CHAPTER IX: WITH LUCIA AND MATHILDE
Meanwhile the hikers were having a good time of it. Scattered in littlegroups of two or three or more, they were steadily advancing over hilland dale in the beautiful country surrounding the city, striking throughin a direction not so closely built up in suburbs, for the high schoolwas one in an outlying suburb, where beautiful homes and large estateswere the rule as soon as one passed beyond its center.
The country was in its handsomest fall attire. Leaves of all colorsattracted the girls who were interested in trees and learning to knowthem by their leaves, as well as those who, with no knowledge of thissort at all, could still appreciate the beauty of color with which thewoods were alive.
This hike, naturally, was not confined to sophomores, though that classhad been charged with the duty of serving the breakfast this time; and agood breakfast it should be, thought the sophomores.
Lucia Coletti had fallen into conversation with Carolyn Gwynn before thestart and asked if she might walk along with her and Peggy Pollard, whowas with Carolyn. "Indeed you may," said cordial Carolyn, lookingadmiringly at Lucia, for she was a slender, pretty figure in a costumethat had seen use in Switzerland, it was evident, and was different fromwhat the other girls wore in the style of its short coat, the knickers,stockings and strong shoes. She carried, moreover, an alpenstock, forwhich she apologized when she saw that the other girls did not carrythem.
"I should not have brought this, I think," she said, her dark eyes veryserious.
"Why not?" asked Carolyn. "I think that's great."
"But you girls do not carry them. I suppose the hills are not verysteep, but it seemed hilly when we were driving with my uncle."
"It is. Sometimes we girls cut sticks to use on hikes or when we arecamping in the mountains. Mother uses one all the time in the summer atour camp. We go to the mountains, you know."
"So do we," said Lucia, apparently relieved over the idea of beingdifferent. She was beginning to care now. These were fine girls and thiswas a good school.
Mathilde, late, came hurrying up from a car which had deposited her atthe school. "Oh, here you are, Lucia. How charming you look! Do you doany mountain climbing in the Alps?"
"Some," answered Lucia, more annoyed than pleased with the compliment.Already she sensed that these girls were not warmly attached toMathilde. What was the trouble? It must be that Mathilde was too proudwith them. She herself must not be so.
Other girls noticed Lucia, though she was not known to them. She swungalong gracefully and easily, accustomed to such trips, that is, towalking and climbing. Her alpenstock was brought into play in more thanone little leap over the hilly way with its ravines, now more or lessslippery with its damp leaves. The other girls who had thought to takeLucia more or less under their wing, were put to it to keep up with her,and Carolyn frankly laughed over that fact, when Lucia waited for themat the top of one high hill.
"We thought that we'd be so good to you, Lucia, and show the strangerthe way and help her over the worst places. Now here you are thechampion hiker of us all!"
"Oh, I ought not to do it, I think! Do you care? I forget, and I like tosee how quickly I can reach a certain place."
"Of course we do not care!"
But there was one who did. Poor Mathilde had been quite forgotten byLucia in her quick advance. Now, as the girls sat down to rest for fiveminutes or more, Mathilde came toiling up the hill, almost exhausted.Within she was cross at the girls, Lucia included. It certainly wasn'tnice of them to leave her behind! And the girls were unconscious ofoffense, for they had started in a large group, many of whom had fallenbehind or gone in a different direction to reach a given point.
"I'm all out of practice walking," gasped Mathilde as she threw herselfon the ground, "and I'm a little lost right here. I'm so used to thecar, you know. I suppose we must be nearly there now."
"No, indeed," said Peggy, who had her opinion of Mathilde but was sorryfor her at this juncture. "We have come about half way, Mathilde; butthere is an easier way, without so much climbing, if you'd rather takeit. See that little dirt road down there? Well, if you'll follow that,it skirts the hills and you can't miss the way. Besides, there wereseveral girls that wanted to come that haven't been well and can't climbthe hills or aren't supposed to. You'll have company, I'm sure, for itis a bit longer, and I think they would walk more slowly."
Mathilde, who had groaned aloud at the statement that they were onlyhalf way there, now glanced where Peggy pointed and felt that it wasprobably the only possible thing to do. Perhaps some car would comealong, dirt road though it was. Somebody with a Ford would live on it.Her feet were nearly killing her and she knew they were blistered! Shelooked at Lucia, to find her looking off at the pretty view,uninterested in Mathilde's decision.
But now she turned her head and looked at Mathilde kindly. "I would, ifI were you, Mathilde. There's no use suffering when you haven't beenwalking much. You ought to take it more gradually. You might injureyourself if you overdo."
Mathilde felt better at that speech. "You ought to know, Lucia, with allyour experience in mountain climbing. I will take your advice, I think,and see you at the breakfast."
With this Mathilde stiffly rose and looked at the thickets between herand the little road which wound below. "Can you make it, do you think?"asked Peggy. "Take it on the bias, Mathilde. Don't try to go straightdown."
"There isn't any good trail, Peggy, but it's no worse than some we'vebeen through already. Going on yourself now?" Mathilde was thinking thatshe would not start first. They'd watch her go down, of course.
"Yes. We might as well." Carolyn answered Mathilde, rising as she spoke,though without the effort which had characterized Mathilde's movement.Carolyn had been in many trails that summer, though that was because ofopportunity as well as because of her own volition. "Come on, Mathilde.I'll go down half way with you. I know how hard it is to start after abody hasn't been hiking. After I was sick a while last summer--a yearago, I mean, I thought I'd never get limbered up."
"Thanks, Carolyn," airily replied Mathilde. "I think I can go _down_hill, at least!" And off she started, to be tripped by a treacherousroot and fall ignominiously, rolling into some bushes which checkedfurther descent.
"Mercy, how she'll hate that!" exclaimed Peggy, starting toward Mathildewith both Carolyn and Lucia.
Lucia reached Mathilde first and reached a hand to her as Mathilde,flushed and annoyed, sat up and brushed away leaves and dirt from handsand face. "No, I didn't bruise my face at all," she said in answer toLucia's question. "My foot caught in a trailing vine, I think. That'swhat it felt like."
"I'll just go down with you," said Lucia. "You need my old stock,Mathilde. It will swing us over bad places. Go ahead, girls, I'll joinyou around the next hill. You said over there, didn't you?" Lucia waspointing as she spoke.
"Yes, Lucia," answered Carolyn, noting how Mathilde's face brightened."All right, you go down with Mathilde and see if some of the other girlsare coming along. Don't get lost yourself, though. We'll saunter alongand you won't have much woods to get through over there."
The girls watched Lucia and Mathilde as the light-footed Italian girltook Mathilde's arm and with a laugh started down hill, instinctivelychoosing the easiest descent.
"This was a mean hill, Carolyn," said Peggy, "but how Mathilde hates itnot to appear 'it' in any way. Have you noticed how she's reallystudying some and getting her lessons now?"
"Yes," thoughtfully replied Carolyn. "Maybe she really does like Luciaand it isn't just wanting to stand in with a title. That was good ofLucia, wasn't it? She seemed so indifferent at first, but now she'sinterested in things."
"Mathilde doesn't 'really like' Lucia much, Carolyn; but she ought tonow. Isn't this the prettiest part of the trail--don't you think, sowild and lovely? You can't even see a house from here. Look at thosegirls across there. This was the best way to come. They're having agreat time getting across that little branch of the run. Maybe the raincarried away that b
ig log we used to cross on."
Lucia appeared at the appointed place without her alpenstock. She had afew blossoms to show the girls and asked them what they were. "We haveever so many of the same trees and flowers that you do," she said, "butthere are some of these fall wild flowers that I never heard of."
The girls discussed the flowers and then asked for Mathilde. "Oh,Mathilde's in a good humor now," smiled Lucia. "A truck came along withtwo girls sitting behind and dangling over the rear. I left Mathildesitting beside them, but as she seemed to like my cane, I let her takeit. It will help her when she walks again. The truck was going only alittle way. The girls were laughing and having a great time of it."
The rest of the trip was made in good time by the three girls, joined byothers at different points; and when they came into the temporary camp,with its fires and moving figures of the committee and boys, to saynothing of the fresh arrivals--though Carolyn, Peggy and Lucia wereamong the first, oh, what enticing odors of cocoa and of bacon fryingmet them.
Betty, wearing her cotton crown with its "G. A. A." came running up fora moment or two with the girls, answering their questions with, "Oh,everything is going off wonderfully. As soon as the girls all get herewe'll scramble the eggs and be ready. No, there isn't a thing foranybody to do, only to see that no girl is too timid to get all sheought to have to eat. Carolyn, you're great on looking up the girls witha timidity complex, so do your stuff, as Dick would say."
"Note how Betty keeps on quoting from her brother," laughed Peggy.
"It's very convenient," laughed Betty. "By the way, have you seen ourboys? Do take Lucia over to where they are sometime when it seemsappropriate, or drag them over to her, to meet her."
"So your boys have to be dragged to meet me?" queried Lucia, but with asmile and a comical lifting of her brows.
"I'm not so sure," said Betty, "but they are keeping in the backgroundat present, for fear that Miss Fox's cordiality will wax cool."
"I see. Well, don't let us keep you, Betty, but do come and sit by mewhen you eat your breakfast," said Lucia.
"If any," added Betty. "I'm going to see that the great Sophomore Classof Lyon High serves enough to make this hike something to beremembered!"
"Hear, hear!" cried Peggy. "It smells like a million dollars, Betty!"
But it was not long before the fifty and a few more of the guest hikerswere seated here and there and everywhere it was convenient orattractive. Mathilde was in good humor as she sat with a full plateright next to Lucia, contemplating with satisfaction her own newelk-skin shoes, laced high, in contrast with Lucia's similar footgear,much the worse for wear. Lucia did look pretty and romantic, shethought; but her own outfit was much more in the latest style, which forMathilde was the criterion of worth, along with the impression ofexpense.
"Oh, it wasn't any trouble to finish the hike," said she. "My fall onlyjolted me and the rest on that funny truck fixed me all right. And youralpenstock was a great help, Lucia. I shall have one myself if we goabroad next summer."
"You could probably get the same thing in this country," said Lucia.
Had Peggy been there she would have rolled her eyes at Carolyn, perhaps,at Mathilde's mention of going abroad, but Peggy was at some distancewith another group and this was one of older girls for the most part,girls who had their eye on Lucia for their sorority. When Carolyn andPeggy saw the move on the part of the older girls, they withdrew, thoughit might not have been necessary, and were sitting on an uneven log withDotty Bradshaw, Mary Emma Howland and Selma Rardon. They, too, noted thejunior girls with Mathilde and Lucia, but made no comment.
"Say, Carolyn," said Dotty in a low tone, "did you notice Louise Madisonand a lot of the University girls at the little skit and pep meeting ofthe Dramatic Club the other night? I heard Louise say they came over tohelp root for old Lyon High. And there was Ted Dorrance, big as life,joking with them in the hall before it began. Have he and Louise madeup, do you think? I heard that they had a terrible break-up thissummer."
"Oh, a body can hear 'most anything, Dotty. I'm glad Louise and theother girls haven't forgotten high school days. She's only a freshman atthe University, of course; and that isn't as thrilling, I imagine, asbeing a senior at Lyon High."
"It wouldn't be, would it?" thoughtfully returned Dotty, while Peggy,who was more interested than she would admit in Ted and Louise,considered Dotty's bit of news. But here came Betty with her plate piledfull.
"Is the last egg scrambled, Betty?" asked Dotty. "Come on, we've savedroom enough for you on this log. We spread out, kind of, to keep it. Itisn't as soft as the ground, but easier to sit on with a plate. Iconsidered getting down with my plate and a cup full of chocolate andgave it up."
"I will, too," assented Betty, carefully balancing her plate as shecautiously sat down on the big log and the others adjusted themselvesafter their move. "I'm lucky to have such a good place. You must havereserved your seat early."
"We did. Look at Lucia with the juniors, Kiddie."
"I noticed. I looked for her because she spoke of wanting to be withus." Betty said "us" instead of "me." "It is good for Lucia to getacquainted," she added, but Betty pursed up her lips as she made thatremark.
"Q. E. D. sororities," said Peggy apropos of the geometry which thesophomores were just beginning.
"Yes," said Carolyn, "but the less said about them right now the better.By the way, Louise Madison is being rushed by the Kappa--oh, now I'veforgotten the rest of it, but it's one of the best in the University."
"Well, ask what Louise thinks of sororities," said Betty, "if you eversee her. Doesn't she come to see your sister, Carolyn?"
"Yes."
"Did Louise belong to a high school sorority, Carolyn?" asked Dotty.
"No, she didn't but I never dared ask her why."
"She _must_ have been asked," said Betty, "because she was so prominentin everything."
"That isn't a sign. Look at that silly Rose--I can't think of her nameright now. She wasn't in anything, but she was the High Mogul in hersorority."
"Social stuff," said Peggy Pollard. "That is a good line, Betty. Don'tthink that scholarship is the only thing."
Betty looked at Peggy to see if she were serious or joking, but saw thatPeggy was serious.
"Maybe you're right, Peggy. Perhaps doing the things you are expected todo in school isn't all there is. Still, I have a prejudice in favor ofgetting your lessons, or rather for girls that do it or do somethingelse at any rate."
"Social stuff keeps them very busy, Betty," said Peggy, laughing now."And if you want to get married--well, just watch that kind of a girl."
"Peggy's getting too sophisticated," said Carolyn. "That is what mysister would call it. But I'd like to combine the 'social line' withgood sense and 'doing something' as Betty means it. About Louise,remember that with possibly one or two exceptions, sororities are new inLyon High. Of course, I don't really know how many may have flourishedwithout anybody's knowing a thing about it. There always are littlecliques, I guess. But let's talk about Hallowe'en. How about a sophomoreparty that night, or a smaller one anyway?"
"That would be great, Carolyn," said Dotty, "though I'm afraid wehaven't time to get up a class party. Betty, can I get you another bun?"
"No thanks. I've eaten two."
"That is nothing. The rest of us had three. I insist. Hand me yourplate, please. No one shall say that the chairman of the sophomorerefreshment committee didn't have enough to eat. There are loads leftand I see that Chet Dorrance is cooking some more bacon, just in timefor Betty's last sandwich!"
Without protest Betty handed her plate to Dotty. She was tired and"ought to have strength for the hike back," as Peggy suggested. And whenDotty came back, didn't the three boys come with her, to stand in frontof the five upon the log and suggest a sophomore class yell.
"It's too much mixed up, Chet," said Carolyn, "and we'll let the otherstell how good the sophomore committee was. Aren't you a reporter for theLyon paper, Chet? Write up Betty as chairma
n."
"I will. Betty, may I hike home with the chairman and her friends?"
"Of course, unless Chauncey wants you in the car."
"What Chauncey wants is not the question, ladies, and there are almostno supplies to go back. I speak for a hot dog to eat on the way."
"Make as many 'hot dogs' as you want, Chet," laughed Betty, taking agood bite from her own sandwich just brought. "You boys ought to haveall you want for helping us out. Please see that Miss Fox is lookedafter."
"Miss Fox has had every attention, and we hope that this is not the lasttime we go on a oust--I mean a picnic--with the G. A. A. girls."
"Hear, hear," said Dotty, widely grinning.