CHAPTER V
THE TUCKERS
There had been general rejoicing at Week-End Camp when Nan had announcedthat Jeffry Tucker and his daughters were to come up for a short stay.The Tuckers were great favorites and were always received with openarms at any place where fun was on foot. Mr. Tucker had written foraccommodations for himself and daughters and their friend, Miss Allison.
No one would have been more astonished than Jeffry Tucker, the fatherof the Heavenly Twins, at the kind of reputation he had with a societywoman of Mrs. Carter's standing. For her to think that his bringinghis daughters to the camp meant that he considered it to their socialadvantage--at least not to their social detriment--would have convulsedthat gentleman. He thought no more of the social standing of hisdaughters Virginia and Caroline (Dum and Dee) than he did of the fourthdimension. He came to the camp and brought his daughters and PageAllison just because he heard it was great fun. He had known RobertCarter all his life and admired and liked him. His daughters had goneto the kindergarten and dancing school with Douglas and Helen and whenrumor had it that these girls were actually making a living withweek-end boarders at a camp in Albemarle, why it was the most naturalthing in the world for the warm-hearted Jeffry Tucker immediately towrite for tent room for his little crowd.
I hope my readers are glad to see the Tuckers and Page Allison. The factof the business is that they are a lively lot and it is difficult tokeep them in the pages of their own books. They might have stayed safelythere had not the Carter girls started this venture in the mountains.That was too much for them. Zebedee had promised Tweedles again andagain to take them camping, and since what they did Page must do too,of course she was included in the promise. This is not their own campand not their own book but here they are in it!
"Douglas Carter, we think you are the smartest person that ever was!"enthused Dum Tucker as Douglas showed them to their tent where threeother girls were to sleep, too. "Isn't this just too lovely?"
"I'm not smart, it's Helen who thought up this plan," insisted Douglas."We are so glad you have come and we do hope you will like it."
"Like it! We are wild about it," cried Dee, and Page Allison was equallyenthusiastic.
"Where is Helen?" demanded Dum.
"She is chief cook and can't make her appearance until she has put thefinishing touches to supper."
"Does she really cook, herself?" cried Dee. "How grand!"
"Sometimes she cooks herself," drawled Nan, coming into the tent to seethe Tuckers, who were great favorites with her, too, "sometimes when weget out of provisions, which we are liable to do now as six persons havecome who had not written me for accommodations."
"Mother and father got here from a long trip this afternoon," explainedDouglas, "and we are so upset over seeing them that we are rather late.Helen usually does all she has to do before the week-enders come."
"Let us help!" begged Dee. "Dum and I can do lots of stunts, and Pagehere is a wonderful pie slinger."
"Well, we would hardly press Miss Allison into service when she has justarrived," smiled Douglas.
"Please, please don't Miss Allison me! I'm just Page and my idea ofcamping is cooking, so if I can help, let me," and Page, who had saidlittle up to that time, spoke with such genuine frankness that Douglasand Nan felt somehow that a new friend had come into their circle.
"We'll call on all three of you if we need you," promised Douglas,hastening off with Nan to see that other guests had found their tentsand had what they wanted in the way of water and towels.
"Isn't this great?" said Dee. "I'm so glad Zebedee thought of coming.I think Douglas Carter looks healthy but awful bothered, somehow."
"I thought so, too. I'm afraid her father is not so well or something.Think of Helen Carter's cooking!" wondered Dum.
"Why shouldn't she?" asked Page. "Is she so superior?"
"No, not that," tweedled the twins.
"Helen's fine but so--so--stylish. Mrs. Carter is charming but she isone butterfly and we always rather expected Helen to be just likeher--more sense than her mother, but dressy," continued Dee.
"You will know what Mrs. Carter is, just as soon as you look at herhands," declared Dum. "If the lilies of the field were blessed withhands they would look exactly like Mrs. Carter's."
"Well, come let's find Zebedee. I smelt apples frying," and the threefriends made their way to the pavilion where Mrs. Carter was receivingthe week-enders with all the charm and ceremony she might have employedat a daughter's debut party.
Her reception of the Tuckers was warm and friendly. It had been monthssince she had seen anyone who moved in her own circle and now there weremany questions to ask of Richmond society. Jeffry Tucker, who could makehimself perfectly at home with any type, now laid himself out to bepleasant to his hostess. He told her all the latest news of Franklinstreet and recounted the gossip that had filtered back from WhiteSulphur and Warm Springs. He turned himself into a society column andannounced engagements and rumors of engagements; who was at the beachand who was at the mountains. He even made a stagger at the list ofdebutantes for the ensuing winter.
"I mean that Douglas shall come out next winter, too," said the littlelady during the supper that followed. Nan, seeing that her mother washaving such a pleasant time with the genial Jeffry Tucker, arranged tohave the Tuckers placed at the table that had been set aside for theirmother and father. The Carter girls made it a rule to scatter themselvesthrough the crowd the better to look after the hungry and see that noone's wants were unsatisfied.
"Ah, is that so? I had an idea she was destined for college. It seemsto me that Tweedles told me she had passed her Bryn Mawr exams."
"So she did, but I am glad to say she has given up all idea of thatfoolishness. I am very anxious for her to make her debut."
Nan, who was making the rounds of the various tables to see thateveryone was served properly, overheard her mother's remark and glancedshyly at Mr. Tucker. She caught his eye unwittingly but there wassomething in the look that he gave her that made her know he understoodthe whole situation and was in sympathy with Douglas, who was verybusy at the next table helping hungry week-enders to the rapidlydisappearing potato salad.
There was a rather pathetic droop to Douglas' young shoulders as thoughthe weight of the universe were getting a little too much for her. Mr.Tucker looked from her to Robert Carter who seemed to be acceptingthings as he found them with an astonishing calmness. He was certainly achanged man. Remembering him as a person of great force and energy, whoalways took the initiative when any work was to be done or questiondecided, his old friend wondered at his almost flabby state. Here hewas calmly letting his silly wife, because silly she seemed to JeffryTucker, although charming and even lovable, put aside his daughter'sdesires for an education and force her into society. He could see it allwith half an eye and what he could not see for himself the speakingcountenance of the third Carter, Nan, was telling him as plainly as acountenance could. He determined to talk with the girl as soon as supperwas over and see if he could help her in some way, how, he did notknow, but he felt that he might be of some use.
The supper was a very merry one in spite of the depression that hadseized poor Douglas. She tried not to let her gloom permeate thosearound her. Helen was in a perfect gale and the Tucker Twins took theircue from her and the ball of good-humored repartee was tossed back andforth. Tillie Wingo was resplendent in a perfectly new dancing frock.The beaux buzzed around her like bees around a honey pot. The silentBill Tinsley kept on saying nothing but his calf eyes were more eloquentthan any words. He had fallen head over heels in love with the frivolousTillie from the moment she offered to tip him on the memorable occasionof her first visit to the camp. Lewis Somerville, usually with plenty tosay for himself, was almost as silent as his chum, Bill. It seemed asthough Douglas' low spirits had affected her cousin.
"What is it, Douglas?" he whispered, as he took the last plate of saladfrom her weary hand. "You look all done up. Are you sick?"
"No
, indeed! Nothing!"
"When the animals have finished feeding, I want to talk to you. Can yougive me a few minutes?"
"Why, of course, Lewis, as many as you want."
Douglas and Lewis had been friends from the moment they had met. Thathad been some eighteen years before when Douglas had been crawling onthe floor, not yet trusting to her untried legs, and Lewis, justpromoted from skirts to breeches, had proudly paraded up and down infront of his baby cousin. There never had been a problem in Douglas'life that she had not discussed with her friend, but she felt a delicacyin talking about this trouble that had arisen on her horizon because itwould mean a certain criticism of both her mother and sister.
"Walk after supper?" Bill whispered to Tillie. "Something to say."Tillie nodded an assent.
Supper over, the tables and chairs were piled up in a twinkling and thelatest dance record put on the Victrola.
"Why, this is delightful!" exclaimed Mrs. Carter, looking around for Mr.Tucker to come claim her for the first dance, but she saw that gentlemandisappearing over the mountainside with Nan.
"Nan is entirely too young for such nonsense!" she exclaimed with someasperity, but partners were forthcoming a-plenty so she was soon dancinglike any girl of eighteen, while her indulgent husband smoked his pipeand looked contentedly on.
Susan and Oscar washed the dishes with more rattling than usual as Oscarhad much grumbling in store for the delinquent Susan.
"Wherefo' you done lef' yo' wuck to Miss Helen?"
"I's a-helpin' Mis' Carter. She kep' me a-openin' boxes an' hangin' upthings. I knowed Miss Helen wouldn't min'. She thinks her maw oughterhave what she wants. I done heard her tell Miss Douglas that she meansto see her maw has her desires fulfilled. Sounded mos' lak qua'llin'the way the young missises was a-talkin'."
"Well, all I got to say is that Mis' Carter ain't called on to git anymo' waitin' on than the young ladies. They's as blue-blooded as what sheis an' even mo' so as they is got all the blood she's got an' they paw'sbeside. I bet she ain't goin' to tun a han' to fill any of these folksup. There she is now a-dancin' 'round like a teetotaller a-helpin' theboarders to shake down they victuals. I'll be boun' some of these hereHungarians will be empty befo' bed time."