CHAPTER XV--A CHAPTER OF SURPRISES
Nathalie gave a gasp of relief. Oh, it was good to be rid of thathorrible black handkerchief! Then her blinders faded into the past asshe became aware of the eyes that were gazing into hers, blue ones withviolet shadows, fringed by long black lashes!
The eyes were set in the face of a girl about fourteen, that had,notwithstanding the pain-tired mouth with its lines of petulance, awinsome sweetness about it which partly atoned for a jagged crimson scarrunning across one end of the forehead, partly hidden by short, curlyhair which was boyishly parted on one side.
But the blue eyes were gleeful just at this moment, as if their ownerwas proud of her deftness in slipping off the handkerchief. She clappedher hands and cried, "Oh, aren't you glad to get rid of that horridblack thing?"
Raising herself on her elbow she drew Nathalie's face down to hers andwhispered, "Don't say a word to Mother, but it was all arranged--thedoctor and I managed it--let Mother think it was an accident." BeforeNathalie could remonstrate the princess called out with a merry trill inher voice, "Oh, Mother! come quick, Miss Page's blinders have fallenoff!"
Nathalie flushed in embarrassed silence as she heard Mrs. Van Vorst'sstep hurrying to the couch. O dear, what should she do? It certainly wasawkward to have to deceive her. Oh, if the doctor would--but as sheturned around to face the lady in question she saw that the doctor wasnot there.
"The doctor has gone, he had an important call to make," spoke Mrs. VanVorst hurriedly, as she came towards the girls and saw Nathalie's lookof distress. "But never mind, Miss Page, it is all right," she criedreassuringly. "It was a shame to keep you muffled up like that--just fora whim--but if you could understand!" She looked down at Nathalieapologetically.
"I should say it was a whim," broke in the princess, "and it just servesyou right, too, for making her do it. Now Miss Page will go away andtell every one what a horrible-looking thing I am, and it will be allyour fault because you are so afraid any one will see me, just as if Iwas a monster of some sort! Oh, Nathalie--can't I call you Nathalie?--thedoctor told me your name, and then you know you are not so much olderthan I am."
"I'm sixteen," answered Nathalie readily, glad to turn the conversationfrom the blinders, for she saw that Mrs. Van Vorst was greatlyperturbed.
"Oh, Nita, don't talk that way to Mother," cried Mrs. Van Vorst in apained voice. "You know, dear, I only did what I thought was right, andit was to save you, people talk so!"
"I don't care if they do," broke in Nita angrily. "I have as much rightin this world as they have, even if I am ugly-looking with this scar andhump, they needn't look at me!"
Nathalie started, for as the girl spoke she deliberately threw off asoft white shawl that had been thrown about her shoulders. With a suddenfeeling of deep pity Nathalie recognized that the princess was ahump-back!
"Oh, you won't hate me now, will you?" pleaded Nita suddenly, as she sawNathalie's start of surprise, "just because I'm humped like a camel."She caught the girl's hand in hers and clung to it with piteous appealin her blue eyes.
"Oh, no," returned shocked Nathalie. "Why, I think you are lovely, evenif you are--" But the word was left unsaid, as Nathalie, with suddenimpulse, stooped forward and kissed the red lips.
Before she could raise herself, frightened at her own boldness, two armswere flung around her neck and Nathalie was squeezed so hard that shethought she would smother. "Oh, I just love you!" said Nita's stifledvoice from her shoulder, "and I'm going to keep you with me all thetime. Oh, Mother," she wailed beseechingly, lifting her head, but stillkeeping Nathalie a prisoner, "won't you buy her?"
"Buy her!" repeated her mother, who during this affectionate outbursthad stood silently by, a pleased smile struggling with an expression ofdismay at the girl's rudeness. "Why, Nita, she is not a horse to bebought and sold."
"Well, I wish she was then," said the child, for she was but that,dropping her arms from Nathalie's neck and lying back with suddenexhaustion.
"Oh, she is going to faint," cried dismayed Nathalie, while the motherrushed to the dresser for the smelling salts. But when she attempted tohold the bottle to Nita's nose, she pushed her mother's hand awaycrying, "Take that horrid thing away, and get out of the room; I wantNathalie to myself!"
And the Mystic, the woman always shrouded in gray, who looked at herneighbors with a cold, formal stare of aversion, meekly obeyed. She wentsoftly out of the room and closed the door after her in obedience to herdaughter's sharp cry, "Do you hear? Shut the door!"
Something within Nathalie burst its bounds, she could not sit thereanother minute and hear the girl talk like that to her mother. "Oh,don't speak to your mother like that, she is so good to you!" the girl'svoice trembled.
"How do you know she is good?" retorted Nita, after a short pause ofsurprise at this merited rebuke.
"Why--why--because her face shows it," stammered Nathalie, "and then, whyshe is your mother, and if I should talk to my mother like that, why--Ishould expect her to die then and there."
"Why?" persisted the voice.
"Because it would hurt her so,--" Nathalie labored, she hated topreach--"to think I could be so disrespectful to her, and ill-bred."
"Well, your mother isn't my mother; your mother didn't shut you up in adark room so that you tried to get away."
"Nita!" came in a pain-stricken voice, "don't talk that way!"
Nathalie turned to see Mrs. Van Vorst standing in the doorway, her facedrawn and lined. "I was coming in to ask--oh, Miss Page, will you come inhere a moment? I should like to speak to you."
Nathalie arose quickly, her heart overflowing with pity for this poormother who was only too surely paying the penalty of neglect and anger."Oh, Mrs. Van Vorst," she cried hastily, "do not mind your daughter, shedoesn't mean to hurt you, she--I think she is just spoiled, you know."
By this time Nathalie had followed Mrs. Van Vorst into the adjoiningroom, a sun-parlor, whose glass windows looked down upon a terracedgarden, green with trees and gorgeous with multicolored flowers,surrounded by low rolling hillocks or mounds.
Nita, as Nathalie left the room, began to vent her displeasure inshrill, angry shrieks, but her mother, with set, rigid lips, closed thedoor softly, and then turning towards Nathalie began to speak, brokenly,between deep-drawn breaths.
"Oh, I have been foolish--I am afraid--in letting you come to see Nita,but oh, it is so hard for her, shut up in this house, with only me andthe servants. So when the doctor was telling us about you, Nita pleadedso to have you come, and I foolishly yielded. But oh, Miss Page, do not,I beg of you, repeat what you have seen or heard, don't mind what Nitasays about me, it is not true; as you said she does not mean all shesays." The tears were rolling down Mrs. Van Vorst's face.
"Oh, Mrs. Van Vorst," exclaimed Nathalie, tears misting in her eyes insympathy with the lady's grief, "I know how you feel, but it is allright. I think you are both lovely, I am sure I have nothing to tell; ofcourse, I know that your daughter does not mean what she says, she'sjust spoiled." A sudden thought came to the girl. "Don't you think ifyou were to let her see people--that is girls of her own age--that shewould be better? Oh, I am sure she would," broke from the girlimpetuously, "and it would make her so happy!"
"Do you really think so?" inquired Mrs. Van Vorst with a note of hope inher voice. "Would it not hurt her when people said rude things abouther?"
"But no one would say rude things about her," persisted Nathaliedeterminedly. "Every one would love her--she's a dear, sosweet-looking--and then she would soon get over her spoiled ways; shewould learn by seeing that other girls act differently." Nathalie feltthat she had spoken incoherently, but oh, it did seem such a shame!
"I don't know about that," replied Mrs. Van Vorst, her face hardeningagain to the same impenetrable mask that had puzzled Nathalie the firsttime she met her. "Well, we will not discuss it now--we'll see how thingsturn out--only, Miss Page," she grew stiff and formal, although a note inher voice betrayed that she was battling with her emot
ion, "I shouldlike to ask you again to keep silent a little longer, not to tell--howfoolish I was--" she broke off suddenly, and then she added, "of course,you have a right to tell; but let me explain that what Nita says is nottrue, she likes to tease me into getting her way. Sit down--oh--she hasfallen asleep." Mrs. Van Vorst opened the door softly and then closedit. "She always does when she cries that way."
"Yes, I have been foolish," she reiterated, "but I am not a criminal,and it is not altogether pride, because I have a deformed child, thatmakes me keep her secluded. It is because I want to save her, I wouldgive my life for her happiness, but I can't--" there was a hopeless wailto her voice. "That is my punishment!" And then, as if reminded of whatshe wanted to tell Nathalie, she continued more calmly, "It is true thatI shut Nita in a dark room. I punished her--she has always had thosetemper spells--I never knew what to do with her. Some one told me I wastoo easy with her, so I put her in the room and when she stopped cryingI thought she had fallen asleep, but oh, she tried to get out, she saidsome one was chasing her, and climbed out on the shed and fell off theroof! She broke--her back!" Mrs. Van Vorst buried her face in her hands,but although no sounds came, Nathalie could see the convulsive shiversthat shook her frame.
The girl was dumb. What could she say? It was awful! Oh, but if shedidn't say something she would be boo-hooing herself in a minute. "Butthat was not your fault," she cried with sudden inspiration. "It wasright for you to punish her. Oh, Mrs. Van Vorst, I should consider itjust an accident that you could not help."
Mrs. Van Vorst lifted her face and gazed at the girl with wide,appealing eyes. "Oh, do you think that? If I could be led to believe Iwas not to blame! For years I have suffered the tortures of hell, doingpenance."
"Yes, and making yourself and your daughter miserable!" Nathalie spokeboldly, she couldn't help it, the words came of themselves as it seemedto her. "But, Mrs. Van Vorst, look at it in another way, perhaps Ishould not speak this way to you, for I am just a girl, but I feel sosorry for you, and Nita, it does seem such a shame to shut her off fromall pleasure just because an unfortunate thing happened. Why, Mrs.Morrow says we should regard trouble like clouds that we can't blow awayunless we fill the atmosphere with sunshine." Nathalie came to a suddenstop, afraid she had gone beyond her depth. But in a moment she added,"Oh, if you would just think of it as an accident! Try to make Nitahappy, and then you will be happy, and forget all about it!"
Mrs. Van Vorst's eyes grew moist as she cried impulsively, "Oh, you area dear girl to talk to me this way. I shall always remember it, always.Yes, you are right, I have been miserable and have been making my poorchild so. Oh, I have been wrong!"
Before Nathalie could answer, Nita's voice was heard shrilly crying,"Mother, I want Nathalie!"
"I am coming," cried the girl, hurrying into the room and up to thecouch. "Did you have a nice little nap?" she asked cheerily, as shepatted the girl's hand that lay inertly on the coverlid.
"Oh, I just dropped off, I always get so tired when I cry."
"But why do you cry then?" questioned practical Nathalie.
"Why--oh, I cried because Mamma took you away from me, and now you willbe going soon, and I won't have had time to talk to you at all."
"Oh, yes you will," replied her companion, glancing at the clock. "It isonly eleven, I sha'n't go for another hour, so start right in and talk."
"But I don't want to talk," came the contrary answer. "I want to hearyou talk. Please tell me about the Girl Pioneers. Did you go on thewild-flower hike?"
"Oh, yes!" was the answer; and then Nathalie's tongue flew as she toldabout the hike, the different things they did, how she had learned toblaze a trail, what a delightful companion Dr. Homer had proved, how shelighted the fire with only one match, about the Tike's escapade, and theflower legends.
"Oh, but the fire, I must tell you about the fire and the bucketbrigade!" she cried, and then followed that exciting story with all itsclimaxes, and what fun it had proved, although, as the girl confessed,she had been tempted to run away several times.
"I just wish I could have seen it all!" exclaimed Nita regretfully, asNathalie paused for a rest. "I should have liked to go on that flowerhike, and the flower legends, can't you tell them to me? I just loveflowers!"
"Why yes, perhaps I can," nodded the Story Lady. And then in a momentshe was animatedly telling about the Forget-me-not lover, the Dandelionlegend, and then last of all about the spring goddess who brought thearbutus.
"What are you going to do next?" inquired her listener as Nathalie'sflower stories ended.
"We are all busy now getting up entertainments; that is, we are thinkingup ideas for the Pioneer Stunts. You know, we are anxious to make moneyfor our Camp Fund, and--"
"Camp Fund! what is that?" inquired the girl interestedly.
"Why, the Pioneers, that is the Bluebirds, the Bob Whites, and theOrioles, are going camping this summer, probably in August, or as soonas we can raise the money. There are sixteen Pioneers going. Oh, I amsure we shall have a dandy time! We are to sleep in tents, but therewill be a house or something for the dining room and kitchen, that is,if we can get them."
"Where are you going to get the tents to sleep in?"
"Helen and I are to make our own tent, Fred Tyson is going to help us.It will take an awfully long time, we are to begin next week. The othertents, well, some of the girls have their own and then we shall borrowone or two. Of course, you know, each girl will have to pay her expensesto camp and back, but all the other expenses are expected to come out ofthe Fund, so you see we shall have a lot of work to do. We are to chargeadmission to the Pioneer Stunts." And then Nathalie told of the novelway they were to get ideas, and how each girl was to keep her idea asecret until after the vote had been taken as to the best Stunt thenight of the performance.
"Have you got your idea yet?" inquired Nita eagerly. "Oh, I just betyour idea will be the best one of all!"
"Oh, no," answered Nathalie modestly, "far from it! I am awfully worriedfor fear it will be a terrible failure." And then she told how she hadlost her idea and was writing up another one.
"Well, after you have the Stunts, what are you going to have?" demandedNita eagerly.
"We want to have a flag drill, that is, if we can get the ground for it,as we want to have it in the open. Oh, it will be the loveliest thing!The girls are to be Daughters of Liberty and carry banners, the littleflags used by the different States and soldiers before and during therevolution, before we had the Stars and Stripes. Oh, did I tell you thatall of our entertainments have to be either colonial or patriotic, thatis, something that happened in or belonged to the early days of thenation, when all the people were pioneers, or the children of pioneers?"
"When are you going to have the flag drill? Oh, how I should like to seeit!"
"I have rattled on so fast I forgot to say that--why--we are not sureabout that, for, you see, we have got to get a lawn, or grounds thatwould be suitable." Her face reddened, for she suddenly remembered thatit was Mrs. Van Vorst's lawn that the girls had wanted, and that she hadrefused to let them have it.
"You see," she explained awkwardly, "we want a place where the peoplecan see us, and then we want to have booths decorated with ourcolors--they are Red, White, and Blue, you know--so we can sell ice-cream.Each table is to be named after one of the thirteen States; but there, Idon't believe we can have it."
"Mamma, come here quick," called Nita imperiously, sitting up andpeering into the sun parlor where her mother was seated sewing, "I wantyou to hear about the Flag Drill, and oh, Mother, won't you let me seeit? Oh, please, Mother, I can go all muffled up, no one will see me,"pleaded the girlish voice pathetically.
Mrs. Van Vorst bent over and softly stroked the golden head as shecried, "Now dear, don't get excited! Mother will do all she can foryou."
"You tell _her_ about it!" broke from Nita hurriedly, as she pulled atNathalie's gown. Then falling back on the couch she exclaimed withdetermination, "But I'm going to see it, Mother, yes I am!"
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Somewhat hesitatingly Nathalie began, but in a moment, perceiving thather listener was much interested, she launched forth and told about theFlag Drill in all its details.
"And you are going to use the money you make for your Camping Fund?"inquired Nita's mother as Nathalie finished.
Nathalie nodded, "That is, if we can get the right place to hold it--oh--"she flushed again and then grew suddenly silent.
"Did not one of the Pioneers ask me if I would let them have my lawn inthe rear of the house?"
Before embarrassed Nathalie could answer, Nita interposed excitedly,"Our lawn? Oh, let them have it, Mamma, let them have it, and then I cansee it from the window, and no one will see me, oh, say yes, Mamma!"
Nathalie's eyes looked dismay as she heard Nita's wailing request. Ofcourse Mrs. Van Vorst would refuse, but suppose she should think thatshe had urged Nita to ask her?
"Why, I suppose they could," answered Mrs. Van Vorst slowly. "Then, asyou say, you could see it from the window, Nita; yes the Pioneers canhave it!"
"Oh, do you really mean it?" exclaimed Nathalie, almost as excited asNita. "The girls will be just crazy with joy--and--oh, isn't it funny? Iwas one of a committee of three to find a place, and--"
"Well, you will not have to look any further," replied Mrs. Van Vorst."If my lawn suits, take it, child. I am sure I am only too glad to doanything for the brave girl who has been so kind to my Nita as to comehere and make her happy."
"That is lovely of you," rejoined the Pioneer, her eyes glowing, "andcan we have it this month, the fourteenth? That is Flag Day, you know,and we wanted to have it then."
"Have it whenever you like, my dear. I will tell Peter to have the grassmowed, and if he can help you in any way in arranging the tables oranything, I shall be delighted to let you have his services."
"Oh, that will be the delightfulest thing!" The girl's face radiatedsunshine. "It seems just too lovely to be true!"
But the surprise Nathalie held in store for the Pioneers was almostforgotten in the surprise that awaited her when after saying good-by toNita, Mrs. Van Vorst met her at the foot of the staircase and asked ifshe would not come into the reception-room a minute.
"I wanted to speak to you on a little matter of business," the ladyexplained somewhat hesitatingly. Nathalie, wondering what terrible thingshe had done or said, followed her silently into the room, where sheagain spied her Chinese friend, the mandarin, grinning at her from thecabinet.
"I have been thinking it over, Miss Page--"
"O dear," thought poor Nathalie, "she is going to change her mind aboutthe drill!"
"And I wanted to know--of course this is a business proposition--" shepaused. "You have given so much pleasure to Nita, I thought perhaps youmight be willing to come regularly every day, say for a couple ofhours."
"Oh, Mrs. Van Vorst," cried relieved Nathalie, "that would be just fine!I should be only too glad, but you know, I have things to do for Mother,we haven't any maid at present."
"But would it not pay you to give up these things, or let some one elsedo them? It would only be two hours in the morning," there was apersuasive note in her voice, "and of course I would pay you enough tomake it worth your while, and oh, I would give anything to bring joyinto--"
She stopped, for there was something in the girl's wide opened eyes thatmade her hesitate.
"Oh, I would not like to take money just for talking to Nita--that wouldhardly be fair--" Nathalie floundered desperately, for something broughtDick and his operation to her mind, and she did want so badly to earnmoney. She caught her breath sharply, opened her mouth, and then said,"Why, I don't know, I will see what Mother says and let you know."
"That will be just the thing," was the reply. "You can drop me a note assoon as you decide, for Nita will be anxious, and then we will want tofix the days and times. If you can make up your mind to do this for me,Miss Page, I shall feel so indebted to you!"
As Nathalie flew post-haste towards home she heard the chug of anautomobile and looked up in time to see Dr. Morrow sweep past in hiscar. But he, too, had eyes, and a moment later had backed his car andwas asking Nathalie if she would like a ride home. The girl was only toopleased to accept, as she was fairly brimming over with impatience totell some one her two surprises. They had not gone far before the storywas out, and the doctor had heard everything.
"Well now, I call that luck," declared the doctor, "and of course yousaid you would accept Mrs. Van Vorst's offer?"
"Why, no," answered the girl hesitatingly, "I should love to do it, butI don't know that I ought to take money for it."
"And why not?" queried Dr. Morrow with some surprise. "Isn't money asmuch to you as to other people?"
"Oh, yes," laughed honest Nathalie; "of course I would like the money, Iam just dying to earn money for Dick." The girl stopped with frightenedeyes; oh, what was she going to tell? "But then it doesn't seem exactlyright to take money just for talking, and I don't know how Mother wouldfeel about it, she might feel badly." Nathalie choked, and her eyesfilled with tears as she remembered how hard it was for her mother tothink of even Dick earning money when he was so helpless.
"You haven't got to if you don't want to, little Blue Robin," declaredher friend, who perhaps suspected how things were. "But I tell you what,friend Nathalie--" emphatically--"if I had a nice little voice like acertain Robin I know, with big brown eyes, and knew how to use those bigeyes and that sweet little tru-al-lee of a voice by telling peoplestories, or talking to them--it's all the same--well, I'd waste no time inaccepting that offer. And then, too, see what pleasure it would bringNita and her mother, too, for that matter. Of course, I'm a man and lookat things from a commercial point of view; ah, here we are!" And thenwith a cheery farewell the doctor helped the girl out of the car andNathalie walked slowly up the path.
To Nathalie's surprise, her mother thought as the doctor did about thematter. She was not hurt at all, but overjoyed to think that Nathaliewas clever enough to earn money that way.
"Why, Nathalie," she mused, pleasantly, "you can do lots of things withthe money you earn. It probably won't be much, but it will give youpin-money, and a few necessities. Perhaps it will pay your way to camp!"
"Now, Mumsie," laughed the girl with a trill of glee in her voice,"remember about counting your chicks before they're hatched!"
She turned and ran swiftly up-stairs, and after imparting her good newsto Dick, she sat down and penned her note to Mrs. Van Vorst, all herdoubts and fears at rest. And she knew what she would do with the money,it came like a flash into her mind as she looked up and saw Dickplodding through an official-looking document.
After the note was mailed, there were just a few minutes left to runover and tell Mrs. Morrow what had transpired in regard to the lawn forthe Flag Drill, and to announce, with joy shining in every feature, thatthey could have the drill on the fourteenth. Then came a few minutes atHelen's, where the news was also told, two surprises, Nathalie declared,after she had unburdened herself to that young lady of the many thingsshe had been bottling up for the last few weeks.
But Nathalie's day of surprises was to bear more fruit, for about fiveo'clock the postman delivered a package by parcel post, a big box thathad a very mysterious look about it. "I don't see what it can be?" shesoliloquized, as she looked at the address. And then, "Oh, Mother, doyou know where the scissors are?" as she found that her fingers were toounsteady with haste to untie the string.
Dick, however, after hearing her excited outcry, had whipped out apenknife. There was a zip, the string was off, the box slipped out ofthe paper, and then the girl, with radiant, mystified eyes, was lookingdown at a Pioneer uniform, a jaunty little affair, with its red tie andred-banded hat to complete the outfit.
"Don't stand there and gape at it any longer, Nathalie," imperiouslyvoiced Dick, with an odd gleam in his eyes. "Look at the card and seewho sent it!"