*CHAPTER XVII*
*THE RETURN*
The entire house party was down at the landing to meet the little boatwhich was to bring the Camp Fire guardian back to the "House by the BlueLagoon."
She was seen standing on the deck looking younger and slighter than everwith Miss Patricia Lord's tall, gaunt figure beside her.
The instant the boat reached the shore, after receiving an enthusiasticwelcome, Alice Ashton and Vera Lagerloff took Miss Patricia by the armin an effort to separate her from the others, while Bettina, Sally, MaryGilchrist, Marguerite Arnot and the two younger girls, Elce and Maida,surrounded Mrs. Burton.
Mrs. Graham seized the opportunity to whisper as she kissed her friend.
"Hail, the conquering hero comes, Polly!" to have the other womanmurmur:
"Oh, do be careful, please, Betty. I'll tell you everything when we arealone. You don't know what I have been through and how little like aconqueror I feel."
Then Mrs. Graham left her and supplanted Alice by Miss Patricia's side.
"Don't you think Polly is looking pretty well, Aunt Patricia?"
Pausing in her long strides, Miss Patricia frowned.
"Fairly well, better perhaps that I expected, but never so strong as wewould have her, Betty. However, she is a wilful woman and it cannot behelped. It has nearly broken my heart, Betty, to have been separatedfrom her so long, and the fault was altogether her own. Polly agreesthat it was."
"Certainly, Aunt Patricia, if you and Polly feel this to be true, I haveno thought of differing with you. Here is David Hale wanting to speakto you. Bettina and I gave our masculine guests the instruction thismorning that they were to keep in the background until we were allowedto welcome you. You and David are such old friends he seems not tointend to wait his turn."
"I insist that Miss Patricia allow me to carry her bag. I have seen herdecline to allow Miss Ashton or Miss Lagerloff to touch it, but whetherit contains bonds or precious stones I will not run away with it, AuntPatricia."
Entering her own room, followed by Mrs. Graham and Miss Lord, Mrs.Burton moved quickly across and opened the door of the room adjoining.
She then turned:
"Betty, where is Juliet? I wondered why she did not come to meet me withthe other girls and now she is not in her room. Is anything the matter?"
Picking up the letter from the desk Mrs. Graham extended it toward herfriend.
"I don't think so, Polly, although I scarcely know. Juliet Temple lefthere without telling me that she intended to leave; it was only a day orso ago and we decided it best to await your return. The letter sheaddressed to you will probably explain. We concluded that she washomesick without you here and has gone to your apartment."
"I am sorry, Betty, I am afraid Juliet has not been polite, when Iespecially asked your permission to allow her to join us.
"Juliet Temple has written me that she has forged my check for twothousand five hundred dollars and has gone with her brother to Canada.She is perfectly frank, poor child, and tells how and why. The fault ispartly through my carelessness! A few days before I left Juliet askedme to sign a check for two hundred and fifty dollars for the rent of myNew York apartment. I was in a hurry at the time and I believe took herword for it and did not look at the check. She tells me she had soarranged that she could change the amount, which she did at once.
"Her brother was in the army and stationed not far from here. She hasbeen in the habit of seeing him since we have been on the island.Juliet has always insisted that he was the one person in the world shecared for and that he had given her nothing but sorrow. It seems thathe has been committing a number of offences and expected to becourt-martialed, but instead of submitting, had planned to desert. Forhis sake Juliet appears to have lost all sense of honor or duty towardme. She seems convinced that I will not prosecute her. She tells meshe was leaving immediately for New York, where she will have the checkcashed (she is in the habit of cashing my checks). Afterwards, she andher brother intend to make their home in Canada and never return to theUnited States! A pretty desperate situation, isn't it?"
"Yes, Polly, but I'll telegraph to Anthony in Washington and, if it canbe accomplished, he will see that the girl is found and brought back. Iam so distressed for you, it is such a large sum of money and you havetrusted the girl so completely."
"Yes, Betty, but I don't want Juliet found and punished. I have noright to feel or behave like this and every one of you must say exactlywhat you like to me. I know I am absolutely wrong and that she ought tobe made to suffer the legal penalty, but I simply haven't the force ofcharacter or the courage. I could not endure to think of a girl who hasbeen so near me, who has lived as a member of my family and been good tome in many small ways, shut up in prison for the rest of her youth."
"Yes, Polly, I know, let us not talk of this now. Painful as it is, youcannot allow yourself to be so sentimental and cowardly, dear! Besides,the money is a great deal more than you and Richard can possibly affordto lose!"
"Goodness, I had forgotten that! It is not only _more_ than we canafford to lose, it is nearly all the money we possess at present. Julietmust have known. We saved from the amount I earned last winter onlywhat we thought sufficient to last through the summer, until I returnedto work in the autumn; the rest Richard has devoted to the payments heand I feel called upon to make."
"Yes, and a nice time, Polly Burton, for you to assume the addedresponsibility of an old woman to support!" Miss Patricia said harshly.
"Do you think, Aunt Patricia, that this is the time for you to sayunkind things to me? Don't you think I have a good deal to bear andthat you might not make it harder?"
Too overcome to speak, Miss Patricia nodded and actually two tearsrolled unchecked down her gaunt cheeks.
"I am afraid Richard will be terribly worried and annoyed over mycarelessness," Mrs. Burton said childishly.
"Richard Burton! Let him dare utter a word! Who was it brought thatunpleasant girl, whom I never liked at any time, into our home at HalfMoon Lake? I remember his saying something or other about being aknight errant!" Miss Patricia snorted, and the girls, Polly Burton andBetty Graham broke into hysterical laughter that saved the situation.
"I fear that from the first Juliet Temple realized that I was an easyperson to deceive. In her letter she also confides the fact that whenshe told me she had been wrongfully accused in her office in Washington,she did this in order that I might be impressed with the idea that shewould not have confessed had she been guilty.[*] Well, at least Irejoice that you girls were never deceived by her and that Juliet wasnever a member of our Sunrise Camp Fire. Let us speak of her as littleas possible in the future."
[*] See "Camp Fire Girls at Half Moon Lake."
"And Polly, you are not to worry over money; of course Anthony and I arenot rich, but you may have anything that we possess. Why not make methe happiest of human beings and you and Aunt Patricia and Richard spendthe summer here with me in the 'House by the Blue Lagoon'? You may dowhatever you wish and we'll not trouble you," Mrs. Graham urged.
"You are an angel, Betty, but Aunt Patricia and Richard and I must hidesomewhere where I can work and study, if I can find a play for nextwinter. Now may I lie down for a little while?"
A few moments later, in Miss Patricia's bedroom, she and her hostesscontinued the discussion.
"What do you think, Aunt Patricia? Ought we allow Polly to permit thisgirl to go free, in spite of her deceit and treachery?"
"I don't know what else is possible, Betty. Polly is wrong, she nearlyalways is wrong, and yet to punish the girl would have a most disastrouseffect upon her. There is a sweetness about her and a generosity; Pollyhas been most generous and sweet to me, Betty, when I have behaved verybadly and so I would not care to influence her, if I could, to be severeupon any one else."
"Don't, Aunt Patricia, speak of yourself in any such connection! Butabout the money, Polly wi
ll never allow us to help her. She never wouldaccept anything from anyone save you, and now you can no longer affordto help."
A moment Miss Patricia sat crumpling a large, masculine-lookinghandkerchief in her capable hands, while a flush spread over her facethat amazed her companion.
"Betty Graham, I desire to make a confession to you and to request youto keep my secret until such time as I may be willing to speak of itmyself. The truth is I am not so poor as I have allowed you and Pollyand the Camp Fire girls to believe. I have lost money, my home forFrench orphans is costing twice the amount I had expected it would cost,and I have found it an excellent arrangement to rent my house nearBoston and to live as economically as possible, but I am not a pauper.Now do use your intelligence and understand why I have wished you to bedeceived.
"Apparently I had hopelessly estranged Polly and had reached a pointwhere I could not any longer endure being apart from her. Some weeksago she sent me word through Richard that never so long as she livedwould she accept anything more at my hands and that she had entreated meto make friends with her for the last time. There are occasions youknow when Polly can be singularly obstinate. So what was I to do?Appeal to her sympathy, make her believe there was something she coulddo for me. Mavourneen, I knew she would fly to my rescue. So I sent outthe word and she came and now I shall be parted from her no more. But,Betty, my dear, Polly shall never suffer. Do not believe that I shallfail to keep sufficient money to see she has all she desires. For thepresent let us have our little house and our summer together and Pollythe belief that she is caring for me. I shall dread the day when shelearns what I have told you."
*CHAPTER XVIII*
*THE ETERNAL WAY*
The Eternal Way lies before him, The Way that is made manifest in the Wise. The Heart that loves reveals itself to man, For now he draws nigh to the Source, The night advances fast, And lo! the moon shines bright.
"Will you come into the garden for a farewell talk with me, Bettina?You know, I leave for Washington in the morning."
"In a quarter of an hour, David. I must see that my two small girls arein bed before I join you. Suppose you wait for me on the beach near thesun dial."
The night was warm and instead of sitting down David Hale walked about,thinking of a very different garden where first he had met BettinaGraham, the "Queen's Secret Garden", near "The Little Trianon" in thegreat park at Versailles.
He remembered his own surprise upon discovering an American girl halfasleep in the shadow of a group of statuary and startled intowakefulness by his unexpected approach.
So their acquaintance had begun in a romantic setting that David thoughtnever to find repeated. To-night he was by no means sure thesurroundings were not equally lovely.
The moon was rising before the afterglow had wholly faded. A lightbreeze made the delicate green leaves rustle on a hundred nearby trees,the magnolias were in bloom over the entire island, scenting the nightair with their heavy, tropical fragrance.
In the moonlight and the last of the purple twilight, David Hale wasdevoting little attention to these details. He was thinking with theconcentration over which he had a special mastery, of something hewished to say to Bettina Graham and of how he had best say it.
She waved a long blue scarf as she came running down the path towardhim.
"I did not keep you waiting long, David, did I? I am sorry you must goto-morrow, but then the house party will break up in another week or tendays and I am returning to New York. After all, it is a shorter journeyfor you to come back to the 'House by the Blue Lagoon' than for me, andyou know mother and Marguerite Arnot are always pleased to see you. Iwish I could reach here so easily; for a number of reasons it is goingto be very hard to leave the island, our island. I have a fashion ofsaying 'our island' over again to myself every now and then because itseems so incredible that we can own such an exquisite spot and that itis no farther away from the outside world. Why, except that it is nottropical, we might almost deceive ourselves into believing that we wereon one of the south sea islands!"
"Then why do you go, Bettina, unless you wish? There certainly can beno other reason and your mother will be distressed at your departure.It is so impossible for me to understand your point of view. Your homeis here and no other place can be so beautiful!"
"I know, David," Bettina answered gently, "and yet I have tried so oftento explain to you and to other people: beautiful as this place is andloving it as I do, yet my work and life are no more here than your own.You are going back to Washington, David; you are very ambitious and someday intend to have a political career. Suppose this were your homeinstead of mine, would you stay here always? Would you give up yourwork and your ambition and your future to live in an island of dreams?
"No, of course you would not? Then why do you think I should? Oh, Iknow the answer, I have gone into the subject so many times--because Iam a girl and there is no reason why I should devote myself to socialwork, when my father is a man of prominence and some wealth and mymother all that is sweet and charming and popular. I am not going totalk about myself, only you do know my reason and you could understandmy point of view if you would make the effort. Instead of caring lessfor my work after a few months of effort and experience, I care morethan at the beginning."
"I am sorry, Bettina."
Bettina laughed.
"Why should you be? Mother and father are becoming more reconciled."
She and David had not ceased walking now they stopped and Bettina leanedover the sun dial.
"I am glad our garden boasts a sun dial, as it would not be half sopicturesque without, yet the inscription is curious and taken from anancient Japanese poem, which would seem to make it a moon dial andappropriate to-night, David. I can repeat it because I think I know thepoem by heart:
"The Eternal Way lies before him, The Way that is made manifest in the Wise. The Heart that loves reveals itself to man For now he draws nigh to the Source, The night advances fast, And lo! the moon shines bright.
"See David, even in the poem the Way lies before _him_, not before_her_."
"There is only one way that I wish lay before you, Bettina, the way oflearning to care for me. Please don't interrupt me, this cannot bealtogether a surprise to you. I think I tried to make you see how I felttoward you at the beginning of our acquaintance, although I did my bestto wait until your mother and father had learned to know something of meand until you were older. I would wait now if you were not becoming soabsorbed in the work you have undertaken that I am afraid you will loseall interest in me. My dear Bettina, affection is the supreme thing andif you will only wait and have faith in me, some day I may be able tooffer you a name and a future of which you may be proud."
Bettina shook her head.
"David, I am glad you said this to me, as I wish to be perfectly frank.No, I am not altogether surprised, yet I am going to sound as if I wereunappreciative and unkind. I not only don't care for you in the way youdesire, but I never could learn to care. I dread the whole thought ofromance and sincerely hope it may never come into my life. I have mywork and my family and friends and please never speak of this again."
"But if it should come, Bettina, when you are older and wiser and lessself-absorbed, would I, could I have any chance with you then?"
"No, David Hale, never; from the first I have never wanted you to beanything but my friend. Please let me say good-by and good luck to you.There is some one else in the garden and I am afraid we might beoverheard."
"Good-night, and good-by for a long time, Bettina. I am sorry to havetroubled you."
As Bettina ran on, Robert Burton stepped in front of her.
"You are not going indoors on a night like this, Miss Graham! Why notstay and talk to me for a while? I don't know what the other fellow hasdone to make you in such haste, but I shall try to be more agreeable.You have been very kind to have asked me here, but I have seen
less ofmy hostess than I counted on seeing.
"Remember when we are back in New York you have promised to take me toone of your settlement houses and make me useful, if it is possible thatan idle fellow like I am can be useful to anyone."
"Yes, no, thank you, but I must go in," Bettina protested. "Nothing hashappened, but I am in a good deal of a hurry. Why are you idle? Pleaseunderstand I don't wish you to help with the settlement work on myaccount, not unless you feel a deep interest in the work itself."
"Yes? Well, that is one way of stating the case," Robert Burtonanswered. "Wasn't I a good Samaritan when you were lost in New York?"
Bettina did not answer, already having vanished up the path toward thehouse.
At the same moment that Bettina was escaping in one direction, MaryGilchrist was hurrying down the front lawn toward the lagoon in searchof Allan Drain.
She was a good deal excited and considerably out of breath.
Allan appeared extremely comfortable lying on the bottom of the anchoredboat with his face upturned to the sky.
"Oh, Allan, I have the most wonderful news for you!" Gill exclaimed,giving a flying leap and landing in the bottom of the boat which rockeddangerously at her descent.
"If you have, Gill, I think it your duty not to attempt to drown mebefore I am able to hear it," Allan expostulated, straightening up andremoving the sofa cushions upon which he had been resting and tossingone of them to Gill.
"Really, Gill, of late you have been returning to those boyish habitsand manners which I found so reprehensible in you at the beginning ofour acquaintance. After you have confided to me your thrillinginformation do you think you can sit calm and speechless in this boatfor the next half hour?
"I had escaped from the others in order to enjoy a little peace andsolitude, which is so difficult to attain upon a house party. You maynot have intended it, but at the instant you plunged into this boat I amunder the impression that you destroyed an immortal sonnet. I cannotrecall a line at present, that is why I feel so convinced it wasimmortal."
"A thousand times I crave your pardon, Allan Drain. You know I have afashion of banishing your poetic muse. However, return to yourpoetizing, I can sit here in silence for a half hour or more _before_telling you my wonderful news just as readily as _after_ telling it toyou."
Five minutes passed.
Finally Allan yawned.
"See here, Gill, I think you might confide what you came to say. I havean idea that it is of small importance--girls' secrets usually are--butit bores me to have you sit there with your lips tightly pressedtogether, as if the words would rush through otherwise, and your facewhite and your eyes shining. If any good fortune has come to you, Gill,please tell me. You know how glad I shall be."
"The good fortune is not mine, it is yours, only it is mine also becauseI am so glad for you."
"Then let me hear what it is. I know you too well to believe you wouldtry to deceive me," Allan answered, as if he were fighting against ahope he dared not permit himself to hold.
"It cannot be possible that Mrs. Burton has a good word to say for myplay!"
"More than that, Allan, she is very enthusiastic. Now do keep still andI shall tell you everything I know. The night of her return to the'House by the Blue Lagoon', Mrs. Burton was feeling restless and unhappyover something that was troubling her a great deal, and so was unable tosleep. She rose up out of bed and wrote a letter to her husband; whenshe had finished, as your play was in her desk, she picked it up andbegan looking it over, with no thought of actually reading it at thetime. Something interested her, a line, or a character, and she read onuntil she had finished. When she lay the play down and turned off theelectric light dawn had come. Still she remained unable to sleep."
"You mean she was thinking of my play?"
"Yes, Allan, I do mean that, she was thinking of it, but she wasdistrusting her own judgment and determined to wait until a day or morehad passed in order to read the play again before arriving at a decisionor speaking to any one concerning it.
"This afternoon she read it for the second time and after dinner askedMrs. Graham and Aunt Patricia and me to come into her sitting-room. Sheexplained that she asked me rather than any one of the other Camp Firegirls, because of late we have appeared to be special friends andbecause accidentally I gave your play its title: 'The Red Flower'. Shetold me I was to come and tell you how much she liked it before shespoke to you herself, so that perhaps you would forgive me for the lossof your poems a year ago.
"Allan, why don't you say something? What is the matter? I simply go ontalking in this stupid fashion because you won't speak."
"I can't, Gill, not for a moment, the wonder and surprise and happinessare too great. Now Mrs. Burton likes my play I shall be willing toconsign it to the flames from whence it received its name."
"Foolish boy, do you suppose I believe you? I ought not to tell youthis, because I was not given the right, although no one said I must notspeak of it. Mrs. Burton wants to play 'The Red Flower' next winter, ifher manager thinks the play half so fine as she thinks it. She is totelegraph him in the morning to come to the island and give her hisopinion. If they agree she wants to remain here on the island in one ofthe small fishermen's cottages, which can be done over, and study andwork for a part of the summer. There will probably be changes that mustbe made, so she wants you to spend a part of the time here if it ispossible for you."
There was no reply, save that leaning over, Allan lifted the anchor.Then taking both oars he pulled rapidly out into the centre of the bluelagoon and onward toward the bay.
"Don't be frightened, Gill, I'll not get into a difficulty to-night.This is the greatest moment of my life and I cannot sit still and acceptit calmly. I want to feel myself a part of all this, of the water andthe sky and of creation itself. Don't laugh at me and don't trouble tounderstand, only thank you and know that I would rather you had sharedthis moment with me than any one else. We are friends now, Gill, forall time, whatever may seem to separate us in the future, we must bothrecall this hour and the beauty and peace of the Blue Lagoon!"
* * * * * * * *
*BOOKS BY MARGARET VANDERCOOK*
*THE RANCH GIRLS SERIES*
The Ranch Girls at Rainbow LodgeThe Ranch Girls' Pot of GoldThe Ranch Girls at Boarding SchoolThe Ranch Girls in EuropeThe Ranch Girls at Home AgainThe Ranch Girls and their Great AdventureThe Ranch Girls and their Heart's DesireThe Ranch Girls and the Silver ArrowThe Ranch Girls and the Mystery of the Three Roads
*STORIES ABOUT CAMP FIRE GIRLS*
The Camp Fire Girls at Sunrise HillThe Camp Fire Girls Amid the SnowsThe Camp Fire Girls in the Outside WorldThe Camp Fire Girls Across the SeaThe Camp Fire Girls' CareersThe Camp Fire Girls in After YearsThe Camp Fire Girls on the Edge of the DesertThe Camp Fire Girls at the End of the TrailThe Camp Fire Girls Behind the LinesThe Camp Fire Girls on the Field of HonorThe Camp Fire Girls in Glorious FranceThe Camp Fire Girls in Merrie EnglandThe Camp Fire Girls at Half Moon LakeThe Camp Fire Girls by the Blue Lagoon
*THE GIRL SCOUTS SERIES*
The Girl Scouts of the Eagle's WingThe Girl Scouts in Beechwood ForestThe Girl Scouts of the Round TableThe Girl Scouts in Mystery ValleyThe Girl Scouts and the Open Road
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