CHAPTER XV A SPELL OF THE "GLUMPS"
Whizzing along the road Nat tried to decide how it would be best to breakthe disappointing news to Dorothy. Of his escapade with Urania he hadfully determined not to say a word. Dorothy had enough girls to worryabout, he argued, and if she heard of this one she would form a searchingexpedition, and set out at once to hunt the Gypsy who, Nat thought, waslike a human squirrel and able to take care of herself.
The return trip seemed shorter than that which took Nat out to Dalton,and as the Fire Bird swung into the Cedars' entrance somewhat later thanthe youth expected to get back, Dorothy was at the gate awaiting to hearnews of Tavia.
"Buffalo," announced Nat sententiously, as Dorothy came up beside the carwhich jerked to a stop amid a screeching of the brake. "She went theresome time ago. She's at Grace Barnum's. Wait. I have the address."
Without delaying to put the machine up, Nat produced a slip of paper uponwhich he had written, at Mrs. Travers's direction, the street and numberof Miss Barnum's residence. He handed it to Dorothy.
"Do you think it's all right?" asked Dorothy, looking at the directions.
"'Course it is. Everybody in Dalton is as chipper as possible. You're theonly one who's worrying. Now, if I were you, I'd just let up, Doro.You'll be down sick if you don't."
"Perhaps I am foolish. And I have given you a lot of trouble," spoke upthe girl a little sadly.
"Trouble? Nothing!" exclaimed Nat. "I just like the lark. When you wantany more sleuthing done apply at headquarters. I'm the gum-shoe man forthis section," and at that he turned his attention to the Fire Bird,while Dorothy walked thoughtfully back to the house.
Poor Dorothy! An instinctive foreboding of danger had taken possession ofher now, and, try as she did to dispel it, an unmistakable voice seemedto call out to her:
"Find Tavia! She needs you, Dorothy Dale!"
"Perhaps," thought Dorothy, "she has run away and is really with somecircus troupe, as the Gypsy girl said. Or perhaps she is at some wateringplace, taking part in a play--"
This last possibility was the one that Dorothy dreaded most to dwellupon. Tavia must have loved the stage, else why did she constantly do thethings she did at school, so like a little actress, and so like a girl"stage-struck," as Aunt Winnie called it?
These and similar fancies floated through Dorothy's brain hour afterhour, in spite of whatever diversion presented itself for her amusement.
The afternoon, following Nat's trip to Dalton, Dorothy, with herbrothers, Roger and Joe, went to gather pond lilies near the waterfall.It was a delightful day, and the sun glistened on the quiet sheet of themill pond, making liquid diamonds. The lilies, of which there was anabundance, looked like carved wax that had frozen the sun's gold in eachheart. But, somehow, Dorothy, could not work up her usual enthusiasm ingathering the blossoms.
It was delightful to dip her hands into the cool stream and surely tohear little Roger prattle was an inspiration, but all the while Dorothywas thinking of crowded Buffalo, and wondering what a certain girl mightbe doing there on that summer afternoon.
In the evening Major Dale and Mrs. White, taking Dorothy with them, wentfor a drive along the broad boulevard that was the pride of thatexclusive summer place--North Birchland. Dorothy tried bravely to rouseherself from her gloomy reveries but, in spite of her efforts, Mrs. Whitecomplained that her niece was not like her usual self--"Perhaps notfeeling well," she ventured.
"I'm 'glumpy' ever since I left Glenwood," admitted Dorothy. "Not becauseI want to be, nor that I am not having a most delightful time, but Isimply have the 'glumps.' At Glenwood they prescribe extra work for anattack like this," and the girl laughed at her own diagnosis.
"You certainly should dispel the 'glumps,'" said Mrs. White. "I can'timagine what could produce an attack here at the Cedars, with all yourown folks around you, Dorothy, dear. I do believe you are lonely forthose impossible girls. What do you say to paying some of them a littlevisit, just to break in on your holiday?"
"Really, aunty," protested Dorothy, "I am perfectly content. What sort ofgirl would I be to want to run away and leave you all after being away solong at school? No, indeed, I'll stay right here at the beautiful Cedars,and I'll try to be a better girl--to get rid at once of my spell of the'glumps' as we used to call them at Glenwood."
"But girls are girls," insisted her aunt, "and you have no control, mydear, over such sentiment as I imagine you are afflicted with at present.Just plan out a little trip somewhere and, I'll vouch for it, the visitto some giggling Dolly Varden of a girl will do you no end of good. Andthen, too, you may invite her back here with you."
Mrs. White divined too well the reason for Dorothy's "blue spell." Shecould see perfectly how much her niece missed the light-hearted Tavia,and in advising her to take a little trip Mrs. White was sure Dorothywould choose to go where her chum might be.
In this she was right, but concerning what Dorothy might do to reachTavia Mrs. White had no idea. She merely suggested a "little tripsomewhere," believing Dorothy would find Tavia, either in Dalton, orvisiting some girl friend, as Dorothy had told her Tavia intended doing.But circumstances conspired to give Dorothy the very opportunity shelonged for--she would go somewhere--anywhere--to look for her"sister-friend"--the girl who had been to her more than friend and almosta sister.
Ned and Nat had planned a trip to Buffalo at the beginning of theirvacation. They were to meet a number of their chums there, and do someexploring in the neighborhood of Niagara Falls. They were to make thejourney in the Fire Bird, and when Mrs. White suggested a trip forDorothy it was the run to Buffalo, in the automobile, that immediatelycame into the girl's mind.
"If I only could go with the boys," she pondered. "But what excuse wouldI have?"
All the next day she turned the subject over in her mind. Then somethingvery remarkable happened. Persons who believe in thought controllingmatter would not call the incident out of the ordinary perhaps, but, bethat as it may, when Dorothy strolled down to the post-office, having aslender hope of a letter from Tavia, she did find a letter in the box--aletter from Rose-Mary Markin, stating that she, and her mother, weregoing to Buffalo and Niagara Falls for a few days, and, as Buffalo wasonly about a day's trip from North Birchland, perhaps Dorothy could takea "run" to Buffalo, and spend a few days with them.
Dorothy's head thumped when she read the letter. The very thing of allothers she would have wished for, had she been as wise as the unknownfate that worked it out for her, without any action on her own part!
She felt light enough now to "fly" over the road back to the Cedars, toshow the invitation to Mrs. White. The boys were to leave for Buffalo thenext day, so there was little time to be lost, should Major Dale and Mrs.White think it best for Dorothy to make the trip. How the girl trembledwhile waiting for the decision. What if she should be disappointed? Itwas a long ride in the auto--but with her cousins--
Mrs. White read Rose-Mary's little note a second time while Dorothy stoodthere waiting. The aunt noticed how delicately Rose-Mary indicated herown mother's anxiety to meet Dorothy, and then with what a nicety thewhole matter was referred to Major Dale and Dorothy's aunt. Thiscarefully written note, neither stilted nor indifferent in its tone,convinced Mrs. White at once that the writer was exactly the girl Dorothyhad described her to be--her very best friend at Glenwood--excepting onlyTavia.
"Well, I don't see why you can't go with the boys," spoke her auntfinally. "They are always careful, and if you leave here, as they intendto do, at sunrise (that will be an experience for you) you should getinto Buffalo in time for the evening dinner. I'll just sound the major,"giving Dorothy a loving embrace. "Not that a mere man, even be he MajorDale, can hold out against two such Sampson-like wills as ours."
From that moment, until the time of her stepping into the Fire Bird nextmorning, and waving a good-bye to the little party that stood on theporch to see them off, it all seemed like the strangest, subtlest dreamto Doroth
y. She was going to find Tavia--going herself to look for her,and find out for herself all the questions that, for weeks, had beeneating away her happiness with dreaded uncertainties.