CHAPTER VI
A RIDE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES
Mrs. Winthrop White was talking earnestly to her brother, Major Dale.She had come in from the Cedars the morning after the memorable ride inthe Fire-Bird, and was now in the major's study, discussing thesituation with Dorothy's father.
"But the child has had so many shocks lately, brother," said Mrs.White. "It does seem the only practical plan is to remove her entirelyfrom these surroundings. Of course, it will be hard for you to let hergo away, but you must remember, Dorothy has always been a littleover-strained with care for one of her years, and now that your meanswill allow it, she should have every possible advantage to make up forwhat she may have lost in the way of nerve force."
"Oh, I am sure you know, sister," replied the major, "I would notdeprive the child of anything she should have, no matter what it costme, in money or--the loss of her company. She has certainly been myLittle Captain, for I can always depend upon her to keep the youngtroopers in line--"
"But why remain here at all? You can give up business now. Do,brother, come and make your home with me. I really need you so often,when I have no one to advise with about the boys. And Joe and Rogerwould be so much better off with me to look after them. Mrs. Martinhas done wonderfully well for her years, but she is no longer able tosee to them properly. Just give up this place and come to the Cedars,"urged Mrs. White.
"I would not know how to leave dear old Dalton or my newspaper," musedthe major. "Of course you are very good to think of bothering withanother family. Most women think one family enough to bring up."
"Indeed, I need something to do," argued the sister, "and Roger wouldbe a perfect treat to me. He is such a darling. Joe will go toschool, of course (already taking it for granted that her invitationwould be accepted), but I would have Roger taught at home for thisyear. He is too young to mix up with all the others."
"I am sure it would be good for the children--"
"And for yourself! Why, you are not too old to enjoy your life. Theidea of a man of less than fifty years, considering himself old," andMrs. White laughed in that captivating manner of hers, that had sooften won her cause when all other arguments failed. "And that schoolyou speak of for Dorothy, the one in the mountains of New England, whatdid you call it?"
"The Glenwood School," replied the major. "Mrs. Pangborn, who conductsit, is an old friend of mine, and if I should trust Dorothy with anyoneit would be with Louise Pangborn, for she knew Dorothy's mother andwould be sure to take an interest in her daughter."
"The very thing! Capital!" exclaimed Mrs. White enthusiastically. "Wemust make arrangements at once. There is little time left before theterm opens. Dear me, brother, some women may like to idle, but give mea girl to dress up for school! Perhaps because I have never had thejoy for doing it for my own daughter, I so love to take up Dorothy andexperiment on her. No girl at school shall be better equipped thanDorothy Dale--"
"Now take care, sister. We are plain folks, you know."
"Not one whit plainer than your sister Ruth. I shall only get Dorothythings that befit her station, in fact the best dressed girls do not,by any means have more clothes than others. They simply have what isneeded."
"Oh, I know! I know I can depend upon you, Ruth. Only I also know youthink Dorothy--"
"A wonderfully pretty and attractive girl, and one who must wear theright kind of clothes. There, I feel I am looking through the shopsnow. I must admit I have a weakness for pretty things, whether girlsor their dresses."
"Strange I should have so lately received a letter from Mrs. Pangborninquiring about Dorothy," remarked the major. "I have it some place,"and he pulled a packet of papers from his desk, soon finding the onewanted. "There," he went on, glancing over the missive, "Louise saysshe has now two assistants, a Miss Crane and a Miss Higley."
"Might I see the letter?" asked Mrs. White, already assuming the motherpart toward Dorothy, and feeling it her duty to know all she might beable to find out concerning the woman to whom Dorothy would beentrusted.
"Why, certainly," replied the major, handing her the letter. Sheglanced over the paper. "There," she said presently, smiling. "Ifancy I see Miss Crane, whom Mrs. Pangborn describes as being such afavorite with the girls. And the other, Miss Higley--her name isenough. She must be the sort of teacher who does good work in classes,but seems to put a damper on the girls' pranks. Of course, such aperson is always valuable in a boarding school," and she handed backthe paper, "but what a lot of trouble they can make! I went to aboarding school myself, you know, and I know and remember all about theMiss Higleys."
"Then you think it would be a good plan to send Dorothy to Glenwood?"and the major's voice showed that he looked favorably upon theproposition.
"Glenwood School, in the mountains of New England! I can see the tagson Dorothy's trunks," she replied merrily. "Nothing could be better.And that splendid mountain air! Why, you won't know the child when shecomes home for her holiday. But I am going to write this very morning.Or will you do it? And I will write in reply to the next. Yes, Ithink that would be better. And now I am going right up to Dorothy andtell her all about it. The child had such a headache from herexperiences yesterday that I insisted upon her lying down. Wasn't thatthe most absurd thing for those children to ride to town in the policepatrol? The boys will never stop talking of it. And Tavia Traversthinks it the joke of her life. But Dorothy is not keen on that sortof jokes. She does not relish the curiosity which the incident hasstirred up. I could see that this morning, when those school friendswere talking it over with her."
"Dorothy is a very sensitive girl."
"All fine natures are sensitive, Allen. They neither offend nor relishbeing offended. It is perfectly natural that the child should resentsuch remarks as some of those I have heard passed about the patrolride."
"Of course they only came from children," apologized the major, "andyoungsters will have their say."
"Yes, but sometimes the 'say' of jealous young girls may go a long way.A jealous girl is, I believe, even a more dangerous enemy than a womanscorned, about whom so much is written and said. But I am sure Dorothycan hold her own in spite of any girl."
Why had Mrs. White been so apprehensive about the small talk she hadoverheard? What could any one say against Dorothy Dale?
That afternoon a school friend called on Dorothy and brought with her ayoung girl who had been spending part of her vacation at theMacAllister home. She was introduced as Miss Viola Green of Dunham,and while rather a pretty girl she had something in her manner thatmade Dorothy feel uncomfortable. This unaccountable dislike onDorothy's part was heightened when Tavia went over to the veranda wherethe girls were sitting, and upon Alice introducing Tavia to her friendthe latter merely bowed stiffly, and refused to accept the hand thatTavia had offered in greeting. This was all the more strange sinceAlice was so splendid a girl herself.
But Viola Green had made a serious mistake in refusing to accept thehonest hand of Tavia Travers, although strange to say the incident wasa most fortunate happening, as far as Tavia and Dorothy wereconcerned--it told them the kind of girl Viola was. Alice, seeing theslight, winked slyly at Tavia, who, after flushing furiously, managedto return the secret sign of Alice by snapping her own brown eye openand shut.
"I simply thought I should die," began Alice, anxious to startconversation. "When I saw you step out of that wagon last night.Viola and I were just down to the post-office and when the crowdgathered of course, we had to see what was going on. Well, when I sawTavia--"
A burst of laughter stopped Alice. She had a way of seeing humor inthings and of enjoying the process of extracting it. Tavia joined herin the merriment, but Viola sat there with a curled lip. Dorothy wasnot laughing either--she was observing the stranger.
"Wasn't it great!" exclaimed Tavia. "I wish you could have been along.Dorothy was scared to death, but the very idea of any one being afraidwhile surrounded by four strapping policemen!"
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"And when your cousin came into the post-office to send histelegram--to his mother, wasn't it? And we beheld--a dude in overallsand jumper!" and Alice laughed again. "Really," she continued,finally, "I thought I should pass away!"
"Was that your cousin?" asked Viola unpleasantly.
"Why, Ola," exclaimed Alice, the ring of something like anger in hervoice, "I certainly told you the young man was Mr. Nat White from NorthBirchland, Dorothy's cousin."
"Oh," sniffed the other. "I am sure I thought you said he was Tavia'scousin."
"That's good," chimed in Tavia. "Wish he was; he would make all kindsof nice cousins, for he is the dandiest boy--"
"So!" almost sneered Viola.
"Yes, that's so," declared Tavia, with a challenging look at thestranger.
"Viola thinks nice boys should not be cousins," remarked Alice, tryingto patch up the squabble. But Dorothy had risen from her seat and wastoying with the honeysuckle. Evidently she had no intention of joiningin the unpleasant argument.
"I declare, Doro," said Alice suddenly. "I have scarcely heard yourvoice to-day. And all the stories that I have been contradicting aboutyou. That you were hurt in an auto accident; that your chauffeur wasarrested for speeding and you were obliged to go to police court tomake a statement; that some lunatic chased you, and you had to get inthe wagon to save your life--Oh! I tell you, Doro, you never know howpopular you are until you take a ride in the 'hurry up' wagon. I wouldhave given my new dog (and I love him dearly) to have been in thattally-ho with you," and Alice threw her arms about Dorothy, whose face,she could not help observing, was white and strained.
"It certainly was an experience," admitted Dorothy, joining the groupagain.
"But what in the world makes you act like such a funeral?" Aliceblurted out.
"I have just heard something that makes me serious," answered Dorothy."I may as well tell you now. I am going away to boarding school!"
"This term?" exclaimed Viola, before either Alice or Tavia had time tospeak.
"Certainly," replied Dorothy coolly. "Why not?"
"Oh, nothing, of course," returned Viola, "Only after yesterday folksmight think--oh, you know country folks can never understand the trickof deciding things quickly. You had not thought of it--of going awaybefore, had you?"
Dorothy was too indignant to speak. What ever could the girl mean bysuch insinuations? Even Alice seemed dumbfounded, and Tavia positivelydangerous. She walked straight up to the chair Viola occupied.
"Miss Green," she called. "'After yesterday,' as you express it, isprecisely the same as before yesterday, to all concerned. Theexperiences were unusual--"
"I should think so--" the stranger had the temerity to remark, butAlice had risen to go, while Viola stepped down from the porch, withoutoffering a word of apology or explanation. "And where are you going,Dorothy dear?" asked Alice tenderly, trying to undo the harm that hervisitor had been so successful in creating.
"To the Glenwood School, in the mountains of New England, I believe,"answered Dorothy.
"Indeed?" spoke up Miss Green again. "That is where I attend. Howstrange we should meet just before the term opens," and she smiled thatsame unpleasant smile that had chilled Dorothy when Alice introducedthem.
"You do!" exclaimed Tavia rather rudely. Then she added: "DorothyDale, who told you you could go away to school? You have not asked mypermission yet. To the mountains of New England! I would like to seeyou run away and leave me!"
"It would be unpleasant indeed!" called back Viola. "You had bettercome to Glenwood too!"
"Maybe I will," snapped Tavia. "One thing is certain. Dorothy Dalewill have friends whereever she goes and if I could go, I would be mosthappy to look on while she reaps her new conquests. Dorothy is aregular winner, Miss Green. You will have to look out if she goes toGlenwood. She will cut you out with your best friends. She alwaysmakes one fell swoop of the entire outfit!"
A look of deep scorn was the answer Viola made to Tavia's attempt atraillery. Evidently she had made up her mind that Dorothy Dale wouldnever "cut her out" at Glenwood.
And Mrs. White had remarked to her brother, Major Dale, that a jealousgirl was a dangerous enemy!