muchmore toward your points. But she had gotten some gravel in her shoesand limped for the rest of the week-end. Life was not always freefrom drawbacks!
School was nearly out. Betty Lee, junior, would soon be Betty Lee,senior. As usual, the girls "couldn't realize it." Some of them weregoing to attend summer school. Betty, still keeping on the honorroll, knew that there would be no necessity for her doing it; stillif you were in the city, there might be something interesting totake. Yet there was always her violin to practice. She wanted to bea member of the "senior orchestra" next year as well as in thesenior class, and that you won by ability, not by rank.
Of Jack Huxley she saw little. He was courteous enough to speak whenthey met and if they were unavoidably in a junior group together hewas as friendly to Betty as to any one. But there was no waitingafter school to see her. There were no invitations. And othermatters occupied Betty's thoughts.
"I don't want to be inquisitive, or curious, Carolyn," said PeggyPollard one day to Carolyn Gwynne, "but don't you imagine there musthave been something in all that gossip about Jack Huxley's party? Inotice Betty and he haven't been together any since. Did Betty evertell you anything? Or isn't it any of my affair?"
"Betty's never said anything much about the party to me, Peggy, onlythat it was a big one and they had it all very 'spuy' there, dinnerwith lots of courses and everything. I really can't remember whatshe did say. And was it after that Jack stopped being with Betty?He's been around with Mathilde some, I know; but I thought it wasbecause old Chet has been rushing Betty a lot. She was in thatpretty Holland booth Mrs. Dorrance was running and you know we girlswere all invited out there for a fete they had on her big lawn. ButPeggy, I think it's just as well for Betty to stick with the oldcrowd. Chet, too, will be in the university next year. He has tomake hay while the sun shines. I feel sorry for Chet if Bettydoesn't like him as much as he likes her."
"Don't worry about Chet, Carolyn. Likely enough he'll meet some girlat the university and Betty will be the one to miss our senior boys.I think I know one or two juniors, though, that won't' be so sorrywhen that bunch of boys has gone."
"Of course. If they didn't go, then we wouldn't be seniors. I hopethe teams won't suffer."
Baseball, the "senior exams," the excitement of the approachingcommencement, little social affairs of clubs and groups, moreelaborate entertainments, assemblies in the auditorium that no onewanted to miss--all these and more filled the days.
There was a general rejoicing and excitement one day when greatloads of handsome books were delivered at the school and a rushoccurred at all possible moments to get a copy of the annual LyonHigh _Star_. It was the custom to order the books in advance, asthey were too expensive to have any copies left over. Not all feltthat they could buy one, but those who did were generous with themand it was not unusual to see a group gathered around, peering overshoulders to look at the pictures of groups or individuals, takensome time back, when the camera men came out to the school.
Betty and Carolyn secured their copies among the first and plumpeddown in seats in the auditorium at the close of school to look atthem. Mary Emma and Selma were standing behind them, bending overwith interest; and not far away Chet and Budd were chuckling over acopy. Naturally, their own individual pictures with their class wereof first interest. "Oh, Betty!" cried Mary Emma, "that isn't half aspretty as you are, but it's pretty good after all! And look atmine--there--on the same page. Isn't that awful! I'm just smirking!Somebody had made me laugh and I was trying to get over it and justsmile a little."
"Wait till you see mine," said Carolyn, "before you shed tears. I'mthe crossest girl you ever saw, so far as mere looks are concerned."
"Why, Caroline, you just look serious. Of course, you usually don't,but what is a little thing like that?" This was Betty.
Exclamations and some laughter were the order of the next fewminutes. Some of the teachers looked "wonderful" and others "youwouldn't know at all." But the book as a whole was eminentlysatisfactory, with its individual recognitions and personal historyas well as the account of the year's progress and activities. Bettywould add hers to the other two reposing at home. One more wouldcomplete her high school record.
While they still looked at the book, Lucia Coletti opened thecentral auditorium door and looked in searchingly. "Oh, here youare, Betty. Peggy said that she thought you hadn't left the buildingyet. I've something important to tell you, Betty. Can you come outto dinner with me? I can telephone home for you if you will. I canget the telephone in the office now. They said I could."
Lucia's voice was trembling with suppressed excitement, but thegirls, still engaged in the pages Betty was turning, did not notice.Selma was talking to Mary Emma and some of the art work by thestudents themselves was being commented upon.
Betty handed the book to Selma. "You can finish looking at it,girls, and I'll be in the hall as soon as I go to my locker aminute. All right, Lucia. Telephone, or get Mother on the line forme, if you like. I'd love to come."
Betty fancied that there might be some development relative to theSevillas, now comfortably settled. But she was mistaken. As the twogirls left the high school building, Betty with her _Star_ under herarm, Lucia in the lowest tones told her that she had received atelegram.
"It was telephoned out to school, addressed to me at Lyon High, andthe office telephoned to the home room, you know, to have me stopafter school. It isn't signed by anything but an initial, but it isfrom my father. It was sent from New York. Here it is. You can readit in the car, but don't say a word before the chauffeur."
"Then your father is coming!" said Betty in a surprised whisper.
"Yes. I want you, because Mother has been sick all day, just wornout with all sorts of things, chiefly late hours and all the thingsthat are going on. She is really better than she was yesterday,though. Now she might want me with her, and I must have somebodythere that knows, so that one of us can be ready to--oh, well, withjust the butler there he might send in a card and Mother wouldn'tsee him or something. And she's _got_ to!"
Betty laughed a little at Lucia's determination. But it was a matterof the most importance to her friend. "Good for you, Lucia. And Iimagine if they once see each other----"
Betty broke off, for they had reached the waiting car which so oftencalled for Lucia. She unfolded the piece of paper on which thetelegram had been copied down as dictated over the telephone."Coming. Beach house about six. Surprise. X." The periods wererepresented by the customary "stop."
"I can't imagine a certain person's arriving anywhere that early inthe morning," said Lucia, "so it's tonight."
"In that case, Lucia, I may not stay to dinner. I'd be a fifthwheel, but oh, I'm so glad."
It was no time before the girls were at the Murchison door. Bettymade herself at home in Lucia's room while Lucia went to see hermother, the "X" of the telegram, who was to be surprised. Doubtlessthat was only intended as a public caution, designed to prevent thetelegram's being relayed home.
Lucia came back in high spirits. "You ought to see my mother," saidshe. "She's up and in the most adorable negligee you can imagine.She may dress for dinner. Uncle is to be late. It couldn't happenbetter. Now if the 'long-absent' Count Coletti is only on time!Mother was so mad at that in the paper once."
Lucia's dark eyes sparkled and her cheeks were hot. Betty said alittle prayer in her heart that her friend might not be disappointedwith the result. "Mother's been desperately lonely and restlesslately and has been
on the go nearly all the time," continued Lucia."Come on; we'll go downstairs and wait. You must be right there anddon't stop keeping an ear open for the door, if I'm called to Motheror for anything else. Sometimes the housekeeper wants to see me ifshe can't disturb Mother."
This was all very thrilling. Lucia could not keep still or very faraway from the front window. At the sound of an automobile on thedrive, both girls went to the window. It might be Mr. Murchison, ofcourse, or almost anybody. But no. "It's a taxi," Lucia tenselywhispered.
On it came, stopping before the entrance. The driver descended fromhis seat and opened the door. There was a little delay as thepassenger was paying before leaving the taxi. The driver wasreceiving a bill, which must have included a good tip, from theimpressive manner and extreme courtesy which followed on the part ofthe driver. He took out two grips and stood aside to let a slight,distinguished-looking man pass him and go up the steps. He followed,but Betty saw that the butler had opened the door to go out.
Lucia had waited only to see who stepped from the taxi. She was outinto the hall, down the steps and in the arms of a surprised fatherbefore one would have thought she could reach him. The butler, too,was smiling and welcoming the count. "Why, he was probably here whenthey were married," thought Betty. "Of course, but Lucia had neverthought of it!"
Invited to have a share in this arrival, Betty felt quite justifiedas she happily watched from the window seat, having a good view fromthe windows that projected in a sort of rectangular recess at thepart of the room nearest the hall.
The door into the hall stood open, but Betty did not come into sightas they entered from without. She wondered if there would be anydelay. Would the count go straight to his wife's room? What wouldhappen? She could hear the rapid Italian in which Lucia and herfather were speaking. The butler spoke in his accustomed low tones,but with some excitement, too. It was being explained to him. Thenup the stairs Lucia and her father went, the butler following withthe grips. It was probably the intention to take the count to theproper guest room first, but a door opened and the Countess Colettiasked, "Lucia, who came?" as Lucia was in the lead of the silentlycoming party.
Then the countess caught sight of her husband. "Oh, my dear, mydear!" And the rest was in Italian. In the tenderest of tones thecount was addressing his wife.
Lucia came rushing down the stairs to throw herself upon Betty andcry. "Oh, I can't help it, Betty!" she cried between little sobs."It is all right at last! She was glad to see him and he justgathered her up in his arms! I think she is crying, too!"
It took Lucia only a few minutes to gain her self-possession andexplain further. "My father says he has come to 'get us,' as yousaid, Betty, but he will stay a while if it is all right with Uncleto let me finish my school. He told me that right away. But the mainthing was to find out whether Mother would receive him or not. Ofcourse, we could not mention _that_ before the butler. He knew myfather. Wasn't that nice?"
Betty was merely a happy spectator, but Lucia would not let her go,and when at last, after she had been called to her mother's room fora small family reunion and had come back to Betty a thoroughly happygirl again, she ran to meet her uncle, who came in just then. "OhUncle!" she cried, "my father, the Count Coletti, is here!" Howproudly Lucia spoke, and there was a little of question in hervoice.
"Thank heaven!" replied her uncle, of whose reception of her fathershe had been so doubtful. "It is high time! I hope he can manageher. It's beyond me." But Betty knew that Mr. Murchison was laughingas he spoke. "Tell him that we'll kill the fatted calf. Have youtold the housekeeper?"
"I never thought of it, but the butler knows and he does everythingor sees to it, you know."
And at dinner, when Betty had met the count and he had told her thathe already knew her as his daughter's best friend, one little speechof the countess amused her very much.
"Think, Buddy," she said using the old term of her childhood for herbrother, "think, Buddy, what a social asset he'll be while we stay!"And with perfect understanding now, Count Coletti looked at his wifeand smiled with the rest.
In the course of the conversation, which consisted chiefly indrawing out details of Count Coletti's African experiences, it washinted that Lucia might return after a summer in Switzerland tofinish her course in the American high school. Betty modestlyexpressed herself as hoping that she would, and the countess said,"We shall see."
Truly life was full of thrills to Betty Lee. There was still schoolto be completed. Chet would get his diploma; and should she havesome little remembrance for Chet in honor of his graduation, or not?She would ask her mother. One more year and she would have adiploma, too! But first she had to be Betty Lee, senior.
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