CHAPTER XXV
AN EMERGENCY CASE
"There's a special messenger," exclaimed Dorothy, with a littleflutter. "I hope there's nothing the matter--"
The boy with the bag strapped over his shoulder had dismounted from hismuddy bicycle, and was now at the door of the Cedar mansion.
Tavia slipped through the hedge after Dorothy. It seemed the messagemust be from Dalton, somehow, and she too, like Dorothy, felt a trifleagitated.
The maid had answered the ring, and now the boy was wandering along thepath, content that his time-mark allowed a few moments for suchrecreation.
Mrs. White appeared on the piazza presently. Dorothy and Tavia werewithin its portals, waiting to be summoned.
"My dear," began the hostess, "I have just received a message fromMajor Dale. He wants you to come home--at once. He is called toRochester on important business, and as he says Mrs. Martin is notwell, so he cannot leave without having his little housekeeper incharge of things--Dorothy, you are a real Dale, able at your age tokeep house."
"Aunt Libby sick," was Dorothy's first thought and exclamation.
"The Rochester case," declared Tavia. "That means the Burlock mysteryis going to be cleared up."
"The major did not, of course, hint at the nature of his business, butI am really so sorry to lose you just now. And the boys at camp--theywill be painfully disappointed," said Mrs. White.
"We have had a perfectly splendid time," declared Dorothy, "and I amsure we can hardly thank you for your--attention. You have so manycalls upon your time and you did all that shopping for us."
"My dear," and the aunt tilted Dorothy's chin to kiss it, "that was areal dissipation. To shop for my own girls. Why, it made me feel like ayoungster, myself. And besides, I had orders from Dalton."
"Even so," insisted Dorothy, showing some surprise at the word"orders." "It took a lot of time and it was such a warm day. But youdid a great deal more than that for us, Aunt Winnie, you must rememberhow much I can do, too, and give me a chance some day, when you want arest."
"Bless the baby's heart! Hear her talk!" and the woman in the soft grayrobe threw her arms about Dorothy. "All the same, when my heart getsunconquerably lonely for my daughter, I shall command her to come tome."
Tavia was "standing afar off." Her burning cheeks grew more scarletevery moment, and were plainly a matter of great embarrassment to her.She did want to offer her thanks with those of Dorothy, but somehow,her words were scorched when they reached her lips, and they "stuckthere."
"My dear," exclaimed Mrs. White, presently noticing Tavia's confusion."Have you been in poison ivy? Your cheeks show a poison!"
"Only mullen leaves," answered Tavia promptly, relieved to have madethe confession without further parleying.
"Mullen leaves," in a surprised voice, then adding quickly, "Oh, ofcourse, we all used to do that. You were painting to go out to camp,"said Mrs. White.
"Tavia was going to help play a joke on Rosabel," interrupted Dorothy,anxious to make the matter as light as possible, and help Tavia withher honesty.
"Why, that would be too bad," said Mrs. White, "Poor Rosabel hastrouble with her skin. It is always flaming red, and it seems almostimpossible to cool down the sudden flashes. It is caused by a nervouscondition."
Tavia dropped her eyes. What if Dorothy had not spoken against thejoke, and if they had really gone to camp?
"Your train leaves shortly after lunch," continued Mrs. White, "so youhad better be getting ready. I am sorry the boys are not here to seeyou off, but I will drive you over myself and see that you are safelyen route for Dalton. I almost wish I were going myself. It seems an agesince I have seen the dear major."
"Oh, do come!" exclaimed Dorothy joyously, "Wouldn't it be splendid."
"If I only could, my dear, but I cannot this time. I will surprise yousome day. Then I will see whether you or Tavia is the betterhousekeeper."
"Please do not surprise me," begged Tavia, "although I should be sovery glad to see you--give me notice, so that you may be able to getin. Whenever I take to sweeping and bar up the doors with furniture mySunday school teacher calls."
"I always was considered a good player at hopscotch," joked Mrs. White,"so you need not worry about that, Tavia, dear."
The dress suit cases were to be packed. They had been full enoughcoming, but it was soon found impossible to get all the new things inthem for the journey back. Tavia discovered this first, and called itin to Dorothy's room.
"I can't get my things in either," answered Dorothy back, through thesummer draperies that divided the apartments. "We will have to send abox."
This seemed a real luxury to the girls--to come home with an expressbox.
Mrs. White had given Dorothy a fine bracelet as a good-bye present, andto Tavia a small gold heart and dainty gold chain.
Tavia could not speak she was so surprised and pleased at first.Dorothy had a locket and chain, but Tavia had hardly ever expected toown such a costly trinket. The maid had brought the gifts up. Mrs.White was busy dressing.
"I'll have to hug her," declared Tavia, kissing the heart set with agarnet.
"Just do," agreed Dorothy, "she would be so pleased."
Down the stairs flew Tavia. Lightly she touched the mahogany paneleddoor at Mrs. White's boudoir.
"Come," answered the pleasant voice.
"I came to thank you," faltered Tavia, glancing with misgivings at thehandsome bared arms and throat before the gilt framed mirror.
"For your heart?" and Mrs. White smiled so kindly.
"Yes," said Tavia simply, and the next moment she had both arms aroundthat beautiful neck.
The woman held the girl to her breast for a moment. Tavia's heart wasbeating wildly.
"My dear," said Mrs. White, "I do hope you have enjoyed yourself," andshe kissed her again. "But you must promise me not to paint with mullenleaves any more. Sometimes such jokes lead to habits--one looks paleyou know when the blaze dies away."
Tavia felt as if her blaze never would die away. Why had she been sofoolish? She would have given anything now to rub those horrid, pricklyleaves off forever.
"I never will paint--" she stammered.
"I hope you will not, dear, you should be grateful for such coloring asyou have. But let me warn you in all kindness. It is usually prettygirls who make such mistakes--they want to be more and more attractiveand so spoil it all. Think right, and of pleasant things, and the gloryof happiness will be all the cosmetic you will ever need," and againshe pressed her own white cheek to the burning face of the girl shestill held in her arms.
Later, when Tavia was thinking it all over, she pondered seriously uponthose words. No one had ever spoken to her just that way before--athome it was taken for granted she knew so much more than those aroundher, that such counsel as she needed was withheld. Alas, how many girlslose valuable advice by appearing to be over-smart for their years! Andthen the awakening is always doubly sad. So it was with this mistake ofTavia's, trivial enough, yet for her--it appeared like a crime to haveput those mullen leaves to her cheeks; to be thought vain; to have Mrs.White warn her about other girls!
It seemed a very short time indeed, from the arrival of the specialmessage at the Cedars until the train was speeding back toward Dalton.And the journey had lost all its novelty, for Dorothy and Tavia were sointent upon the possible happenings when they should reach home, thatthe wait, even on a flying train, seemed tiresome.
"Do you suppose," ventured Tavia, as she laid her book down, after anumber of unsuccessful efforts to become interested in the story, "theyhave captured that Anderson?"
"I am sure I cannot guess," answered Dorothy, "but I feel certain it isabout that affair that we are called home in such a hurry. I wish Icould soon keep the promise I made to poor Mr. Burlock. I said I wouldsome day find his daughter Nellie, and it does seem the detectives havebeen a long time in finding any tangible clew. Father hired two of thebest he could get to trace the child--that was her mother who died, theone you
told me of, you know. I did not talk about it because fatherthought it was best to say nothing that might possibly give Anderson ahint that they were on his track."
"And have they tracked him?" asked Tavia.
"Yes, they know he left Mr. Burlock in Rochester. He cashed a checkthere that Mr. Burlock gave him for what the poor man thought would bea possible clew to little Nellie's whereabouts, and to think that thedisappointment killed the disheartened father!"
"Well, I only hope they have him now," said Tavia, "I would like tohave another chance at his--hat."
Then the conversation drifted back to North Birchland. Both girlslooked much benefited by their visit, and even Tavia's short hair andunnatural red cheeks did not detract from the noticeable improvement.Dorothy's face had rounded some too, and the Lake air had given aruddiness to her naturally delicate tinting, that was most becoming toher as a summer girl.
"I never saw such nice boys," remarked Tavia, "I think, after all, ittakes money to polish people."
"Not at all," insisted Dorothy. "It is not money but good breeding.There are plenty of poor persons who are just as polished as you callit. Father often told us about a family he visited when he was abroad.They were so poor in clothes--pathetically shabby, and yet they went inthe very best society. Father used to make us laugh by his funnydescriptions of the ladies at dinners. At the same affairs would beThomas Carlyle, and just think, these poor people--he was a parson,lived on the very ground that was once part of the garden of Sir ThomasMoore. Father saw the famous mulberry trees there, that so much hasbeen written about. I hope I may be able to go there some time--we haverelatives in England."
"I would not care to travel," said Tavia impatiently. "This seems along enough trip for me."
"Only two more stops," said Dorothy as the train rattled past thestations. "Oh, I shall be so glad to see them all."
"And lonesome for the Cedars after you have seen them all," Taviahinted. "That's the worst of it, home is always with us--"
"Get your hat box down," Dorothy interrupted. "We are slackening upnow."
"Dalton! Dalton!" called the brakeman at the door, and the next minutethe girls were being kissed heartily by Joe, Roger and Johnnie, "thecommittee on arrival," as Tavia said. The lads were fully qualified tocarry off the honors in the way of boxes and small bundles.
"How is Aunt Libby?" asked Dorothy as soon as she could say anythingrelevant.
"Better," said Joe, "but father does not feel well--you are not toworry--" seeing how her face clouded, "he is only tired out. He hasbeen working at the office and writing so many letters--"
"That I should have written. Poor dear father! I hope he is not goingto have another spell," and Dorothy sighed.
"No, the doctor said he would be all right if he would only stay quiet,but he is about as quiet as my squirrel in its new cage," said Joe.
"Home again," called Dorothy, waving her hand to the major who nowappeared on the piazza. "Here we are, bag and baggage," and then itseemed all the "pain of separation" was made up for in that lovingembrace--the major had the Little Captain in his arms again.