CHAPTER X
Plans
One afternoon, after resting for an hour or more, Mrs. Burton appearedat her little front door, wondering why she was encompassed by sounusual a silence.
The fact that at present the Sunrise camp was situated several milesfrom any other human habitation, with the sea stretching before it and agreat ranch as its background, did not ordinarily insure it an essentialsilence. As a matter of fact, there were generally nine youthfulpersons, engaged in strenuous occupations of one kind or another, in itsimmediate vicinity.
This afternoon Mrs. Burton discovered that they had withdrawn to somedistance from the camping grounds.
A camp fire was burning and the girls were seated about it in ceremonialfashion, with Mrs. Webster also forming one of the group. A littlefurther off her two sons were characteristically engaged, Dan inbringing small pieces of driftwood up from the shore and Billy in lyingupon his back, gazing toward the sky.
In truth only their Camp Fire guardian appeared deliberately to havebeen left out of the gathering.
Mrs. Burton suffered a distinct sensation of aggrievement.
Evidently the Sunrise Hill Camp Fire girls were deep in a consultationof some important character, so that it seemed scarcely fair that theyshould have ignored her completely.
Not wishing to go back into her room, which had grown a little close,and yet not desiring to interrupt the proceedings, from which herpresence had been so carefully excluded, Mrs. Burton hesitated a momentjust outside her house. If she were seen wandering about nearby, as amatter of good manners she would have to be invited to the camp fire.With Mrs. Webster already there, she had not the excuse that herpresence might be necessary. Often the girls seemed to prefer giving hersister their confidence.
At this instant one of the Camp Fire group observed her and gave theinformation to the others. Peggy began beckoning violently, whileBettina Graham and Marta Clark both jumped up and were coming towardher.
"You are lazy, Tante, we have been waiting for you to wake up for ages!"Bettina remarked, slipping her arm through the older woman's. She wasseveral inches taller than her Camp Fire guardian, and oftentimes at adistance Mrs. Burton was mistaken for another girl, she was so slenderand so youthfully and ardently alive both in body and spirit.
"Yes, you seem to have been tremendously anxious for my society," shereturned in the voice and manner both Bettina and Peggy understood. Ifthe other Camp Fire girls were at times a little in awe of their famousguardian, Peggy and Bettina appreciated that she was much like otherpersons and now and then behaved like a somewhat spoiled young girl.Certainly she never regarded her own achievements as placing her upon apedestal.
From her present speech and manner Bettina realized that she was bothjealous and hurt over their apparent disregard of her, for she had analmost ridiculous craving for affection as an ordinary human being,caring but little for the admiration which was a tribute to her as anartist rather than a woman.
Nevertheless Bettina laughed in an entirely unsympathetic fashion.
"Well, we did wish to discuss something before you put in an appearance,but now the discussion has been over for some time, we very much desireyour society. Yet only if you are amiable, because just at this time itis enormously important that you should be."
Mrs. Burton frowned and then laughed, a little teased by Bettina's tooevident understanding of her state of mind.
Marta Clark said nothing. She had not yet acquired the habit ofregarding her Camp Fire guardian in any spirit save one of devotedadmiration. But Marta was the latest of the group of Sunrise Camp Firegirls and of necessity knew her less well than the others. Moreover,Marta also dreamed of a future dramatic career and it was not so easyto take simply the one woman who personified her own ideals.
In the circle on the ground Peggy Webster had arranged a leather cushionornamented with Camp Fire designs as a seat of honor for their guardianwhen she finally arrived.
Sitting down, Mrs. Burton clasped her hands over her knees, gazingcuriously around.
"Is this a conspiracy or rebellion, or a plot?" she demanded. "It seemsto me, Mollie Webster, not only because you are my sister, but becausewe alone belong to the same generation, that you at least should nothave been one of the conspirators."
Like the proverbial Charlotte in "Wilhelm Meister," who went on cuttingbread and butter, Mrs. Webster, without replying, continued knitting.
"Oh, our plot is not dangerous, or at least we do not think it is,although you may feel differently," Peggy Webster announced, to whom thetask of imparting the information evidently had been awarded. "We havemerely been discussing the idea of forming a Camp Fire branch to the WarCamp Recreation League. You remember this League is to do whatever ispossible for the entertainment of the soldiers and we talked of ourshare in it after our visit to the war camp the other day."
Mrs. Burton appeared slightly suspicious.
"I also remember, Peggy, that it was agreed I was to be allowed tochoose what form our activities should take. Moreover, whatever planpresented itself to us was first to be submitted to an officer at campto find out if the plan met with military approval. Camp Fire girls,however clever, are scarcely the proper persons to decide upon the waysand means for providing entertainment for our American soldiers,valuable as their aid may be in the entertainment itself. But there,forgive me, I do not intend being disagreeable, and I have no doubt youhave thought up some thrilling scheme! Only why not wait until ourlittle dinner party and dance for the soldiers tomorrow evening is overbefore we precipitate ourselves into a fresh undertaking?"
"Oh, our party is just a _small_ matter compared to the plan we havebeen working out this afternoon," Peggy continued, refusing to besnubbed or argued into silence. "Our idea is that if we are to become abranch of the War Recreation Fund Committee we must raise money for theorganization. We wish to give a play and present to the fund whatevermoney we make."
Mrs. Burton shook her head. "Give a play out here in thissemi-wilderness? Well, the idea is agreeable enough if you wish to amuseyourselves, but how you expect to make money or secure an audience isbeyond my imagination! However, if you have set your hearts upon thescheme and think it would amuse you, do as you like. I only ask to beleft out altogether. Remember, I am resting from a histrionic career."
Mrs. Burton made a movement as if she contemplated leaving, but Peggyresolutely held her in her place.
"We _do_ expect you to help; more, we expect you to be almost the entirething!" Bettina interrupted with more vigor than clearness. "We are notcontemplating a silly little amateur performance here at camp; we havemore important things to interest us. We wish to give a real play atthat exquisite open-air theater near the seaside resort that we saw theother day on our drive. Ever since then Marta and Peggy and I have beendreaming of little else and talking of little else to the other girlsuntil now they are as enthusiastic as we are. It was Marta Clark whoactually put our present scheme into our minds, and she merely spoke ofhow much she would enjoy seeing you act outdoors in so lovely a place."
"I am sure Marta is very kind," Mrs. Burton answered, but withoutrevealing a profound appreciation of the compliment. "But don't befoolish, please. You know I try to do whatever is possible toward makingour summers together happy and satisfying. Yet one of my chief reasonsfor living outdoors is to have a complete rest from my work and to getaway from the whole thought of it as much as possible. I have given allthe money to war causes I can afford at present. Later I shall do more,of course----"
"That is just the point," Peggy interrupted. "If people out here inCalifornia learn you are to appear in an outdoor performance, they willpositively flock to see you. You know you could earn a lot of money forthe Recreation Fund, besides we all think it would be great fun to actwith you and have already selected the play that would be the mostinteresting to produce."
"Really, Peggy, I think you have gone somewhat too far," Mrs. Burtonanswered, although with a slightly dazed expression. "I don't believe Ihave
ever had a theatrical manager who made every arrangement, even toselecting the play in which I was to appear, without consulting me. Thewhole thing is preposterous. Mollie, I really cannot understand yourallowing the girls to become so absorbed in such a nonsensical project!I think you might have spared me the difficulty of refusing."
"But you don't appear to be having any difficulty in refusing, Polly,"Mrs. Webster answered with her usual placidity. Nevertheless, sherealized how greatly this same placidity annoyed her beloved twinsister in moments of agitation. "Yet I am sorry that I agreed to permitthe girls to broach the subject to you, since the idea seems to troubleyou so much. Personally I am afraid I also found the idea charming. Youhave not acted for a long time and many of your friends are givingtheatrical benefits for the Red Cross or some war need. The girlsthought they would like to present 'As You Like It,' with you as_Rosalind_; you know you have played _Rosalind_ dozens of times before.The open-air theater would make an exquisite Forest of Arden. Besides, Iam sure our present group of Camp Fire girls could not act, so poorly asyou used to, now and then, in private theatricals in the old days. Youknow, my dear, none of us imagined then that you were to turn out agenius."
Mrs. Burton flushed. "No one imagines it now, Mollie." She answered withobvious irritability. Then her manner became more apologetic:
"You girls are not angry with me for refusing?"
Wisely Peggy shook her head, "No, we are only disappointed."
Then everybody in the little company remained silent for severalmoments, which was a most unusual state of affairs among the SunriseHill Camp Fire girls.
Plainly Mrs. Burton suffered from the depressing influence, for suddenlyshe got up.
"Please leave me alone for a little while. I must think the questionover?" she announced, as if she had not already issued her ultimatum.The next moment she turned away and walked down toward the beach.
"What do you think Tante will decide, Mother?" Peggy anxiously inquired.
Mrs. Webster shook her head. "My dear, Polly and I are twins, and I haveknown her ever since I have known anything. But to tell beforehand howshe will make up her mind upon any subject is beyond me. I am a littlesorry we have made this request of her. She takes her work so seriously,and after all she is doing so much for us without the addition of this."
At this instant a cool voice was heard speaking in the background.
The voice was Billy Webster's.
"I believe Tante will have the time of her life acting with you girls,of course she will consent, although probably no one else on earth withher reputation would take such a risk."