CHAPTER III
HAPPINESS, AND ANOTHER SCHEME
The next morning Mr. Stuart left his hotel and went into New York withMr. Le Baron. They left Kingsbridge at eight o'clock, and did not returnuntil six. Half an hour later Mr. Stuart called at Laurel Cottage forMrs. Thurston in his automobile.
"We will take Miss Barbara with us to the hotel," he said to her mother,"if you feel it will not injure her ankle. She need do no walking. Ishould prefer that she be with you when you have an interview with yourbrother. He is to see you at the hotel to-night. You will dine with mefirst."
Barbara's foot being better, she and her mother asked no questions, butwith trembling fingers made ready to go.
"What do you mean," demanded Ruth and Mollie, "by going off on such amysterious errand? Why, Mr. Stuart," asked Ruth, "are Mollie and I notalso invited to dinner?"
Mr. Stuart was obdurate. He offered no explanations. When Ruth whisperedsomething in his ear, he answered quietly: "That will keep," and Ruthsaid no more.
Mr. and Mrs. Le Baron bowed coldly to Mrs. Thurston and Barbara, whenentering the hotel dining room that night, they found the mother anddaughter dining with Mr. Stuart. But Gladys Le Baron stopped for a momentat the able to inquire after Bab's foot. She was not the haughty girl sheonce had been. Since her return from Newport she had seemed strangelyfond of Bab.
Barbara and her mother never knew how they got through their meal. ButMr. Stuart was a tower of strength.
"We will not discuss business matters," he explained, "until we goupstairs to my sitting room. Mr. Le Baron will join us there at half-pasteight."
When Ralph Le Baron entered Mr. Stuart's apartment to keep hisappointment, he did not look into his sister's face. He merely inquiredcoldly: "How are you, Mollie?" and sat down near the small wood firewhich was burning cosily in the open grate. Not once did he glance atBarbara, though she kept her eyes fixed steadily on him. He was a tall,thin man, with high cheek bones and a nose like an eagle's.
"Mrs. Thurston," began Mr. Stuart, "your brother does not claim that hepaid to you or your husband the five thousand dollars which heundoubtedly borrowed. When I first spoke to him of the matter he declaredhe had never been loaned any such sum. He had great difficulty inrecalling the incident until I showed him his note which I still have inmy pocket. He explained afterwards, however, that the matter had passedentirely out of his mind after your husband's death."
Mrs. Thurston looked at her brother questioningly. "It seems very strangeto me, Ralph, that you could have forgotten," she declared. "But perhapsit is all for the best! We need the money more now than we ever havebefore."
Mr. Le Baron did not answer his sister.
"I think you will find it the wisest plan, Mr. Le Baron," continued Mr.Stuart, breaking the silence, "to pay over this money to Mrs. Thurstonand her daughters as soon as you conveniently can."
Ralph Le Baron knit his brows. Barbara was watching him closely. Therewas no love lost between Bab and her uncle. She had long looked for somedifficulty to arise out of his management of her mother's affairs, butnothing so serious as this.
Mr. Le Baron's voice sounded cold and hard as steel.
"Do not deceive yourselves," he said, with a sneer. "I mean you, Mollie,and Mr. Stuart, who seems to be taking an unusual interest in youraffairs. I have not the slightest intention of ever paying back themoney!"
Mrs. Thurston's manner changed. She spoke firmly. "I should beexceedingly sorry, Ralph, to have any trouble with you over the matter;but the law must compel you to pay your debt."
"Not so fast, sister," smiled Mr. Le Baron, sarcastically. "You arecoming into a remarkable business knowledge all at once, but you do notyet know quite enough. The law does not compel me after six years to paya debt which has not been presented to me within that time. Perhaps youhave never heard of the statute of limitation. Perhaps your friend, Mr.Stuart, will make it clear to you. You should have asked me for thismoney five or six years ago. The New York law does not require a debt tobe paid unless a request has been made for its settlement within sixyears after the time it was contracted. The money was loaned to me byyour husband eleven years ago, as we all know by the date on the note. Ihave no further concern in the matter."
"Great heavens, man!" cried Mr. Stuart, breaking in fiercely, "you cannotmean to play your own sister such a low-down, scoundrelly trick! You willnot pay back the money to her which you confess to owing, simply becauseshe has not asked you for it before! How could she ask for it when youalone knew of the debt and kept the matter a secret? I am not so sure howyour law would stand in such a case. A pretty story it will make to tellto the men who respect your business integrity. Mrs. Thurston shall havea lawyer to inquire into the situation immediately!"
A low knock sounded at the door. Before anyone could answer, Gladys LeBaron walked smilingly into the room. She looked in surprise at herfather's dark, revengeful face.
"Is anything the matter?" she inquired, her face sobering in an instant."I wondered why father ran off by himself to see Aunt Mollie and Bab. Ithought you would like to have me join you----"
"Go back to your apartment at once, Gladys!" interrupted her fathersternly.
Mr. Stuart turned upon him. "Ralph Le Baron, I am going to do something,to-night, that I never expected to do in my life. I am going to expose afather to his own child. Wait here a minute, Gladys."
Mr. Stuart then told Gladys the whole story. She stood listening in uttersilence, her face crimson with blushes. Barbara could only look at hercousin through a mist of tears. When Mr. Stuart had ended his story, hesaid: "I am sorry indeed to tell you this, Gladys, but you must havelearned it some day. I do not know whether your father is right in regardto the law in this matter, but Mrs. Thurston will carry the case tocourt."
Gladys went over to her father, who had never raised his eyes to look ather, while Mr. Stuart was speaking, nor did he make any denial.
"Is it true, father?" she asked him at last.
"It is in a measure true, Gladys," her father answered, "but it is purelya matter of business, which you cannot be expected to understand."
Gladys put her head down on the arm of the sofa, where she now sat by herfather, and wept bitterly. There was no other sound in the room, exceptan occasional suppressed sob from Mrs. Thurston. Bab was far too excitedand too angry to cry!
Finally Gladys raised her head. "Father, on my sixteenth birthday, yousettled five thousand dollars on me in my own name!" She spoke in a lowvoice. "If you do not feel that you ought to pay back to Aunt Mollie themoney you borrowed from Uncle John, won't you please let me give her thismoney of mine? I must do it, father. I can't understand the business sideof it, but it just seems to me we owe her the money and that's all thereis to it! I have been horrid and haughty many times, but I can't bearthat we should seem--dishonest!"
Poor Gladys whispered this last dreadful word under her breath. Then sheput her arms round her father and kissed him. "You are not angry withme?" she asked him.
If there was one person in the world Ralph Le Baron truly loved it washis only child, Gladys. Not for ten times five thousand dollars would hehave had her a witness to the scene which had just passed between him andhis sister. He meant, of course, to tell her and his wife what hadhappened, but he meant to put his own interpretation on the affair beforethey heard of it from anyone else.
Did his better nature move him? Perhaps it did. He looked around the roomand answered testily: "The law certainly does not require that I returnthis money to my sister, and business is business with me. But since mydaughter Gladys and my sister seem to look upon the matter as a case ofsentiment, why I----" He spoke slowly. It was hard work for him to getthe words out. "I will waive strictly business principles on thisoccasion, and return the money to my sister."
"O Ralph!" cried Mrs. Thurston, as though a great load was lifted fromher mind. Barbara rejoiced. But in her heart of hearts she thought it washard to have her uncle act as though he were doing them a favor when hewas only payin
g them their just dues.
A few minutes later Gladys and her father withdrew from the room. "I amso glad," whispered Gladys to Bab, as she passed her cousin on her wayout.
Barbara held her hand just long enough to murmur gently: "Gladys, dear, ifI once did you a kindness, I think you have repaid me a thousand-fold."
It was after ten o'clock when "Mr. A. Bubble" bore the travelers home toLaurel Cottage. Mollie and Ruth were waiting in the sitting room, with afire burning cheerily in the grate and the candles lit over themantelpiece. In front of the fire, they had mounted twelve marshmallows,which they were toasting to a beautiful brown on twelve hatpins.
"We thought you were never coming back, Mummy," said Mollie, taking offher mother's light wrap. "What has happened to you?" she asked as sheviewed her mother's shining eyes.
"Good news indeed, Mollie baby!" her mother answered. "We are fivethousand dollars richer than we were when we left home. Now, perhaps Babcan go to Vassar, and things will be a little easier for us, even if theother money has gone. Mr. Stuart thinks we ought to have twenty-fivedollars a month income from the five thousand dollars! Isn't it toowonderful?"
"Have a marshmallow, everyone, do," said Ruth, extending her hatpins.They were comfortably seated around the fire and the subject of the moneyhad been dropped. "I want all of you to be eating marshmallows except me,so I can do all the talking. I think I have been a perfect angel. Father,you know I have kept a secret to myself for three whole days. Of course,I told Mollie to-night, when you left us by ourselves, but that doesn'tcount."
Mollie's cheeks were glowing and her eyes dancing in the soft firelight."Oh, yes," she added naughtily, "Ruth and I can keep good news toourselves as well as other people. At least," she continued wistfully,her eyes turning to her mother, "I hope it is good news."
"Mrs. Thurston," inquired Ruth, "don't you dearly love 'The AutomobileGirls'?"
Mrs. Thurston smiled. "I most certainly do," she replied.
"Then all is well!" Ruth made her a low curtsey. "Anyone who truly loves'The Auto-Girls' cannot fail to rejoice at my news. Mrs. Thurston, wecannot bear to be disbanded. We must get together again before I go hometo Chicago. Mollie told me she and Bab wanted you to go on a visit to acousin in St. Paul, but they feared you would not consent to leave themalone. Here's where I come in! I want you to let me take care of yourbabies, while you go on your trip."
Ruth gave an impudent pull at Mollie's curls, as she went on with herrequest. "Father and I have planned another per-fect-ly grand trip for'The Automobile Girls!' Now please don't anybody object until I havefinished. Here, eat another marshmallow! This trip is not to be in theleast like the other one. What I want is to go for a month on a campingparty in the Berkshire Hills!"
"Hear! Hear!" called out Bab, hopping up, and forgetting all about hersprained ankle.
"I have just had this letter from Aunt Sallie, father," continued Ruth."She is game! Of course, she started out by saying she thought the tripwas perfect nonsense; she knew we would have pneumonia and various otherdiseases if we attempted it, but she ended by declaring that, of course,she could not be left behind if we were determined on the frolic. She isa darling! So, now, Mrs. Thurston, if only you will consent, in a fewdays we want dear old 'Bubble,' to make a start for the Berkshires. Thisis the perfect time of the year and the mountains will be simplyglorious! Oh, I can't talk any more, I am so out of breath! Do go onplease, father."
"Mrs. Thurston, our plan is not so wild as it sounds. Ruth will take thegirls in her car up into the Berkshires. I have discovered that on one ofthe mountains some distance from the regular line of travel, is a wellbuilt log cabin. It has big fireplaces in it, and can be made thoroughlycomfortable for September. Early in October, Ruth wants to go with thegirls to the hotel at Lenox, for a week or two of the autumn sportsthere. The automobile can travel comfortably over most of the Berkshireroads."
Mr. Stuart's tones were as persuasive as Ruth's. "But, when the girlscome to the chosen place, they can store the car in some suitable garage,and take the trails up the sides of the mountain, either on horseback orafoot."
"But Barbara's foot," insisted Mrs. Thurston weakly, in the first pausethat gave her an opportunity to speak.
"Oh, Bab's ankle will be all right, mother!" Mollie cried. "We havespoken to the doctor, and he says Bab will be jumping about as lively asa cricket in a few days."
"Mrs. Thurston," said Mr. Stuart, speaking in his heartiest voice, "Iwant to be allowed the floor in this conversation. I have something topropose on my own account. A party of friends of my sister's and mine aregoing west on a sight seeing trip. Among them is a railroad president andhis wife, and their private car is to be used for the tour. It would giveme great pleasure to have you meet them and make your journey to St. Paulin their company. My sister wishes to assure you that you will find themthoroughly congenial and will no doubt enjoy the trip. To tell the truth,Miss Stuart has already written our friends to expect you, for I haddetermined that you should go at all events.
"As for our daughters," he continued, "I am greatly interested in thiscamping scheme for them. I know, from my own experience, that nothing canbe made more delightful than our modern fashion of 'roughing it.' Iintend to make the necessary arrangements, and properly equip thiscamping party myself. I shall even run up to the Berkshires for a day ortwo, to look over the ground. I want to engage a guide for the party, anda woman to do the cooking. Then I must see if the little log cabin is allthe circular says it is. It is rented out to camping parties all throughthe year. Come, Mrs. Thurston," questioned Mr. Stuart, "don't you thinkthis is a good scheme for everyone?"
"Right you are, Mr. Stuart!" Bab called out rapturously. By this timeMollie and Ruth were both on the floor, with their arms around Mrs.Thurston.
"We do so want to lead 'the simple life,' dear Mrs. Thurston," Ruthbegged. "Think how splendid for us to have a month out of doors before wego back to hard work at school." Ruth made a wry face. She was not fondof study, like Barbara. "We may spend a week or so in Lenox, to pleaseAunt Sallie. But most of the time we want to be right in the mountains.Let me see--there is Greylock, and Monument Mountain, and hosts of othersnot too far from Lenox. At least, we shall be able to see them from ourmountain top. And we must escort Bab over to Rattlesnake Mountain, inhonor of her well known fondness for those charming pets."
"Oh, I'll look after Bab," Mollie spoke in superior tones.
"Mother," said Barbara earnestly, "you must accept Mr. Stuart's charminginvitation, even if you think it wiser for us not to go on the campingtrip with Ruth. I know you need a change. You have had so much worry, andnow your mind is at rest."
"Ruth," said Mrs. Thurston, looking as bright and happy as one of thegirls, "accept my best wishes for the 'Robin Hood Band' of 'AutomobileGirls!' I am sure they will soon rival that celebrated set of woodsmen.Only, I beg of you, confine your adventures strictly within the limits ofthe law."
"Then you mean that Bab and Mollie may go!" cried Ruth in tones ofrapture. "But we don't intend to play at being an outlaw band. Kindlyregard us as early Puritan settlers in the New England hills, compelledto seek protection from the Indians in our log hut. I wish we could runacross a few Indians up there; we shall be right on their old campinggrounds. There are still some Indian trails in the mountains, but theBerkshires are so highly civilized, these days, we shall never find evena trace of a red man, or a red woman either!"
"When do we start, Ruth?" asked Mollie. "I should like to be offto-morrow. Remember how fast the time is going. School begins the middleof October."
"What about Grace?" asked Bab thoughtfully. "It would hardly be a real'Automobile Girls' party if one of their number should be left out."
"Oh, it is all right about Grace, of course!" Ruth answered. "Goodnessme! Haven't I told you? We have already talked our plan over with SquireCarter, who is delighted to have Grace go. He says a month out of doorswill do wonders for her. He only wished he was not too old to join us."
One week la
ter, Miss Sallie Stuart and the quartette of "AutomobileGirls" gathered at the station to speed Mrs. Thurston on her journey. Mr.Stuart was to accompany her as far as New York City, and see her safelyestablished among his friends.
"Be good children, all of you," urged Mrs. Thurston at the last minute."And remember to keep your feet dry."
"In case the camping outfit is not thoroughly satisfactory, Sallie,"counseled Mr. Stuart, "telegraph to New York for whatever you like. Ibelieve everything is O. K. Remember to keep your camp fires alwaysburning. You are to have the most trustworthy guide in the Berkshires, aswell as his wife, to look after you, and you will never be far fromcivilization if you wish to go, Sallie?" he ended, for Miss Sallie waslooking dismal at the idea of parting.
Miss Sallie nodded her head. "You know my views, Robert. If you _will_permit Ruth to follow any wild fancy that pops into her head, at least, Ishall be near to see that she gets into as little mischief as possible."
Mr. Stuart's last whisper before the train started was for Bab. "Don'tworry about your little mother," he said. "We will see that things arewell with her. That copper stock she owns is looking up again. She is notto sell out."
Mr. Stuart turned to find Ruth for his last kiss. "Remember, daughter,"he declared, "I rely on you and Bab to keep cool heads and clear brainsin any emergency."
As the train moved off, Mr. Stuart and Mrs. Thurston watched for a fewmoments a circle of waving hands. A little later their car swung around acurve and Kingsbridge was lost to view.
"The Automobile Girls" and Miss Sallie then repaired to the hotel. Grace,Mollie and Bab were to be Ruth's guests until they started for theBerkshires. All was in readiness.
The week before, Mr. Stuart had taken the girls to New York for a fewdays' shopping. If ever there were young women fitted up in the properstyles for mountain climbing they were. Each girl was presented with twopairs of thick, high boots and leather leggins. Ruth insisted that herheavy wool dress be made of the Stuart plaid. She then had a tamo'shanter designed from the same Scotch tartan. But Ruth's proudestpossession was a short Norfolk jacket made of the same leather as herleggins, and a knapsack to carry over her shoulders. Attired in herwoodland costume, she looked not unlike "Rosalind" in Shakespeare's play,when that maid comes into the woods disguised as a boy to seek for herfather.
Barbara's suit was of dark brown corduroy, with jacket and cap to match.Grace would choose nothing but her favorite dark blue. But her costumewas the most striking of them all, for, with her blue skirt and blouse,she was to wear a coat of hunter's pink and a smart, little hat of thesame bright scarlet shade. Mr. Stuart selected the costume for MistressMollie. She at least, he insisted, should be arrayed in the proper shadeof Lincoln green; and like a veritable "Maid Marian" she appeared.
For once Miss Sallie was entirely satisfied with their selection ofcostumes. "For me," she argued in her most decided manner, "the mostnecessary garments are half a dozen pairs of overshoes, and the samenumber of mackintoshes and umbrellas. I shall also take an extra trunk ofwarm flannels. If the fall rains begin while we are camping in themountains we shall surely be washed down into the valley before we canmake our escape."