CHAPTER V
UP HILL--AND DOWN
The next day was just the sort that everybody had been hoping for onMountain Day,--crisp and clear and cool, with the inspiriting tang inthe air, the delicious warmth in the sunshine, and the soft haze overthe hills, that belong to nothing but a New England October at its best.The Chapin house breakfast-table was unusually lively, for each girlwanted to tell what she thought about the reception and how she wasgoing to spend Mountain Day; and nobody seemed anxious to listen toanybody's else story.
"Sh--sh," demanded Mary Brooks at last. "Now children, you've talkedlong enough. Run and get your lunch boxes and begin making yoursandwiches. Mrs. Chapin wants us to finish by ten o'clock."
"Ten o'clock!" repeated Katherine. "Well, I should hope so. Our horse isordered for nine."
"Going to be gone all day?" inquired Mary sweetly.
"Of course," answered Katherine with dignity.
"Well, don't kill the poor beast," called Mary as she ran up-stairs forher box.
Mary was going off in a barge with the sophomore decorating committee,who wanted a good chance to congratulate and condole with one anotherover their Herculean labors and ultimate triumph of the day before. TheRich sisters had decided to spend the holiday with an aunt who livedtwenty miles down the river; Eleanor had promised early in the fall togo out with a party of horseback riders; and Helen, whose pocketbook hadbeen prematurely flattened to buy her teakettle, had decided to acceptthe invitation of a girl in her geometry division to join an economicalwalking party. This left Rachel, Katherine, Roberta and Betty, who hadhired a horse and two-seated trap for the day, invited Alice Waite,Betty's little friend from the Hilton House, to join them, and weregoing to drive "over the notch."
"I haven't the least idea what a notch is like," said Katherine. "Wedon't have such things where I come from. But it sounds interesting."
"Doesn't it?" assented Rachel absently, counting the ham sandwiches. "Doyou suppose the hills are very steep, Betty?"
"Oh, I guess not. Anyhow Katherine and I told the man we were goingthere and wanted a sure-footed horse."
"Who's going to drive?" asked Roberta.
"Why, you, of course," said Katherine quickly. "You said you were usedto driving."
"Oh, yes, I am," conceded Roberta hastily and wondered if she wouldbetter tell them any more. It was true that she was used to horses, butshe had never conquered her fear of them, and they always found her out.It was a standing joke in the Lewis family that the steadiest horse puton airs and pranced for Roberta. Even old Tom, that her little cousinsdrove out alone--Roberta blushed as she remembered her experience withold Tom. But if the girls were depending on her--"Betty drives too," shesaid aloud. "She and I can take turns. Are you sure we have enoughgingersnaps?"
Everybody laughed, for Roberta's fondness for gingersnaps had becomeproverbial. "Half a box apiece," said Rachel, "and it is understood thatyou are to have all you want even if the rest of us don't get any."
When the horse arrived Roberta's last fear vanished. He was meeknesspersonified. His head drooped sadly and his eyes were half shut. Hisfuzzy nose and large feet bespoke docile endurance, while the heavy trapto which he was harnessed would certainly discourage all latenttendencies to undue speed. Alice Waite, Rachel and Katherine climbed inbehind, Betty and Roberta took the front seat, and they started at a jogtrot down Meriden Place.
"Shall we go through Main Street?" asked Roberta. "He might be afraid ofthe electric cars."
"Afraid of nothing," said Betty decidedly. "Besides, Alice wants to stopat the grocery."
The "beastie," as Katherine called him, stood like a statue before Mr.Phelps's grocery and never so much as moved an eyelash when threetrolley cars dashed by him in quick succession.
"What did you get?" asked Katherine, when Alice came out laden withbundles.
"Olives----"
"Good! We forgot those."
"And bananas----"
"The very thing! We have grapes."
"And wafers and gingersnaps----"
Everybody laughed riotously. "What's the matter now?" inquired Alice,looking a little offended. Rachel explained.
"Well, if you have enough for the lunch," said Alice, "let's keep theseout to eat when we feel hungry." And the box was accordingly stuffedbetween Betty and Roberta for safe keeping.
Down on the meadow road it was very warm. By the time they reached theferry, the "beastie's" thick coat was dripping wet and he breathed hard.
"Ben drivin' pretty fast, hain't you?" asked the ferryman, patting thehorse's hairy nose.
"I should think not," said Katherine indignantly. "Why, he walked mostof the way."
"Wall, remember that there trap's very heavy," said the ferrymansolemnly, as he shoved off.
Beyond the river the hills began. The "beastie" trailed slowly up them.Several times Roberta pulled him out to the side of the road to let moreambitious animals pass him.
"Do you suppose he's really tired?" she whispered to Betty, as theyapproached a particularly steep pitch. "He might back down."
"Girls," said Betty hastily, "I'm sick of sitting still, so I'm going towalk up this next hill. Any of you want to come?"
Relieved of his four passengers the horse still hung his head and liftedeach clumsy foot with an effort.
"Oh, Roberta, there's a watering trough up here," called Betty from thetop of the hill. "I'm sure that'll revive him."
By their united efforts they got the "beastie" up to the trough, whichwas most inconveniently located on a steep bank beside the road; andwhile Betty and Alice kept the back wheels of the trap level, Katherineunfastened the check-rein. To her horror, as the check dropped the bitscame out of the horse's mouth.
"How funny," said Alice, "just like everything up here. Did you ever seea harness like that, Betty?" Betty left her post at the hind wheel andcame around to investigate.
"Why he has two bits," she said. "Of course he couldn't go, poorcreature. And see how thirsty he is!"
"Well, he's drunk enough now," said Roberta, "and you'll have to put theextra bits in again--that is, if you can. He'd trail his nose on theground if he wasn't checked."
The "beastie" stood submissively while the bits were replaced and thecheck fastened. Then he chewed a handful of clover with avidity and wenton again as dejectedly as ever. Presently they reached a long, levelstretch of road and stopped in the shade of a big pine-tree for aconsultation.
"Do you suppose this is the top?" asked Rachel.
Just then a merry tally-ho party of freshmen, tooting horns and singing,drew up beside them. "Is this the top of the notch?" asked Betty, wavingher hand to some girls she knew.
"No, it's three miles further on," they called back. "Hurrah for 190-!"
"Well?" said Betty, who felt in no mood for cheering.
"Let's go back to that pretty grove two hills down and tie this apologyfor a horse to the fence and spend the rest of the day there," suggestedKatherine.
Everybody agreed to this, and Roberta backed her steed round with aflourish.
"Now let's each have a gingersnap before we start down," she said. Sothe box was opened and passed. Roberta gathered the reins in one hand,clucked to the horse, and put her gingersnap into her mouth for thefirst bite. But she never got it, for without the slightest provocationthe "beastie" gave a sudden spring forward, flopped his long tail overthe reins, and started at a gallop down the road. Betty clung to thedashboard with one hand and tried to pluck off the obstructing tail withthe other. Roberta, with the gingersnap still in her mouth, tuggeddesperately at the lines, and the back seat yelled "Whoa!" lustily,until Betty, having rearranged the tail and regained her seat, advisedthem to help pull instead. They had long since left the little grovebehind, had dashed past half a dozen carriages, and were down on thelevel road near the ferry, when the "beastie" stopped as suddenly as hehad started. Roberta deliberately removed the gingersnap from her mouth,handed the reins to Betty to avoid further interruption, and began toeat
, while the rest of the party indulged in unseemly laughter at herexpense.
"We've found out what that extra bit was for," said Rachel when themirth had subsided, "and we can advise the liveryman that it doesn'twork. But what are we going to do now?"
"Murder the liveryman," suggested Katherine.
"But the horse is sure-footed; he didn't lie," objected Alice soseriously that everybody burst out laughing again.
"He told the truth, but not the whole truth," said Rachel. "Next timewe'll ask how many bits the horse has to wear and how it takes to hills.Now what can we do?"
"We can't go back to the woods, that's sure," said Katherine. "And it'stoo hot to stay down here. Let's go home and get rid of this sure-footedincubus, and then we can decide what to do next."
The ferryman greeted them cheerfully. "Back so soon?" he said. "Had yourdinner?"
"Of course not," replied Katherine severely. "It's only twelve o'clock.We're just out for a morning drive. Do you remember saying that thishorse was tired? Well, he brought us down the hills at about a mile aminute."
"Is that so!" declared the ferryman with a chuckle. "Scairt, were you?Why didn't you git them young Winsted fellers, that jest started up, torescue yer? Might a ben quite a story."
"We didn't need rescuing, thank you," said Katherine. "Did you see anymen?" she whispered to Betty.
Betty nodded. "Four, driving a span. They were awfully amused. Miss Kingwas in another of the carriages," she added sadly. Then she caught sightof Roberta and began to laugh again. "You were so funny with that cookiein your mouth," she said. "Were you dreadfully frightened?"
"No," said Roberta, with a guilty blush. "I always expect something tohappen. Horses are such uncertain creatures."
They drove back through the meadows at a moderate pace, deposited thehorse and a certified opinion of him with an apologetic liveryman, andcarried their lunch down to Paradise. "For it's as pretty as any placeand near, and we're all hungry," Alice said.
Paradise was deserted, for the girls had preferred to range furtherafield on Mountain Day. So the five freshmen chose two boats, rowed upstream without misadventure, spread out their luncheon on a grassyknoll, and ate, talked, and read till dinner time. As they crossed thecampus, they met parties of dusty, disheveled pedestrians, laden withpurple asters and autumn branches. A barge stopped at the gateway todeposit the campus contingent of the sophomore decorating committee, andin front of the various dwelling-houses empty buckboards, surreys andexpress wagons, waiting to be called for, showed that the holiday wasover.
"I don't think our first Mountain Day has been so bad after all, inspite of that dreadful horse," said Rachel.
"So much pleasant variety about it," added Katherine.
"Let's not tell about the runaway," said Alice who hated to be teased.
"But Miss King saw us," expostulated Betty, "and you can trust MaryBrooks to know all about it."
When Mary, who was late in dressing, entered the dining-room, she gave atheatrical cry of joy. "I'm so glad you're all safe," she said. "And howabout that cookie, Roberta?"
"I'm sorry, but it's gone. They're all gone," said Roberta coolly. "Nowyou might as well tell us how you knew."
"Knew!" repeated Mary scornfully. "The whole college knows by this time.We were lunching on the notch road, near the top, when four Winsted mencame up, and asked if they might join us. They knew most of us. So wesaid yes, if they'd brought any candy, and they told us a strange storyabout five girls--very young girls, they said," interpolated Maryemphatically, "that they'd seen dashing down the notch. One was tryingto eat a cookie, and another was pulling the horse's tail, and the restwere screaming at the top of their lungs, so naturally the horse wasfrightened to death. Pretty soon three carriage loads of juniors camealong and they confirmed the awful news and gave us the names of thevictims, and you can imagine how I felt. The men want to meet you, but Itold them they couldn't because of course you'd be drowned in theriver."
"I hope you'll relieve their minds the next time they come to see you,"said Katherine. "Are they the youths who monopolize our piazza everyWednesday and Saturday afternoon?"
"Two of them help occasionally."
Katherine winked meaningly at the rest of the Mountain Day party. "We'llbe there," she said, "though it goes against my conscience to receivecalls from such untruthful young gentlemen."
The next Saturday afternoon Betty and Katherine established themselvesostentatiously on the front piazza to await the arrival of Mary'scallers, Rachel had gone to play basket-ball, and Roberta had refused toconspire against Mary's peace of mind, particularly since the plot mightinvolve having to talk to a man. Promptly at three o'clock two gentlemenarrived.
"Miss Brooks is that sorry, but she had to go out," announced the maidin tones plainly audible to the two eavesdroppers. "Would you please tocome back at four?"
Katherine and Betty exchanged disappointed glances. "Checked again.She's too much for us," murmured Katherine. "Shall we wait?"
"And is Miss Wales in--Miss Betty Wales?" pursued the spokesman, after aslight pause.
The maid looked severely at the occupants of the piazza. "Yes, sor, youcan see that yoursilf," she said and abruptly withdrew.
The man laughed and came quickly toward Betty, who had risen to meethim. "I'm John Parsons," he said. "I roomed with your brother atAndover. He told me you were here and asked me to call. Didn't he writeto you too? Miss Brooks promised to present me, but as she isn't in----"
"Oh, yes, Will wrote, and I'm very glad to meet you, Mr. Parsons," Bettybroke in. "Only I didn't know you were--I mean I didn't know that MissBrooks's caller was you. Miss Kittredge, Mr. Parsons. Wasn't your friendgoing to wait?"
"Bob," called Mr. Parsons after the retreating figure of his companion,"come back and hear about the runaway. You're wanted."
It was fully half-past four when Messrs. Parsons and Hughes,remembering that they had another engagement, left their escorts byrequest at the gymnasium and returned from a pleasant walk throughParadise and the campus to Meriden Place, where a rather frigidreception awaited them. Betty and Katherine, having watched the finishof the basket-ball game, followed them, and spent the time beforedinner in painting a poster which they hung conspicuously on Mary'sdoor. On it a green dragon, recently adopted as freshman class animal,charged the sophomores' purple cow and waved a long and very curlytail in triumph. Underneath was written in large letters, "Quits. Whois going to the Kappa Phi dance at Winsted?"
"I'm dreadfully afraid mother won't let me go though," said Betty asthey hammered in the pins with Helen's paper-weight. "And anyhow it'snot for three whole weeks."
When the drawing was securely fastened, Betty surveyed it doubtfully. "Iwonder if we'd better take it down," she said at last. "I don't believeit's very dignified. I'm afraid I oughtn't to have asked Mr. Parsons tocall his friend back, but I did so want to meet both of them and crowover Mary. And it was they who suggested the walk. Katherine, do youmind if we take this down?"
"Why, no, if you don't want to leave it," said Katherine lookingpuzzled. "I'm afraid Mr. Hughes didn't have a very good time. Men aren'tmy long suit. But otherwise I think we did this up brown."
Just then Eleanor came up, and Katherine gave her an enthusiasticaccount of the afternoon's adventure. Betty was silent. Presently sheasked, "Girls, what is a back row reputation?"
"I don't know. Why?" asked Eleanor.
"Well, you know I stopped at the college, Katherine, to get my historypaper back. Miss Ellis looked hard at me when I went in and stammeredout what I wanted. She hunted up the paper and gave it to me and thenshe said, 'With which division do you recite, Miss Wales?' I told her atten, and she looked at me hard again and said, 'You have been present inclass twelve times and I've never noticed you. Don't acquire a back rowreputation, Miss Wales. Good-day,' and I can tell you I backed out in ahurry."
"I suppose she means that we sit on the back rows when we don't know thelesson," said Helen who had joined the group.
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sp; "I see," said Betty. "And do you suppose the faculty notice such thingsas that and comment on them to one another?"
"Of course," said Eleanor wisely. "They size us up right off. So doesour class, and the upper class girls."
"Gracious!" said Betty. "I wish I hadn't promised to go to a spread onthe campus to-night. I wish---- What a nuisance so many reputationsare!" And she crumpled the purple cow and the green dragon into ashapeless wad and threw it at Rachel, who was coming up-stairs swingingher gym shoes by their strings.