CHAPTER XVI The Pine, Not the Olive
Peggy Webster had her arms filled with pine branches when she met RalphMarshall coming toward Sunrise camp the following day.
She had gone a short distance into the woods for some light twigs for thecamp fire, as the supply had gotten low.
She was walking with her head thrown back to keep the pine needles fromtouching her face, although their fragrance always thrilled her. Theywere so spicy, so woodsy, so redolent of a fine sweetness that had nocloying element in it. Surely the pine was a wise choice for the CampFire emblem. If a girl can grow into a woman keeping the same kind ofspiritual fragrance that the pine tree sheds as a physical one, she hasno reason to fear that her value may ever fail.
Peggy had not seen Ralph since the afternoon of his uncomfortableconfession and she had not made up her mind just how she should meet him.So now her eyes widened and her lips parted a little; she was alreadyflushed from the exertion of her work and the weight of the burden shecarried.
But Peggy spoke naturally enough, as she would have done to anyacquaintance, although the past sensation of pleasure she had felt at anychance meeting with Ralph had gone.
Ralph came forward and quietly extended his hands for pine branches and,in spite of the fact that Peggy hesitated, he took the greater number ofthem from her. A few of the twigs broke and fell on the ground.
"I came over to camp this morning because Mrs. Burton asked me to come,Peggy; otherwise I would not have intruded upon you," he declared.
The girl shook her head.
"I have not the faintest desire to keep you away from Sunrise camp,Ralph. Indeed, I would be sorry if you let me interfere with your actionsin any way. The other girls like you a great deal and I am sure wouldmiss seeing you."
Ralph did not answer. He had noticed that Peggy had said "other girls,"but also that she had spoken without a pretense of wishing to impress himwith the knowledge of her disfavor or her change of attitude toward him.She had spoken with perfectly unconscious sincerity and Ralph Marshallappreciated that, for once in his life at least, he had known a girl whosaid what she meant. Peggy's expression "other girls" had really been aslip on her part, as she had not intended bringing herself into thesituation in any way.
At camp they parted, Peggy going to announce to her aunt that Ralphwished to see her. And a few moments later Mrs. Burton appeared.
Ralph had been talking to Gerry and Sally, while he was forced to wait,and as they were determinedly planning an excursion in which he was totake part that afternoon, he had to be rescued by Mrs. Burton.
It was never possible to talk with any privacy in the immediateneighborhood of the camp. The girls were constantly going in and out oftheir tents, rebuilding the camp fire, or doing any one of a hundredthings in connection with their work or entertainment. This morning Mrs.Webster was also sewing in front of the fire, with Dan coming back andforth to talk to her.
Ralph Marshall did not see Billy Webster, but, as he had rather a fashionof remaining alone, this did not mean that he had actually vanished fromcamp.
"Suppose we walk in the direction of the cliffs, Ralph," Mrs. Burtonsuggested and then, almost as soon as they had started, she added:
"Yes, Billy has gone; he left before breakfast this morning so therecould be no chance of a family argument. Dan says he slipped out of theirtent without his knowing when he departed. And this, after I had expendedan hour of precious eloquence upon the young man last night, sitting upwith him when everybody else had gone to bed, and I was abominablysleepy."
Mrs. Burton shrugged her shoulders, expressing amusement and chagrin, aswell as anxiety.
"I am afraid I haven't the slightest influence with him; but, then, noone else has--or perhaps I don't know. I asked Vera if she thought shecould influence him and she assured me she could not. She says my sisteris mistaken in thinking that she influences Billy; he has alwaysinfluenced her, although she is older and infinitely more sensible. But,Ralph, I only tell you this about Billy, because I want you to knowsomething of the character of the boy you may have to deal with, if yousucceed in doing what I ask of you. I know you have never noticed Billyparticularly; few people do at first when Dan is around. Dan is so muchbetter looking and more agreeable. But Billy is the stronger character ofthe two, strange as it seems to all of us. But whether for good or theother thing," Mrs. Burton smiled a little ruefully, "I suppose if we livelong enough we may find out. No gentleman could have been more courteousto me than my nephew was last night, or more utterly unmoved by myefforts at persuasion or command.
"There is just one thing we have to rely on in order to save Billy fromwhat may turn into a real difficulty. Vera Lageloff has confided in methat she and Billy one afternoon discovered a group of objectionable men.I don't know anything about them, except that they were on a strike orsomething of the kind, and that you and Peggy had met them by accident ashort time before. But Billy has a passion for the unfortunate. He hadonly to hear that people are up in arms against something or some one andhe is always in the midst of them.
"It was curious, but whenever the laborers on my brother-in-law's placehad any kind of grievance, they first put the matter up to Billy beforetaking it to his father. And you know Mr. Webster well enough tounderstand that he is the most just of men."
Mrs. Burton had been walking slowly along but she now stopped andfrowned, facing her companion.
"I don't know why but I am frightened. I am afraid Billy is mixinghimself up in some difficulty in which he has not the slightest concern,or the least reason for taking part in. And Vera is under the sameimpression, else she would never have told me what she did. She saysBilly made her promise not to speak of their excursion, and she hatedbreaking her word to him. But she, too, is nervous about him and thinkswe ought to find out what he is doing. Of course, we may both be on thewrong track. The boy may be off amusing himself somewhere in a perfectlysimple fashion. But if you will only find out, Ralph, I shall beeverlastingly grateful. I am pretty fond of Billy, though I don'tunderstand him and he certainly annoys me."
Ralph smiled in an entirely efficient and satisfying manner.
"Oh, I expect you take the young man too seriously, Mrs. Burton. All boyshave cranks of one kind or another, though I must confess Billy's do notseem to be the ordinary kind. Don't worry any more; I'll find him for youand bring him home by the ear. Oh, I don't mean literally; only from whatyou have told me I expect the youth takes himself too seriously. He hasbeen ill so much he is probably more or less spoiled. I think theinfluence of an older fellow may do him good. I am accustomed to takingkinks out of the younger boys at college now and then, when they sufferfrom swell heads."
Ralph spoke in a condescending, elderly brother tone which amused Mrs.Burton, although she showed no sign of it. Instead, she gave a littlesigh of relief.
"But please be careful, won't you, Ralph," she added. "Billy isn't likeother people and he does have to be treated a little differently. Oh, Iknow you men don't think this of each other, and Billy's father will notconsider the idea for a moment. But I think if he had talked to Billymore frankly, and asked him to wait a while before he decided so manyquestions for himself, the boy would not be so difficult.
"Let's go back now, Ralph, as we have talked over the situation and saidas much as there is to say. I don't suppose you can do anythingimmediately; but, if, within the next few days you make any kind ofdiscovery, suppose you let me know first. I really am worried overBilly's realizing I have tried to spy upon him. I should have beendreadfully angry with any one who had done the same thing to me when Iwas his unreasonable age."
"Oh, I don't think Billy will have anything to complain of," Ralphreplied, as if Billy's attitude held not the slightest interest for him."And I don't think I need be forever tracing the young person either--notif he has fallen in with the group Peggy and I met.
"Fortunately, I know where they can be found if they have not disappearedfrom their campin
g place. But what there can be in those fellows tointerest a youngster, I can't see.
"I wonder if your man will lend me a burro? I walked over from my hotel,and I think I'll start out on the trail at once."
Ralph was really interested in his quest. There was an agreeable elementof mystery in it as well as knight errantry. Besides, an older fellow isseldom averse to making a younger one feel small, when he happens tothink it good for him. Moreover, Ralph had been considerably out of sortswith himself for several days and it is always pleasanter to dwell onanother's shortcomings.
As soon as Mr. Simpson had allowed him the use of one of the camp poniesfor the day, Ralph started off at a leisurely pace.
After all, it was rather good fun to have something definite to do,instead of idling all one's time. And if one was accomplishing a favorfor either Mrs. Burton or Peggy Webster, why all the more was the effortworth while. Billy Webster really played a very small part in RalphMarshall's thoughts.