CHAPTER IV
THE STORM
It was curious. Betty often thought and commented upon it afterwards athome. Sometimes it seems as if in such curious, almost intentional ways,lives cross each other. Yet Betty wondered how she happened to come intothe design in this instance. Her father told her that she was just oneinstrument of Providence, used because she could be of service and was"good in the humanities."
And who would have thought that here, away off from home on the coast ofMaine?--but one must take events in order.
It was in the second week of good times. One night there was a suddenand terrific storm, or so it seemed to Betty. The sea boomed and lashedthe shore. Lightning flashed and thunder resounded or crashed with thebolts close at hand. Such small shipping as the village boasted had comehurrying to the protection of the small bay and breakwater.
The girls, rather frightened at first, bravely tried not to show it,though they were wondering whether the boys had gotten in safely from afishing trip. "Don't worry," said Mr. Gwynne. "The sky was loweringabout dusk. If they were too far up the coast they would put insomewhere and land."
But the girls were uneasy and Betty was very much interested in herfirst big storm by the sea. "I wish we could go down to the dock to seethings," she said.
"Well, why not?" asked Carolyn. "As soon as it stops pouring, we'll puton our ponchos and galoshes and go down. It's not thundering much now.The storm's gone out to sea!"
Mrs. Gwynne had no objection. A little later, protected from the stillfalling rain and equipped with flashlights, the girls ran or slipped onrocks and sand to the shore, warned against going too close. "No bigwave is going to carry us off, Mother," Carolyn assured Mrs. Gwynne."We'll look at it from a safe distance I promise you."
At first they went by the usual "back way," but found that at one pointthey could not safely pass. Waves dashed in against rocks that even athigh tide they had found at some distance from the line of water.Accordingly they returned, by the ascent and steps, to the Gwynnegrounds, from which a longer way led to the village and small docks.
Other people were out. Lanterns, rubber-coated men and women, withumbrellas, rubbers or galoshes, splashing through puddles, were inevidence. "Hello there!" cried a familiar voice. It was Chet Dorrancewhose big flashlight had discovered the girls. There were the boys!
"Oh, we were worrying a little about you boys," said Betty, as Chet tookher arm and fell into step, guiding her around an immense puddle. "Wetried to telephone Marcella and 'Welcome Inn,' too, but the fuse hadburned out or something."
"The storm has knocked everything out," returned Chet. "We got home allright. I pity any boat that got caught tonight. We found good luck, notso far away, and when we saw that there was going to be a storm, we cameback. Perhaps we wouldn't have come if we hadn't already had more fishthan we could use. How about Gwynne Haven. Want any fish, or shall wehave a big fish fry tomorrow?"
This last was in a louder tone to Carolyn, who with Kathryn was behind,accompanied by several more of the boys.
"Oh, the fish fry by all means," called Carolyn.
"How can we have a fish fry after this?" asked Betty.
"Very likely tomorrow will be as bright as can be, Betty," said Chet."Gee whilikers, look at the dock!"
By this time they had reached the dock, where more than one boat ownerhad come down to see how his shipping fared. The boys found their boatintact and uninjured, and when Carolyn found that they had intended tocome later on to "Gwynne Haven," the new name for the new cottage, shetold them to "come right along."
"We'll stop for Marcella and the rest," continued Carolyn, "and have afudge party. Then we can plan the fish fry."
Not all the boats had fared as well as the launch used by the boys of"Welcome Inn." Betty felt troubled over several rather distracted womenwhose "men-folks" had not come in. She overheard some woman assure themthat they were "probably safe ashore somewhere," but Betty knew thatthis was said only to cheer them a little. Oh, dear, the sea and fishingand boating were not all fun!
The fudge party was a success. Wet ponchos and coats and overshoes werehung around to dry while the savory odor of cooking fudge made pleasantanticipations. Arthur Penrose drew a funny sketch of Ted almost fallingout of the boat in the effort to land a big fish. Then, on a piece ofcardboard which Carolyn furnished, he made a poster of the fish fry.Art's imagination ran riot and Betty watched his bold strokes and thefunny figures that resulted, with as much hilarity as the rest. "Oh, youought to do comic strip, Art," she exclaimed. "You'd make a fortune."
"Sh-hh!" returned Arthur, in a loud whisper. "It's a secret. That is mypresent ambition. All I need is the idea!"
"That is _good_" was Larry Waite's verdict, when he and Judson Penrosesurveyed the result, with Marcella and another Kappa Upsilon. "Unlesssome of you girls want it, we'll tack that up in 'Nobody T-Home'tomorrow."
"But don't throw it away when we go home," said Marcella. "We need thatas a souvenir of the summer. Arthur, may I sit for my portrait?"
"Yes, ma'am," said Arthur, with affected timidity, "but I'm veryexpensive, you know."
"What is that to me," scornfully Marcella replied. "I could raise athousand as easily as a--hundred."
"Yes," laughed her brother. "Marcella said this morning that she hadjust five cents left of her allowance."
"Now, Larry! You know it is not polite to tell family secrets,especially about money."
"Well, who mentioned money first, I ask the assembled company?"
Betty, laughing, caught Larry's eye, and he stretched a hand to lift herfrom her seat by Arthur. "Come, Titania; you have wasted enough time inencouragement of _art_, with or without a capital letter. Let's turn onthe victrola. No radio tonight, I reckon. It was sputtering to beat theband at our shack awhile ago."
"A lot of interference from ships and shore," said Ted Dorrance, "besidethe weather--naught but static this eve."
Hot fudge was good and the evening was merry, yet all of the youngcompany were more or less conscious of the sea and its restless menace.
Yet when morning came, it was as Chet had said, bright and sunny, with ablue sky. The waves were still high and the stretch of water to theskyline a glorious sight. Betty selected a high rock, back of the beachproper, some distance from the Gwynne cottage, where she could sit andwatch the incoming rollers with their white crests. The girls had gonedown early in the hope of finding new shells brought in by the storm.Betty had a little market bag full of pretty ones. "I have to watch thisa long time, Kathryn," said she soberly to her friend, who had followedher. "Do you suppose it could fade out of a body's mind, just like afilm that you had taken full of pictures and then didn't havedeveloped?"
"Well, you _are_ original, Betty! Who else would think of that? I'd liketo remember it, too. I feel as if something is going to happen, Betty.Why, do suppose?"
"Something _is_ going to happen, the fish fry this afternoon."
"I know."
"Are you like that sometimes, Gypsy?"
"Yes. It must by my 'gypsy blood!'"
"As you haven't any, it must be something else. How about nerves fromstaying up till all hours last night?"
"Perhaps. But the whole village was up and we stayed in bed as late aswe could and not miss getting shells."
This conversation was interrupted by the arrival of more of theirfriends. Ted had his big camera and took Betty and Kathryn on their rockas well as snap-shots of shore and surf and groups of people here andthere.
The fish fry in the afternoon was a source of more fun. All of them weremore or less accustomed to picnics and cooking in the open. Larry andTed had for fun brought immense cooks' aprons and announced that theywere chefs and "chief cooks and bottle washers." Some spills occurredand a few fish were rather overdone; but that was better than not to bedone enough. Pickles and rolls were "easier" than making sandwiches; andfor dessert they had new England doughnuts and various sorts of fruit,ac
cording to the taste of those who chose the contributions. Lemonade,brought in "joy hats," and bottles of pop regaled them when thirsty.
Not a plan was made for the next day. Every body was too lazy."Something will turn up, girls," said Larry Waite. "If nothing else wecan always take a ride in the launch. It's a little too rough today,though."
The local movie was well attended that night. Ted, to Betty's pleasedsurprise, invited her to accompany him. Carolyn went with ArchiePenrose, Kathryn with Arthur, Gwen with Chet Dorrance and Peggy Pollardwith Judd Penrose. Marcella and the other Kappa Upsilons had "otherarrangements" at a party outside of this resort.
The "theatre party," as Ted called, it, attended the "first show," andafter more or less attractive refreshments at the local ice-cream shop,the girls were duly taken home by boys that said they must have their"beauty sleep" and left with nothing beyond a visit on the front porch.
Gwen Penrose and Peggy Pollard were staying at Carolyn's now and Gwengiggled a little when they went to their rooms, rather relieved, afterall, that the boys had not come in for another party. One did have tohave a little rest sometimes. "The boys have something on hand tonight,"said Gwen. "I got an inkling from Archie, though he wouldn't tell mewhat they're going to do--some boy stuff. My, doesn't being outdoors somuch make you sleepy?"
"Yes," Betty happened to be the one to reply, she would be "as hoarse asa gull if she didn't make so much noise tonight. It's going to put me tosleep and that soon!"
But Betty reckoned without considering how many things are absolutelynecessary to talk over. As there was another room connecting withCarolyn's, Gwen and Peggy had been put there; but the girls went backand forth and Gwen in gay pajamas sat on Betty's bed to talk for anhour, till Peggy called her and told her she would be "as hoarse as agull if she didn't either come to bed or get her robe around her."
At that Betty made room for Gwen under her soft covers and never knewwhen Gwen, whispering to deaf ears, finally, went to her own bed in thenext room.