CHAPTER V Mollie's Suggestion
The trouble with Betty Ashton's foot was only a sprained ankle but itkept her confined for several days and gave her plenty of time forreflection. She must of course pay her debts, for she could not make upher mind to send back the things she had ordered (self-denial and Bettyhad very slight acquaintance with one another), and besides thedisappointment would not be hers alone but all of the Sunrise Camp Firegirls.
For the truth is that Betty and Polly together had written a Camp Fireplay setting forth some of the ideals of their organization and theywished to give the entertainment during Christmas week in the mostbeautiful possible fashion. Of course in the beginning they had assuredMiss McMurtry, who was still a kind of advisory guardian, and Miss Dyer,that everything would be very simple and inexpensive, but naturally theirambitions grew with each passing day, and with scenery and costumes to bebought, besides the gifts and decorations for the Camp Fire tree, Bettyfound herself very much involved. As usual she was bearing the greatershare of the expenses and then, though no one outside the Camp Fire clubexcept Dick Ashton knew of it, Betty had been giving a part of herallowance each week so that Esther Clark might have singing lessons withthe best possible teacher in Woodford. Not that the relation betweenBetty and Esther had seriously changed. The older girl still felt towardBetty the same adoring and self-sacrificing devotion, still consideredher the most beautiful and charming person in the world and that hercareless generosity lifted her above every one else, while, though to doBetty Ashton credit, she was entirely unconscious of it, her attitudetoward Esther was just the least little bit condescending. Esther was soplain and awkward and particularly she lacked the birth and breedingBetty considered so essential, but then she was fond of her and did wantEsther to have her chance--this chance she felt must lie in thecultivation of her beautiful voice.
So that when Betty, unable to make up her mind what had best be done,determined to consult with the girls, it was to her old friends, Mollieand Polly O'Neill, that she turned rather than to Esther. She had beenunusually quiet one evening, although insisting that her ankle wasentirely well. Suddenly, however, she plead fatigue and with a littlegesture, which both girls understood as a signal, asked that Mollie andPolly come and help her get ready for bed.
When Betty was finally undressed, she sat bolt upright in her cot withher cheeks flushed and her gray eyes shining. So unusually pretty did sheappear that Polly, who never ceased to admire her, even when she happenedto be angry, set a silver paper crown upon her head. The crown was a partof their Christmas stage property and not intended for Betty, but nowPolly stood a few feet away and clasped her hands together from sheeradmiration, while Mollie, who was usually undemonstrative, leaned overand kissed her friend's cheek before settling herself at the foot of thebed.
"You certainly are lovely, Princess, and so is Mollie for that matter,"Polly exclaimed, generously seating herself opposite her sister. Bettyhappened to be wearing a heavy blue silk dressing jacket over her gownand her auburn hair hung in two heavy braids, one over each shoulder. Herforehead was low and she had delicate level brows. But just now Bettyflushed scarlet and frowned, for whatever her other faults she was notvain.
"Please don't call me Princess, Polly, dear," she urged, taking off herpaper crown and surveying it rather ruefully, "because I am in truth onlya paper princess to-night. You have told me a hundred times, Polly,child, that you thought I ought to know the sensation of being poor likeother people, that I needed it for my education. Well, I do at last, forI have bought a lot of things for Christmas that I can't pay for, asmother writes she can't let me have any extra money."
Betty's expression, however, was not half so serious as that of her twofriends as she made this confession. For the girls had also heard therumor which had troubled Rose Dyer in regard to Mr. Ashton's possiblechange of fortune, and knew that Betty did not in the least understandthe gravity of her mother's refusal.
Polly positively shivered. Betty poor! It was impossible to imagine! Yetwhat, after all, did the supposed loss of a few thousand dollars mean toa man of Mr. Ashton's wealth.
Polly patted Betty's hand sympathetically. "Debt is the most horriblething in the world, isn't it? I haven't forgotten how I felt when I wasin your debt last summer, Betty, and took such a horrid way to get out ofit."
"Maybe you had better send back what you have bought," suggested the morepractical Mollie, making the same suggestion as their guardian.
But at this Betty and Polly glanced at one another despairingly. "Give upmaking their Camp Fire play a success?" For this is what it would meanshould Betty have to send back her purchases!
"How much do you owe, dear?" Polly next inquired in a crushed voice.
And at this Betty drew the same sheets of complex figures out from underher pillow. "It is a hundred and fifty dollars, I can't make it anyless," she confessed. "That sounds pretty dreadful doesn't it, when youhave not a single cent to pay with, though I never thought one hundredand fifty dollars so very much before. Of course I could save somethingout of my allowance every month, but not very much, and father would notlike me to ask people to wait."
"Can't you give up something besides the Christmas present from yourmother which you were _not_ going to have?" Mollie inquired so seriouslyand with such a horrified expression over the amount of her friend'sindebtedness, and such an entire disregard for the Irishness of herspeech, that both the other girls laughed in spite of their worry.Mollie's pretty face showed no answering smiles in return, nor did shetake the least interest in the reason for their laughter. For it was nother way to be interrupted by their perfectly idle merriment.
"But haven't you, Betty?" she repeated.
And Betty leaned her chin on her hands. "I have my piano," she repliedslowly, "but I can't sell that because then Esther would have no chanceto practice, and we could never half enjoy our Camp Fire songs without."
Both the other girls shook their heads. Giving up the piano _was_ out ofthe question.
For a moment longer there was silence and then Betty's cheeks flushedagain. "I have got some things I suppose I can part with, though I ratherhate to," she confessed. "I don't know whether mother and father wouldlike it, but then they would not like my being in debt. In a safety boxin the bank in town I have some jewelry I never wear because motherthinks it too handsome for a girl of my age. Father and Dick have givenit to me at different times. I suppose somebody would tell me how todispose of at least a part of it."
And although both Polly and Mollie at first strenuously objected toBetty's suggestion, it was finally decided that Betty and Polly shoulddrive into Woodford on the following Saturday morning without sayinganything to any one else and bring the safety box back with them. Thenthey could talk the matter over and find out what Betty could dispose ofwith the least regret. Her ankle was now well enough for her to make thetrip in their sleigh without difficulty.