CHAPTER XXV--GOOD-BY TO EAGLE LAKE
After Miss Dummy had been disposed of there was a return to the cheerfire circle, where the Sport performed the unusual feat of lightingthree fires with one match. The giving out of merit badges and stars forthe work performed during camp life and for the day's sports now tookplace. These rewards of merit were each accompanied by camp gifts, thework of the girls done afternoons at their "trial by needle" hour, assome of the girls called it, when raffia and bead work, candle making,sewing, and many other crafts had occupied the Pioneers' busy fingers,while some expert read of heroic deeds, or the girls chatted pleasantlyof the pleasures that were, or that were to be.
Pioneer and Scout, each in turn, now told of some special good that hadcome to them from the life in the open, which Mrs. Morrow said would befood for thought on their return to the city. A rhyming contest made noend of merriment, as well as the games of menagerie, gossip, animal,blind man's buff, and others of like character. The scout orchestra nowvaried the entertainment with a few musical selections which started thegirls and boys dancing around the fire again, this time with thegraceful swing and motions of the modern dances.
But they tired at last, and, some one starting a song, they all fell inand sang to their heart's content one song after the other, renderingthe old-remembered one of "Juanita" with undue emphasis, in honor toMiss Anita Van Vorst.
After Dr. Homer, with the assistance of a few scouts, had made a deal oflaughter by his comic shadowgraphs, done by a flash-lamp placed in therear of one of the big tents with the flaps closed, the time came to saygood-by. A few protested that it was still early, but when reminded byMrs. Morrow that they had already been allowed an hour longer than usualand that they would have a lot of work to do in the morning as they wereto break camp to return to the city, the protests ended, and thegood-nights were said.
The last day was a busy one, any number of camp rules were broken butthe squads were lenient--they were still sleepy--so no reports were made,and the work of pulling down tents, packing the camp equipment, andmaking everything as clean and orderly as possible progressed.
In the midst of this confusion Carol, who had made her last trip to thepost-office, came rushing up to Nathalie with a letter. "Oh, it's fromDick!" cried the delighted girl as she tore it open.
"Oh, Helen," she exclaimed in a moment to that young lady who was downon her knees packing the big box, "it's the funniest letter. Dick sayshe's having the time of his life--the jolliest ever--why, where can hebe?" stopping to glance at the envelope.
"Why, he must be in New York, or I wonder--yes," she nodded in answer toHelen's inquiry, "he says Mamma is fine--says they have had a gloriousthree weeks--well, I like that," she grumbled with rueful face, "it looksas if they had not missed me a bit and--" But the sound of voices at thismoment caused both of the girls to go to the tent door, to see MissCarol hurriedly heading a procession of men and women towards the tent.She was screaming excitedly as she came, "Oh, Nathalie, where are you?"
Nathalie, somewhat alarmed by all this appearance of excitement, criedquickly, "Oh, what is it, Carol? What is it?"
"Oh, Nathalie," the girl screamed, "the baby's mother has come!"
"The baby's mother!" echoed the dazed girl with wide eyes. "Why, whatdoes she mean?" turning to Helen, who at that moment had picked up MissCamphelia, who had just awakened from a nap on one of the cots.
By this time the party of country folk, breathless and somewhat moistfrom undue haste, with expectancy and delight beaming from everyfeature, had arrived in front of the tent. Nathalie gave one glance atthe many faces, and then with a sudden cry rushed to the defense of whatshe had come to consider as her own, and the next minute was seated onthe cot holding on to Miss Camphelia with a gripping clutch. She stareddefiantly at the intruders as they pushed and jostled one another intheir haste to enter the tent.
But a moment later her arms relaxed, as a faded-looking, worried-facedlittle woman, with eyes as blue as the sea, and hair like corn-silk,gave an inarticulate cry as she caught sight of the baby on the girl'slap. Dropping on her knees with outstretched arms she cried, "Oh, mybaby! My precious baby!"
Well, after that Nathalie could hold out no longer, especially when shesaw that the baby's sweet smile and dimpling cheeks were counterparts ofthose of the woman who claimed her as her own.
Then it was all explained. The child had been stolen by the gypsy womanwho, evidently, after a day or so of tramping from house to housebegging for money to reach the Gypsy settlement some distance from theneighboring town, had decided to abandon it. Unfortunately the noticethat had been sent to be put up in the post-office had failed to reachits destination, and if it had not been for Dr. McGill, the physicianwho had been summoned by Edith when Camphelia was ill, the baby wouldnever have been found.
Dr. MCGill had been puzzled by the baby's resemblance to some one heknew, but supposing the little one belonged to some of the ladies atcamp he had thought no more about it. Afterwards, however, onaccidentally learning from Dr. Homer that it was a lost baby, he hadsent the mother to reclaim it.
Of course there were pangs of disappointment to be endured, but, asNathalie said, no one could be anything but glad to give the baby upafter witnessing the mother's joy. After the mother had thanked themall, from Mrs. Van Vorst down to Ellen, for their kindness and the carethey had given her baby, hoping that each one of the girls would someday have one of her own to caress and fondle, they all kissed Campheliagood-by, and the camp baby departed to return to its own home.
After a dirge had been composed by Jessie, who had bloomed into quite apoetess, and any number of farewell letters and wishes had been writtenfor the good luck of the next campers at the Lake, these were buried inthe ground under a cairn of stones with a tiny American flag fastened atthe top. This was the girls' memorial to the good times they had had, aswell as an expression of the sadness they felt on leaving the placewhere they had spent three such happy weeks.
The sadness of parting with the friends they had made in Mrs. VanVorst's household--not the least being our friend Jimmie--was somewhatlessened when they learned that their hostess and her daughter were toaccompany them to New York to spend a day or so with Mrs. Morrow.
Going down in the car, although surrounded by a merry, chattering crowd,Nathalie and Helen became unusually silent. Helen, perhaps, was thinkingof the new position she was to enter on her return to Westport, andNathalie,--well, she could not have told why, but soon she became awarethat her thoughts had jumped backward and she was reviewing her firstmeeting with Helen and the Pioneers.
She half smiled as each one in turn presented herself to her as shefirst appeared; Barbara, with her queer staring eyes, absent-mindedmanner, and her frumpish clothes that always made Nathalie think of afive-and-ten-cent store. How often she had been tempted to laugh untilshe learned of the meanness of Barbara's grandfather, for although hewas a rich man Barbara had to scrimp and haggle to get enough to eat, tosay nothing of clothes to cover her back. The tears came into her eyeswhen she realized the kind heart that beat so loyally beneath thedespised apparel. After all, what were one's clothes, mere externalsnecessary of course, but in reality only of face value, for surely theywould never gain one an entrance into Heaven. And Helen, what would herlife have been in her new home without this neighbor friend--who hadtaught her to master herself by helping her to overcome the manyproblems that had confronted her when she had become a Pioneer?
Then she smiled again as she thought of Lillie Bell, with her thrillersand dramatic poses. She had learned that they were but the frosting tothe solid worth beneath. Indeed, the thrillers in a way had proved anincentive in the telling of her stories to Rosy, the opening wedge intothe good things that had followed, meeting Nita, making the money forDick, Mrs. Van Vorst's asking the Pioneers to Eagle Lake, and so on.Why, when she came to think of it, there was not a girl in her birdgroup who had not helped her in some way, even Edith, who had taught herto guard her tongue.
And f
rom the Pioneer industries and crafts she had learned to be useful.She thought of the first time she had tried to darn a stocking at theRally. Yes, and they had helped her to be happy, for they had given hera purpose in life. As for the sports and activities, they had broughther in closer touch with nature, giving her a keener interest in thingsthat had never appealed to her before. And the rules and laws, even thegood old-timey women had all done their share in making definite thosequalities which she now saw were necessary in order to be a success inlife.
She realized, but dimly, perhaps, that she had gotten nearer the heartsof these people of the workaday world, not only Helen, but Edith andJessie, who were all to be wage-earners that fall, thus opening up toher a new avenue of hopes and desires. Wasn't it strange how she used todread the thought of having to earn her own living, and now she wasworrying as to how she could earn more money to add to what she hadearned already for Dick! Then a sudden thought jarred, oh, suppose Mrs.Van Vorst, now that Nita had become so different with her sunburnedcheeks and merry ways from what she had been before she met thePioneers, should not want her any more! Oh, well, if that should be--ah,they were getting into New York! She stooped and had begun to gather upher belongings when some one spoke to her.
It was Mrs. Van Vorst, who, with her gracious little smile--how changedshe seemed from on that morning when Nathalie had handed her the card infront of the library--said, "Nathalie, Nita and I are going to take a runup to St. Luke's Hospital to visit that sick friend--you know the one Itold you about, who just had an operation performed--and Nita wants youto go with us."
"Oh, but Mother will be waiting to see me!" exclaimed the girl blankly.O dear, she didn't want to go, for she was in such a hurry to see hermother and Dick.
"Oh, that will be all right," nodded her friend quickly. "Mrs. Morrowwill stop at the door, and you can tell her you will be along in thenext train, for we shall not be long at the hospital."
Twenty minutes later the three ladies, each with a big bouquet whichNita had insisted upon their taking, were entering a large, bare-lookingreception room. "Now, girls," said Mrs. Van Vorst, "I will hurry up inthe elevator and see how the patient is, and then perhaps you can bothcome and see him--her--" Mrs. Van Vorst's face grew strangely red--sheturned abruptly and hurried from the room.
It was but a few moments when she was back again, and with a brightlittle nod cried, "Come, Nathalie, my friend is fine this morning, andvery anxious to see visitors, so come along!"
"I wonder why the patient wants to see me," soliloquized the girl inpuzzled query. "Isn't Nita coming?" she cried aloud, seeing the girlstanding by the window with an odd little smile on her face.
"Oh, yes, later; only one at a time at present," was the quick reply.
Nathalie was still thinking how strange it seemed and how smiling Mrs.Van Vorst appeared, when they came to a halt in front of a door in anupper corridor. "Here we are," said her companion, "now run in and seemy friend!" She threw open the door as she spoke.
Nathalie took a step forward, stared a minute with puzzled brows, andthen with a loud cry flung herself with outstretched arms upon a figurestanding in the center of the room, for it was Dick!
"Oh, how did you get here and--" but the rest was lost, for Dick washugging her and kissing her in a way that more than astonished the girl,for he had always declared he hated to kiss people. And then he held heroff and with shining eyes surveyed the suntanned cheeks of Nathalieapprovingly, as he cried, "So you're back, Blue Robin--and--great guns, asfat as a porpoise, too!"
"But what are you doing here?" inquired the still dazed girl slowly--"areyou the lady?"
"Lady!" echoed Dick. "I, a lady? Not on your life! What have you gotinto your head now?" he quizzed teasingly.
"But Mrs. Van Vorst said I was to meet a lady--"
"Oh, she was just bluffing you, that's all," jeered Dick. "She wanted tosurprise you, for--" then Nathalie gave a loud scream, for Dick had begunto walk towards the bureau, slowly, to be sure, for his muscles werestiff, but he was straight as an arrow.
"Oh--why, Dick, where is your cane? You'll fall--" and then something musthave whispered to the girl,--perhaps it was intuition for in a flash sheseemed to know.
"Dick," she gasped, "you've had the operation, and you're all right?"This last was in a tense whisper.
"You bet I am," returned Dick cheerily, "and in good shape, too. Thedoctor says I can go home in a week."
"But where did you get the money?" asked the girl, her eyes big withwonder.
"From a check sent by Mrs. Van Vorst as a tribute to her little friendand adviser, Nathalie Page," read Dick slowly from a letter which he hadsuddenly slipped from his pocket. As he glanced down at the girl and sawher staring eyes he flicked the letter before them, laughing as if torecall her to herself. Nathalie blinked, stepped back, and then a suddenlight flashed into her eyes, and with a swoop of her hand she snatchedthe letter from her brother, crying, "Oh, Dick, isn't she just thedearest! Oh, I'm not worth so much money, I--" Then her eyes swept thepage before her.
"No, I don't believe you are, Blue Robin," teased Dick smilingly. Andthen his voice grew more earnest, as he added, "Nathalie Page, you'rethe blood, all right. You captured her heart on sight, and this is theresult." He started to walk slowly towards the bed, but the girl was athis side, for she saw that he was beginning to feel a little tired.
"To be sure," he cried apologetically as he leaned on her a littleheavily. "I'm not a speeder just yet, but wait a bit and you'll see medo a twenty-mile dash in no time.
"Yes," explained Dick, after he was resting on the bed again, and Mrs.Van Vorst's kindness had been rehearsed in detail; "Mrs. Van Vorst senta letter to Mother expressing her love, admiration, and all the rest ofit, for you, and then begged to be allowed to give you this surprise.She said we could consider the money a loan and pay it back when weliked."
"Oh, was that the letter that came just before I went away, that youwouldn't tell me about?"
Dick nodded, and then went on, "I was brought here the day after youleft for the Lake; operated on the day after, and have had the jolliesttime ever since. The nurses here are O. K. I have only been permitted tostand on my feet the last few days, but the doctor says I'll soon bewalking all right. But Blue Robin, how goes it with you? I hear you're agreat sport since you left."
But Nathalie's thoughts were elsewhere. "Oh, Dick," she exclaimedpresently, "when do you think we can pay Mrs. Van Vorst the money back?I have some, you know--" her eyes grew bright--"fifty dollars, in thebank!"
"And I have, well, I guess I have more than that," said the boy proudly,"from the various jobs I did. Oh, Nathalie, did I tell you I wrote alittle skit and sold it to 'Life' for fifty dollars?"
"You did?" ejaculated the girl. "Oh, I'm so glad! I always said youcould write funny things. Well, that will make--" but at this moment sheheard the door open. Oh, it was Mrs. Van Vorst--what should she say tothank her?
But the question faded from her mind as with a cry of delight she spranginto the outstretched arms of her mother.
Well, it seemed as if the three would never get through going over thisgreat joy that had come into their lives! Then, too, they were allanxious to pay back as soon as possible Mrs. Van Vorst's kind loan.
"Well," said Nathalie at length, "I am sure if we all work hard we cando it pretty soon. How much did you say it cost?"
But before Dick could answer Mrs. Page cried, taking a hand of each asshe spoke, "It will take time to be sure, but Mother is going to do hershare, for, children, the bonds are all right, I received my interestyesterday, the usual six per cent."
"Oh, isn't that just too lovely!" exclaimed Nathalie. But before shecould say more the door opened and Mrs. Van Vorst and Nita entered, Nitaall shyness again as she bowed stiffly to Dick, whom she had always beenanxious to meet. And then the unexpected happened, for as Nathalieturned to thank her kind benefactor she burst into tears and cried as ifher heart would break, to the dismay of every one present. Oh, what afool she d
id make of herself, she afterwards confessed with shamed eyesto Helen.
But Mrs. Van Vorst had been a girl herself once, and so she understoodjust how her young friend felt. She comforted Nathalie so sweetly thatthe girl fell in love with her over again, her tears dried, and she wassoon her happy self.
In a short space the good-bys were said to Dick, and the four ladieshurried to the taxi that was to whirl them to Westport. Of course therewas so much to tell and talk over during the journey that it was notuntil Nathalie was undressing for bed that she heard that as soon asDick was able he and her mother were to spend two weeks at Eagle Lakewith Mrs. Van Vorst. Nathalie received this news with unfeigned joy, fornow her mother would have a change, and then she and Dick could see whata lovely place the Lake was.
There had been so many unexpected bits of brightness to make Nathaliehappy that day that when she finally got into bed, although she wasterribly tired, her brain was in such a whirl she was sure she wouldnever go to sleep. But at last, with a drowsy sigh, she snuggled down onher pillow with the happy thought that she was so glad she had foundthat nest--of blue birds--and had become--a Girl Pioneer!
THE END