CHAPTER V
AN EMBARRASSING MOMENT
"OH, it is good to be back," declared Bab, as they entered the broad,cheerful hall of the Stuart mansion. "I don't feel as though I everwanted to leave the house again."
"I like it here just as well as you do," answered Mollie. "But Ishouldn't like to feel that I had to stay inside the house always."
Ruth had made good time on the return, now and then "shaving the paintfrom the sides of a street car," as Bab expressed it. Still, Ruth Stuartwas not nearly as careless a driver as she appeared to be. She did takechances frequently, but the guiding hand at the wheel was sure andsteady. She seldom used bad judgment. Her father had such confidence inher driving that he never interfered while riding with her. As for thethree Kingsbridge girls, they were by this time so used to Ruth'sdriving that they declined to get nervous even when she had narrowescapes from collision.
"Girls, I am glad you have returned," greeted Miss Sallie, meeting themin the hallway as they entered. "You have callers."
"Pshaw!" muttered Ruth disgustedly. "Bab wants to lie down and rest. Sheis all upset. Can't we make our escape?"
"I am all right now," protested Barbara. "However, the company probablycame to see Ruth instead of the rest of us."
"You are wrong," smiled Aunt Sallie.
"Who is it?" questioned Ruth.
"Cousin Richard, Cousin Jane and Tom Presby. You don't mind them."
"Oh, no indeed," laughed Ruth. "Come on, girls, let's go upstairs andget rid of our wraps, and remove some of this Chicago smoke from ourfaces. If I look as dirty as I feel I must be a sight."
"Father and mother here? You don't mean it?" exclaimed Olive insurprise. "I wonder why they have come in. Girls, you needn't worryabout your appearance. Neither father nor mother will notice it. Theyare well used to the ways of healthy girls. As for Tom, well he doesn'tfigure at all. He wouldn't know whether our faces were clean or grimy.Come right in. Are they in the library, Aunt Sallie?"
"Yes, dear."
"Not one step will I go until I have made myself more beautiful,"declared Ruth.
"I don't think that would be possible," said Bab in a tone calculatedfor Ruth's ears alone.
"Don't," begged Ruth. "I shall think you insincere if you don't stoptalking that way. And my face is so besmudged that I am not fit to seeanyone. You must come upstairs with me," she added, linking an arm inBarbara's. "Please tell them we shall be right down, Auntie."
Olive went directly to the library to see her parents. The other girlssoon followed her. The library was darkened, lighted only by thesnapping fire in the fireplace. Mr. Presby explained that he had comeinto town to see Mr. Stuart, who was at that moment welcoming him. Mr.Stuart excused himself, promising that he would return to his guests assoon as he had telephoned certain necessary orders to his office. Mr.Stuart had barely left the room when Bab and Ruth entered. Olive cameforward quickly. She took Barbara's arm in hers, steering Bab towardMrs. Presby.
"I want you to meet my mother. I know you will love her, for she's adear. Mama, this is Barbara Thurston, of whom you have heard so much. Ican assure you that she has not been overrated."
Bab moved blushingly forward. The floor was one of those slippery,hard-wood traps for the unwary. Barbara was not used to polished floors.She took a long step to keep up with Olive, who was moving rapidly.Bab's foot came in contact with a small rug, and together the rug andfoot slid over the slippery floor.
Barbara Thurston's other foot followed the first. Realizing that a fallwas inevitable, Barbara quickly released her arm from Miss Presby's.
"Oh!" exclaimed Bab, and sat down on the floor with such force that itjarred her from head to foot. There was a distinct vibration fromseveral articles in the room as though they were moving out of sheersympathy for the unfortunate girl.
Barbara struggled to her feet. Again she stumbled over the rug that hadcaused her to fall, and brought up heavily against a dark object nearby. The object uttered a deep groan, as out of the shadows limped anelderly, dignified man. Pain and anger were struggling for the masteryof his facial expression. Barbara had landed fairly on Mr. RichardPresby's gouty foot.
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," pleaded the girl. "I am so awkward and Idid not see you at all. Please forgive me, if you can," she begged.
Mr. Presby, however, merely grunted out some unintelligible words. Thathe was not appeased by her contrition was plain to be seen. He had beenin the act of rising to his feet to bow to the girls when Bab collidedwith him. Grace, Mollie and Ruth, who had followed Barbara into theroom, suppressed their giggles with no little effort.
Barbara rushed toward the shadowy, far corner of the room, where shesought to hide her confusion. She flung herself into a great, easychair. Something under her moved and wriggled.
"Oh, I say," exclaimed a voice from under her. "Get up. Don't put me outof business, too."
Bab sprang to her feet, her face burning with humiliation. She whirledabout and peered into the depths of the chair. There sat a boy oftwelve, grinning from ear to ear.
"I'm Tom," he informed her. "Lucky for me it wasn't I who stepped on thegovernor's game foot."
"Oh!" cried Barbara.
"I forgive you for sitting on me, but gracious, you're heavy."
Just at this moment Olive Presby, had hurried across the room. There wasdeep sympathy in her face as she extended a hand to the embarrassedBarbara.
"Don't mind it at all, dear. It is a thing that occurs to all of usfrequently. Polished floors are such a nuisance," said Olive.
The other girls had been introduced to Mrs. Presby in the meantime. Itwas now Bab's turn, but instead of being first, as Olive had intended,she was last. Her face was still flushed and her eyelids drooped as shewas presented.
Mrs. Presby pulled the girl's head down between two warm hands and gazedinto her eyes, then kissed Barbara full on the lips.
"Never mind, my dear," she said. "You couldn't help it."
"If I could have a good cry, I know I should feel better," was Bab'splaintive rejoinder.
"Richard, come here, please, and shake hands with Miss Thurston,"commanded Aunt Jane in a slightly peremptory tone. Mr. Presby did so,but with apparent reluctance. He had had one experience with thebrown-haired girl from Kingsbridge.
"My dears, we want you to come to Treasureholme with us. We cannot spareOlive, so you will have to come to us," smiled Mrs. Presby.
"We want you to come out for Christmas," interjected Mr. Presby rathergrudgingly, and as if he were reciting a line from memory.
"Before Christmas," nodded Mrs. Presby. "You must come out this week.Sallie, you will come with them. We shall expect Robert also, though Isuppose he will be running away to the city all the time."
"I don't know whether Robert will wish to spare the girls or not. Helikes to have them with him as much as possible," said Miss Sallie.
"Treasureholme? What a beautiful name!" breathed Barbara.
"And such a romantic name too," added Mollie soulfully. "I could lovethe place just on account of its name."
"We call the place 'Treasureholme' because it is or has been supposed tohold a lost treasure. But we have given up that idea. We gave it up along, long time ago. You will come, won't you, girls? This, in allprobability, will be our last Christmas in the old home. We wish to makeit a bright and joyous occasion," said Mrs. Presby, with a wan smile."We have planned to have a Christmas tree. Cousin Robert, you and Salliecan have the gifts delivered at our place just as well as at your homehere."
"I shall have to leave it all to Robert," answered Miss Sallie."Robert's business, as you know, is giving him no little concern thesedays. He may not care to leave it, and I am certain he would not consentto the girls going away at this time unless it were possible for him tospend at least part of the time with them."
"Then I shall talk with Robert myself," announced Mrs. Presby firmly.She did so then and there. Rather, she went directly to Mr. Stuart'sown particular sanctum, where Robert and Mr. Presby
were then inconsultation over business matters. Mr. Stuart did object to the girlsgoing to Treasureholme to spend Christmas. But Mrs. Presby pleaded withhim to let them come. She told him that before another Christmas cameTreasureholme would be in other hands. She pleaded with Robert Stuart tolet nothing stand in the way of helping them all to have a joyousholiday in the old home.
Mr. Stuart finally gave a reluctant consent. Mrs. Presby hurried back tothe library to acquaint the girls with his decision. A merry chatterfollowed. Everyone talked at once, each making suggestions as to whatshould be worn and how the Christmas holiday should be spent in thecountry. As for the "Automobile Girls" from Kingsbridge, the idea ofgoing to the country appealed to them strongly. It would seem almostlike being home again. It must be confessed that Bab and Mollie now andthen suffered the pangs of homesickness, even though they found solittle time for their own thoughts.
It was finally decided that they were to leave for Treasureholme, adistance of more than thirty miles from the city, on the followingMonday, three days hence. Mrs. Presby consented to Olive remaining withthem until that time, and accompanying the girls to the country inRuth's motor car. That arrangement stood. The guests declined aninvitation to remain to dinner and as soon as the two men had finishedtheir business talk, Mr. and Mrs. Presby took their leave.
Two of the following three days were given up to a round ofsight-seeing, paying and receiving calls on friends of the Stuarts,during which time the cylinders of Ruth's automobile scarcely had timeto grow cold. Mr. A. Bubble was doing his full duty during these happydays.
Sunday was a day of rest. All were ready for the rest, too. TheKingsbridge girls looked a little more pale than usual, but their eyeswere bright and sparkling when Monday morning arrived. It was a clear,frosty morning, with a suggestion of snow in the air. Miss Sallie hadrisen early, in order to have plenty of time to make all arrangementsfor their trip. She saw to it also that the girls' wardrobes wereproperly selected for their stay in the country, and suggested that theyhave the chauffeur drive them out.
"No, indeed," objected Ruth. "I am not wholly a fair-weather driver. Ishall have my heavy gloves. Therefore, my hands will be warm and my feetwill be so well occupied with working the brake and control that theywon't have time to get cold. Girls, you won't have anything to do, sowrap yourselves up. Auntie, I'm going to get out some of father's heavycoats. He won't need them."
"A jolly good idea," agreed Mollie. "Always provided that the master ofthe house doesn't object," she added, smiling at Mr. Stuart.
"My dear, if you had lived in this house as long as I have, you wouldunderstand that it would make little difference if the master of thehouse did object," interjected Mr. Stuart.
"Oh, dad," chided Ruth. "How can you say such a thing? You know I amyour dutiful daughter."
"You suit me," answered Mr. Stuart, giving the protesting Ruth a quickembrace and a kiss on the forehead. "Yes, take anything you can find inthe house. But leave the house. I may need it before I get out of thewoods."
A shadow flitted across the face of Ruth Stuart. Then she smiled andkissed her father affectionately. A search for coats was made and athousand and one details attended to. It was well into the afternoonbefore they were ready to start, Bab wrapped in Mr. Stuart's long furcoat, the other girls in cloth coats, with the exception of Ruth, whowore her own sealskin coat that reached down to her ankles. A fur cap,silk lined and a pair of fur gloves that looked, Barbara said, like thefeet of a bear, completed the outfit.
Mr. A. Bubble was grumbling when the girls emerged from the house. Theirbags had been strapped on behind. Inside the automobile there were fourfoot warmers. Bab and Ruth spurned theirs. With many urgings on the partof Mr. Stuart and Aunt Sallie to be careful, Ruth threw in the clutch,advanced the spark and Mr. A. Bubble wheeled himself slowly away fromthe house, out into the avenue, then launched into a burst of speed thatset at defiance all the regulations of the Windy City.
This was to be an eventful visit. It was to be one full of excitementand adventure, a visit that none of the girls ever would be likely toforget.
They rapidly rolled through the city and in a little while were out inthe country, where the land flattened down into a rolling prairie,broken here and there by groups of slender trees and farm buildings.
The snow began to sweep past them in flurries shortly after they clearedthe city limits. Ruth stopped the automobile and called upon the girlsto assist her in putting on the storm curtains. When they had finishedthe car was entirely enclosed, a heavy curtain taking the place of thewind shield which the driver had turned down at its middle.
"Isn't this comfy?" chirped Mollie.
It did not prove so "comfy" after all, the way Ruth accelerated thespeed, sending the car careening ahead at a high rate.
"Olive," said Bab, mustering courage to introduce a subject that wasnear to her heart.
"Yes, dear."
"Would you--would you think me too personal if I asked you to tell usthe story of the buried treasure of Treasureholme?" she askedhesitatingly.
"Not at all."
"Oh, do tell us," urged Mollie and Grace in one voice.
"I've been just dying to hear about it ever since I first learned therewas such a place as Treasureholme. Are there real ghosts there?"questioned Mollie.
"No; no ghosts. But there are memories. Listen, girls, and I will tellyou all I know about it," said Olive, settling herself to relate thetale that was to prove of such fascinating interest to the "AutomobileGirls."