CHAPTER TWO
AN UNEXPECTED PROPOSITION
Julie and Betty dropped their coins into the bank at home that wasjointly kept for their savings, then they hurried out to the kitchen tosee what kind of dessert May was preparing.
Eliza was busy with the finishing touches of the dinner when the twinsran in; and being the nominal head of the family since the mother wasgone, she ordered the children around.
"Here, Betty--mash them pertaters whiles I strain the squash, will yuh?"said she.
"Shall I add the butter and cream, 'Liza?" asked Betty, eagerly takingup the patent masher because it was considered great fun to watch thetiny squirms of mealy potato run through the sieve.
"Julie kin get the butter an' cream--yuh jest hurry and do the mashin'.I'm gettin' late with th' dinner ennyway," replied Eliza, turning herattention to the roast in the oven.
Julie started for the jug of cream, but stopped at May's side and asked:"How far is it from here to the Adirondacks, Maysy--I mean, how much doesit cost to get there?"
"It's a good ways, and I've heard it costs a lot of money, but I don'tknow exactly how much. Why?"
"Oh, nothing much--I just wanted to know, that's all," returned Julie, asshe took up the jug to carry it back to Betty.
"We want to figure out how much more money we'll have to earn, Maysy,before we can start for that camp. That's why Jule asked," explainedBetty, conscientious even in little things like this.
"Hoh! why you girls will have to weed Vernon's lawn all summer beforeyou can raise money enough to pay carfare to the Adirondacks!" laughedJohn, who now scuffled into the kitchen to see if he could find anythinggood to eat before dinner was served.
"We didn't ask your opinion! You're only a child, so how would you knowabout carfares," retorted Julie, condescendingly.
"Oh, really! Is that so! Well, let me tell you, I know a heap more aboutit than you dream of, 'cause I'm planning to go to Chimney Point Campmyself this summer--so!" exclaimed John, feeling highly gratified when hesaw the looks of consternation on his sisters' faces. But he forgot toreckon with Eliza.
Eliza was a trifle more than six feet in height, and buxom as well. Shehad powerful hands and feet and when she snapped her mouth shut as asignal of disapproval, the children knew better than to argue.
Now Eliza plunked the soup-pot down upon the range and wheeled to faceJohn. Her broad hands went to their habitual rest upon her ample hips,and she inquired in a high falsetto voice:
"John Lee! Does your father know what you'se just said?"
"Not yet, but he will t'night, 'Liza; the Y. M. C. A. director of ourgym is coming to see him about it," replied John, without the bravado hehad expressed towards his sisters.
"Then lem'me tell you this much, sonny! Ef your father asks me fer anopinion--and I s'pose he will, seein' how I has brung you all up--I'llcome out an' tell him it ain't fair fer him t' let you take money to goto camp this summer, an' make th' girls set to work to earn their'n. An'that's onny fair to all!"
"Oh, I am not going to spend money, 'Liza--I'm goin' to help wash dishesin camp to pay for my board," hastily added John.
"Wash dishes! Huh!" snorted Eliza disdainfully. "I'd hate t' hev to eatfrom them dishes!" Then as an afterthought struck her humorously, sheadded: "But men-folks don't know th' diffrunce--they eat what's setbefore them, whether dishes are clean or dirty!"
May laughed appreciatively and said: "Which goes to show how much 'Lizaappraises John's ability to wash dishes."
"Er anything else, that I knows of," murmured Eliza, winking at May."Don't we have t' look after his neck and ears every day afore he goesto school?"
Julie joined May in the laugh at John's expense, and he rushed out ofthe kitchen, slamming the door behind him. But Betty turned to Eliza andsaid:
"'Liza, John's getting to be too big a boy for us to tease like that. Ithink we hurt his feelings just now."
"Betsy, if John's too big for teasin' then he's big enough to 'tend tohis own wardrobe and appearance. Now I wonder what he would look like inten days ef I diden' keep after him all the time?"
Betty said no more but she had finished mashing the potatoes and so sheran out, planning how she could please John in order to compensate himfor the teasing from Eliza.
Julie had been hanging about, thinking she could scrape the bowl cleanwhen her sister had finished whipping the cream for the Snow Pudding.But May had other plans. When the cream had stiffened into a peak ofsnow-like froth, the bowl was carried to the refrigerator and thereplaced upon the ice.
With a regretful sigh, Julie watched, then ran out after Betty. John andBetty were in the sitting-room asking Mr. Lee about railroad fares andcamp-life. So Julie was just in time to hear his reply.
Having figured roughly on a scrap of paper, Mr. Lee told his questionersabout how much it would cost to reach the Adirondacks. John whistled insurprise, and Betty looked at Julie in chagrin.
"My goodness, Betty! It will take us all summer to earn that muchmoney."
"I guess we'll have to find some mountains nearer home, then," venturedBetty, wistfully.
"I wonder what Ruth will do when she hears we can't earn enough moneyfor fares," added Julie.
The following day after school, the four girls met again on Vernon'slawn and exchanged items of news with each other. But the mostdiscouraging of all was the telling of the cost of carfare to theAdirondacks.
They stood with baskets hanging from their arms, and weeding tools idle,while faces expressed the disappointment at hearing Betty's story.Finally Ruth said:
"Then there's no use breaking our backs over this old lawn. I'll not digdandelions if it isn't going to get us anywhere."
"Oh, I didn't mean to make you feel that way, when I told you about thefares," expostulated Betty. "I only wanted you to know we'd have to findsome other camp-place to go to, nearer home."
"Anyway, girls, don't let's quit work just now, because we found outabout the cost of traveling. Let's keep right on and who knows! we maywind up in the Alps this summer--carfares, steamers for ocean voyages,and everything included--paid for and presented to us by an unknown unclefrom a far country!" laughed Joan.
"Let me tell you something, too!" added Betty. "Let's try to keep up ourspirits while weeding this afternoon, by talking over what we will dowhen we reach the mountains. I'd rather pretend we were in theAdirondacks, or the Rockies, than over in Europe. But we can pictureourselves in the mountains, _somewhere_, like Sarah Crewe did you know,about her father and home, even while she had to live in the attic!"
The girls laughed at Betty's optimism, but she took the laugh in goodpart; then she began weeding and at the same time began a fine orationon the beauties of the mountains and the wonders of Nature.
Soon the other girls were weeding, too, and vied with one another inthinking of some wonderful camp sports or plan they could talk about.Soon, to Ruth's great amazement, each girl had rooted out the requirednumber of dandelions for the day.
"Now then, didn't I tell you we could work better if we thought ofpleasant things and plans?" exulted Betty.
"We certainly did our stint this afternoon without the usual complaintsand delays," admitted Joan. "Let's root some more."
The rest of the afternoon passed quickly, and by the time the girlscarried their baskets of weeds to Mrs. Vernon to be paid for, they foundthey had earned twice as much money, for they had each rooted out 200plants instead of their usual 100.
As they sat on the cool verandah enjoying ice-cream and cakes, they toldtheir hostess how it was they had weeded so many dandelions. Then theytold her about their discouragement when they had heard how expensive atrip it would be to go to camp in the Adirondacks. But in reply to alltheir talking, Mrs. Vernon smiled and nodded her head.
They began to say "good-by" for the day, when Mrs. Vernon said: "I'llhave pleasant news for you to-morrow."
"Oh, can't we be told just a word about it now?" cried Ruth.
"Is it about a camp in the mountains?" a
dded Joan.
But Mrs. Vernon shook her head in mild reproof of their curiosity, andrefused to be beguiled into sharing her secret.
The Dandelion Girls, as they now styled themselves, lost no time afterschool was dismissed, the next afternoon, in running to the Vernon'shouse. They found Mrs. Vernon on the side porch waiting for them.
"Before you begin work to-day, I thought I would mention a little idea Ihad last night after you left. It is not _the_ secret but it has someconnection with it.
"When Mr. Vernon came home last night, he told me he had heard of a finetent for sale very cheap. There are several cot-beds and four lockers togo with it. He secured an option on it until he could ascertain whatyour decision might be about the purchase.
"As it is such a bargain, I would advise our buying it; then we canerect it on the rear lawn, and your tools and other chattels can be keptin the lockers. It would also provide us with a clubroom all our ownwhile here, and when we go away to the mountains we will have a tent allready to take with us."
"Oh, I think that is lovely!" cried Julie, clapping her hands.
"It is so good of Uncle Verny and you--and we thank you a thousandtimes!" exclaimed Betty, thinking of gratitude before she gave a thoughtto the fun they might have in the tent.
"Well, it will make us feel as if we were preparing for a camp-life thissummer, even though we may not be able to really afford it," sighedRuth, despondently.
"Heigh there! Cheer up, can't you? Don't be a gloom just when Vernytells us something so fine!" called Joan, reprovingly.
"But we don't even know the price! Maybe it will take all the savings wehave had on hand for our camping purposes," argued Ruth.
"That's so," admitted Julie and Joan, but Betty said:
"How much will it cost us, Verny?"
"Well, as I am going to enjoy this outfit as much as any one of yougirls, I am going to pay my share of the costs--exactly one-fifth of thetotal, girls."
Ruth smiled unpleasantly at this reply, as if to say: "And you with allyour money only doing what we girls each are doing!"
Mrs. Vernon saw the smile and understood the miscomprehension thatcaused it, but she also knew that Ruth would soon overcome all sucherroneous methods of thinking and feeling if she but continuedinteresting herself in the Scout work and ideals.
"How much will the total cost be, Verny?" asked Julie.
Mrs. Vernon took out a slip of paper and read aloud the items that wentwith the tent, then concluded by mentioning the cash sum asked for theentire outfit.
"Why, it sounds awfully cheap!" exclaimed Betty.
"I think it is, girls, that is why I advise you to take it."
"What under the sun do we want of an ax, a saw, and all that carpenter'soutfit? Why not let the man keep them and deduct the sum from the costof the outfit?" asked Ruth.
"Because, my dear, a good ax, and other tools, are as necessary incamp-work and life as the tent itself. At present, tools are veryexpensive, and these are of the best quality steel, Uncle Verny says."
"Well, buy them if you want to, but don't expect _me_ to wear waterblisters on my hands by handling an ax or spade. Not when _I_ go tocamp!" retorted Ruth.
Little attention was paid to this rudeness, as Ruth's friends knewenough of the laws of the scouts to ignore such shortcomings in others,but to try, instead, to nourish that which was worthy of perpetuation inthought and deed.
"Having our own tent where we can rest when we like makes it seem as ifthe mountains were much nearer us than so far off as the Adirondacksreally are," said Betty, happily.
"It may turn out that this camp will be all we shall have for thisyear," commented Ruth.
"I don't see why you should say that!" demanded Joan, impatiently.
"Because we'll spend our money on this old thing and then have to weedand weed all the rest of the summer to earn the carfares."
"It won't figure up any differently in the end, 'cause we'd have to havesome kind of a tent, wouldn't we?" asked Julie.
"We might be able to borrow some--or buy them on the installment plan. Ieven might tease father to lend us the money to buy new ones when we areready to go," replied Ruth.
"It isn't one of our rules to borrow or go in debt. We each want todemonstrate independence as we go along. Buying on credit, or withborrowed capital, is a very undesirable method of doing business," saidMrs. Vernon, gravely.
"But paying back for a tent next fall, instead of next week, isn't asbad as you seem to think," insisted Ruth.
"All the same, we girls are going to buy for cash, and never borrowtrouble, if we can help it!" declared Julie, sensibly.
"Then it is settled, is it? We take the tent?" said Mrs. Vernon.
"Of course! Even Ruth must admit that it is a bargain," returned thethree girls in a chorus.
"I don't know the least thing about costs of camping, and there seems solittle hope of my ever participating in such joys!" retorted Ruth. Butthey all knew she was well pleased with the purchase.
That afternoon they went to work with a zeal hitherto unfelt, for theyhad a keen sense of proprietorship in something worth-while. Mrs. Vernonfelt happy, too, over the way the girls voted to pay cash as they went,for she knew it meant individual freedom for each; and Ruth would soonbe made to understand the meaning of "obligations" if she associatedwith three such practical girls.
The moment the weeding was done for the afternoon, four eager girlsassembled to hear about the "great secret." Mrs. Vernon began by saying:
"Now I don't want you girls to be disappointed in what _I_ consider myfine secret, but I really think it is the only way out for this summer."
Ruth sniffed audibly and sat with lifted eyebrows, as if to suggest:"Didn't I tell you that tent would be all you got this year for yourmoney!"
But Mrs. Vernon continued her preamble without hesitation.
"Even should you girls earn ten times the amount of money you are nowreceiving each afternoon, you would still lack enough to pay carfares tothe Adirondacks, or the White Mountains. And as we agreed from thebeginning never to borrow money for our scout work, such a long tripseems out of the question at present.
"Last night I sat puzzling over this situation, when a splendid ideaflashed into my mind. I remembered a campsite in the mountains not sofar from here, that will give us all the delights of the Adirondackswithout the costs. A motor truck can carry our outfits instead of ourshipping them by freight, and we can go there in my car, whenever we areready to start.
"If we decide on such a plan, we could prepare to leave home the weekfollowing the closing of school. I think it will take us at least thatlong to get everything ready, you know."
"Oh, how wonderful!" breathed Betty, joyfully.
"Our dreams come true!" sighed Joan and Julie.
But Ruth, as usual, could not accept any proposition, no matter howpleasant, without argument. So she said: "How do we know this campsiteis where we might wish to spend a summer?"
"Mrs. Lee and I spent a summer there when we were girls, and your ownmother cried because she had to go with her parents to the farm in theCatskills, instead of camping with her schoolmates. Perhaps your motherwill describe the beauties of this place to you, so you will feel sureit is desirable enough for you," said Mrs. Vernon, calmly, but with afaint suggestion of sarcasm in her tone.
Ruth had the grace to keep silence after that, and Mrs. Vernon said:"I'm not going to say more about the idea, but you shall judge foryourselves when I take you there in the auto on Saturday."
"Dear me. I feel so excited that I'm sure I won't be able to sleep allweek!" exclaimed Julie, jumping up and dancing around.
"I feel as if there were wheels whirring around inside of me," addedJoan.
The others laughed, and Mrs. Vernon admitted: "That is the way I feltwhen it was agreed that I might join my friends for camp-life thatsummer."
"It will be so lovely to camp in the same place that mother dear didwhen she was a little girl," said Betty, her voice trembling slig
htly asshe thought of the one now absent from sight, but not in spirit.
"I don't know but what I'd rather try out the first summer in camp withno other scout girls to watch and comment about our mistakes," confessedJoan. "If we start alone this year, we will feel like experienced scoutsby next summer."
"I agree with you there, Joan," said Julie.
"Then we are pleased with my plan to ride out and inspect the oldcampsite on Saturday, eh?" ventured Mrs. Vernon.
"Yes, indeed!" chorused four voices; even Ruth agreed with her friendsabout this week-end outing.
By Saturday the girls had paid for the tent and outfit bought of theman, and had nineteen dollars left for expenses at a camp that summer.They were at Headquarters (they named the tent on the back-lawn"Dandelion Headquarters") an hour before the time decided upon for theearly start to the mountains. But it was as Julie said:
"Better too early than too late!"
Mrs. Vernon was giving last instructions about packing a luncheon totake with them, then she came out and joined her Patrol.
"What do you think, Verny? Eliza said she would bake us a crockful ofginger-snaps and cookies every week this summer, and send them to campfor us, because we would not be home to eat."
"How are you going to get them? I asked mother about the campsite andshe said it was three or four miles from any village," said Ruth, thisbeing the first inkling she had given that she had inquired about thecamp.
"Why Rural Delivery will leave it for us, Daddy said," replied Julie.
"And my mother said I could make fudge to sell to my family and friends.She would give me the sugar and chocolate. Father ordered two poundsthen and there--so that makes a dollar more that I shall have earnedbefore next week," said Joan.
"I can make good fudge, too. I'll ask May if I may sell it!" exclaimedJulie.
"Our waitress left last night, and mother said she would pay me aquarter a night if I would wash the dishes. But I hate doing dishes. Thegreasy water gets all over your hands and then they smell so!" saidRuth, not willing to be left out of this working-community.
"Did you do them?" eagerly asked the girls.
"Of course not! I didn't want to feel all warm and sticky for the restof the evening. Besides, I manicured my nails so nicely just beforedinner."
"Dear me! I wish your mother would let me do them--for a quarter anight!" sighed Betty, anxiously.
"Even if she did, would you give _that_ money to the Patrol?" wonderedRuth, doubtfully.
"Sure! Aren't we all earning for the general good?"
"Well, I'll ask mother if she'll let you do them," replied Ruth,magnanimously. She actually felt that she was bestowing a favor on Bettyby allowing her to wash her dishes and donate the earnings to thecamp-fund.