CHAPTER X--FEARS AND FANCIES
"Madam, dinner is served," announced Helen at the door, with the funnylittle jerked courtesy and her finger to her lips a la Molly in themovies. Helen was an apt American scholar, and her short stay in thecountry had already sufficed for picking up an attractive list oftypical mannerisms. Especially did she show her aptitude in mimicingstage girls.
"Now, where did you learn that, Helen?" demanded Judith. "You neverhave seen me bite my index nail with that sort of charm."
"But you know I went to some plays in Warsaw, and we had Americantalent there," explained Helen. "I have not yet been to a theatre inAmerica."
"Then you shall----"
"Oh, no, really, I do not wish----"
"Simpleton," kindly whispered Jane, pressing Helen's hand confidently,"we shall all go to a beautiful play, and you shall sit where no onecan see you, if that is what you mean by declining all our theatreinvitations. Since you really do not want to be seen in public, andperhaps you have a perfectly good reason for that choice, I must fix itso you shall see the public in private. It can be done, you know."
"Of coursey," chuckled Judith. "Trust Jane for that. She would call outthe secret service, and we might all go in a regular presidentialretinue, with the good-looking slim detectives at our heels."
"Monkey," Jane administered, "don't go putting such nonsense intoHelen's curly head. No such thing, Helen. We may go to a theatre quiteas privately as we went to the florists. Wait until you see how nicelyI shall arrange it."
Helen evidently considered it would be rude for her to object,nevertheless it was clear to both girls she would have felt better tobe allowed to decline Jane's ardent invitation. The fact that theatreparties had been taboo, on account of Helen's reticence, had given theWellington lassies some annoyance. Jane and Judith both wanted to seegood plays.
"Was the surprise something to eat, Janie?" asked Judith as theyentered the dimly lighted dining room. One end of the long table hadbeen taken over by one trio, while down the board in groups of twos,students and transients, were either partaking of or arranging their"individual" meals. Each girl did her own cooking and serving, unlessshe shared the task with a friend on the "co-op," this being short forco-operative plan.
"Well, we did fetch some choice tid-bits," Jane acknowledged, "and mypaper bag broke, spilling the loveliest gooy-goo eclairs. Tim, theelevator boy, looked at me first fiercely, then as he scented themix-up he smiled and----"
"Since then he has licked it up," contributed the irrepressible Judith."I don't blame him. Yum--yum, Jane, you are a born housekeeper. You mayhave my next shift."
"Judith Stearns, if you attempt to duck your household responsibilityonce more we shall expel you. See if we don't. I have a mind right nowto curtail your rations, and make you eat your pie without cheese."
"Spare me," pleaded Judith, "I might manage meat without spuds, but piewithout cheese----"
Helen was enjoying the persiflage and serving her savory dishes at thesame time. A well-balanced menu was the pride of Jane and herhousekeeping. She had taken one course in domestic science, and theknowledge thus acquired she was trying on, as Judith put it.
"Think of home-made baked potatoes!" Jane exclaimed, as Helen untiedthe dainty little linen cover that hid the important vitamine dish.
"Oh, yes, and I will eat all the skin, Jane, so don't trouble toadmonish me. I know the salts are in the skin, and I need thevitamines."
"What you need more than vits, Judy, are calories. You plainly needenergy. As I recall the lesson, it says, an average person requiresfrom two thousand three hundred, to three thousand five hundredcalories daily. The lesser amount is given to desk workers, and thegreater to the manuals, but as you are neither I should say you mightneed five thousand daily, then we might reasonably expect you to doyour own K. P., all of which sounds like a Liberty Loan speech, doesn'tit?"
"Janie Allen, since you are so expert, maybe you know that you requireabsolutely no carbohydrates. You are too sweet for anything in thatstunning flannel check. I have always known that gray and pink make aperfectly wonderful picture, when done on a background of a good sizedcheck. Now your gray eyes, and your pink cheeks----"
"Fen, fen, no fair," begged Jane. "You are mixing your standards. Thisis a domestic science lesson. You may thank Helen for these goodies."Helen was proudly "serving" from a particularly savory casserole.
"Oh, indeed not. Jane chose the menu," Helen amended. "And our catererknows us so well now, he always gives us the best."
"That's just the way, blessings brighten as they banish, and we are onour way to Wellington. But, Helen, I want to learn a few more Polishwords. I am going to count them in on my foreign language list. Iflunked in French, that is, I lost two points. Now what do you callmeat in Polish?"
"Just meat is 'mieso,' but there are kinds of meat----"
"Oh, one kind will do me. And what is butter?"
"Butter is 'malso.'"
"And bread? I should have to have bread."
"Bread is 'chleb.'"
"Then here is my order in a foreign tongue--with personal service ofcourse. That's the kind you get where they make the pancakes inwindows," and Judith took her share of the casserole supply.
"I shall order this way: Donnez-moi sil vous plait, une morceau dechleb, une hunk of mieso, and one ball of malso. There, does not thatembrace three perfectly good languages?" asked Judith.
Helen laughed merrily at Judith's absurd mixture. "It would be veryfunny if they served you that way. The flavors would be very mixed,"she said archly.
"Yes, Judy, you would get an allied menu. Better, I think, to win eachbattle separately, and eat in each country as you go along. Personally,I have a weakness for 'grub and chow.' After that selection I make itcivilized to the extent of three courses but never five. You see, wehave three, Judy. You may have your dessert this time also."
Helen seemed preoccupied, and in spite of the chatter she stopped oftenand looked intently at Jane. Finally Judith, vanquishing the very lastof her eclair, asked teasingly:
"What's on your mind, Helen dear? Met any more big men with longwhiskers?"
Too late Jane's tug at Judith's skirt. Helen dropped knife and fork,and blinked to keep back tears.
"Now, Helen dear, I did not mean to make you feel badly. You know, Ireally like big, foreign-looking men, and I had no idea of ridiculingthem," Judith sobered up instantly.
"Oh, it is not that, my friends, but I want to tell you so much.Sometimes I think, what do you think of me? Then again I say, I musttry to make plain----"
"No, you must not, indeed," Jane assured her. "Don't worry your headabout what we think, when you know it must be something very nice. Welike you and you like us, so why should we go digging up old matters?When you want to tell us more about yourself we shall be veryinterested, but until you feel like it, we are perfectly content."
Helen's eyes still seemed about to overflow. Never had she looked sosmall and helpless, and she now displayed that attitude of diffidence,peculiar to foreigners. Years of oppression leave their indent uponsuch impressionable characters, and Helka Podonsky, at that momentharked back, body and soul, to her untold life somewhere in Poland.
"Oh, thank you. I know how kind you are," she murmured. "But it mustseem very strange. You know I love my people, and I love my country. Itis not that--but----"
"Oh, we know, Helen dear," Judith tried to pacify. "And you must notthink that because we are Americans, and have been born in these UnitedStates, we do not know of the hardships of other countries. And evenhere, Helen, we girls have plenty of troubles of our own, don't we,Janie?"
"Indeed we do. Last year was not so bad at school, but when I came toWellington first I was treated exactly like an outcast, except forJudith's wonderful protection and influence. That is why you must trustus. We are determined you shall not suffer, as even a Western girl wasmade to. Why, if I had been a real cowboy, with all the trappings, theycould not have been more hateful to me at first."<
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Tactful Jane had hit upon this line of conversation to relieve the morepersonal trend. But Helen did not quite understand. Was Jane warningher?