CHAPTER III
THE PROBLEM
The cabin was looking very sweet and fresh after a thorough cleaningfrom the willing hands of Susan, who was in a state of bliss because herbeloved mistress was returning. Gwen had found some belated Cherokeeroses and with a few sprays of honeysuckle added had glorified the plainroom.
"You think Miss Lizzie Somerville is el'gant! Well, you jes' oughter seemy missis. She is the mos' el'gantes' lady in the whole er Richmond. Ibet Mis' Carter ain't never in all her life done a han's turn. Gawdknows what she gonter say 'bout these here young ladies er hern workin'like they was in service," Susan remarked to the little English Gwen,who had done many a hand's turn herself and still had an elegance allher own, so evident that the colored servants recognized her as a "ladybawn."
"I think it is very wonderful that the Carter girls should be able towork so well when they have never been brought up to it," said Gwen asshe hung the last freshly laundered sash curtain.
"That's they paw in 'em," declared Susan. "He is the wuckinest gemman Iever seed. 'Tain't nothin' he won't turn his han' ter. He don't neverset back and holler fer help when he wants the fire fixed er sech like.No'm, he jes' jumps up an' waits on hisself. Sometimes he used ter gitMis' Carter kinder put out 'cause he'd even do his own reaching at thetable. Miss Douglas is the spittin' image of him. None of the galsfavors her much 'cep Miss Nan. She looks like her but she ain't solangrous like when they's work on hand. Miss Helen is the same kind erspender as her maw. I believe my soul them two would ruther buy thaneat. Cook used ter say that Mis' Carter an' Miss Helen spent like wedone come to the millionennium. Great Gawd! Here they is an' I ain't goton my clean apron. That's one thing that Mis' Carter'll certainly gitcross over--aprons."
She did not, however. Too pleased to see the faithful Susan, Mrs. Carteroverlooked the doubtful apron.
"What a charming room! Is this where I am to be? And you girls in thetents beyond? And Bobby--where does Bobby sleep?"
"He is with Lewis Somerville and his friend, Bill Tinsley. I believe hewrote you about Bill," said Helen, "--the young man who was shipped fromWest Point when Lewis was."
"Oh yes, I remember! I am glad to see you have not let yourself run downlike Douglas, my dear. Your hair looks well kept and your complexion isperfect."
Douglas, much perturbed over her mother's plans, had rushed off to bealone for a moment to compose herself.
"But, mother, I don't burn like Douglas, and then Douglas' hair is solovely it doesn't make any difference what she does to it. Mine must bewell kept to pass muster. I hope you are not going to find it too roughhere for you, mumsy," and Helen put a protecting arm around the littlemother, who was more like a sister, and a younger one at that, than amother to these great girls.
"Oh, I think it is delightful for a while. Of course I have been onshipboard so long that I really am longing for some society. Did youhear me tell Douglas what my plan is for her and me? I should like toinclude you, too, but perhaps it would be best for you to wait a year."
"No, I did not hear; you see the car is such a noisy one that one nevercan hear. What is your plan?"
"I want to take Douglas to the White for several weeks preparatory toher making her debut this winter."
"Debut!" gasped Helen. "White Sulphur!"
"Certainly, why not?"
"But, mother, we haven't money for clothes and things."
"Nonsense! Our credit is perfectly good. I fancy there is not a man inRichmond who has paid his bills so regularly as Robert Carter, and nowthat he is not able to work for a few months I feel sure there is not asingle tradesman with whom we have always dealt who would not be morethan pleased to have us on his books for any amount."
"I wanted to charge a lot of things I thought we needed, but Douglasjust wouldn't have it. She never does realize the importance of clothes.I don't mean to criticize Douglas, she is wonderful, but she is carelessabout clothes."
"Well, I shall put a stop to that, now that I am back with my children.Your father is so much better I can give my time to other things now.How exciting it will be to have a daughter in society! I never did wantDouglas to go to college. What made her give it up? She never did saywhat her reason was. Letters are very unsatisfactory things when one ison shipboard."
"It was money, of course," said Helen. "There was no money forcollege."
"Oh, to be sure! I forgot that college takes cash. Well, I am heartilyglad she has given it up. I think college girls get too independent. Iam dying to show you my purchases in New York."
"I am dying to see them, too, but, mumsy, I shall have to leave you nowand run and do a million things. We have a great crowd of week-enderscoming up on the late train."
"Can't Susan attend to the things?"
"Oh, Susan does a lot, but I am the chief cook and Douglas is the brainsof the concern and looks after all the money and does the buying. Nanattends to all the letter writing, and you would be astonished to seehow much she has to do because we have showers of mail about board. Lucysees to the setting of the tables, and all of us do everything thatturns up to be done. Even Bobby helps."
"How ridiculous! Well, take care of your hands, darling. I hate to seea girl with roughened hands. There is simply no excuse for it."
Helen was dazed by her mother's attitude.
"She is just presenting a duck-back to trouble," thought the girl,looking rather ruefully at her shapely hands which were showing theinevitable signs of work.
She found Douglas sitting in a forlorn heap in their tent. Hercountenance was the picture of woe.
"Helen! Helen! What are we to do?"
"Well, it wouldn't be so bad to take a trip to the White, and youcertainly deserve a change. Poor mumsy, too, is bored to death with sucha long sea trip and she needs some society."
"But, honey, the money!"
"Oh, I don't see that we need worry so about that. Mother says thatthere is not a tradesman in Richmond who would not be pleased to haveus on his books for any amount. I, for one, am longing for some newclothes. I don't mind a bit working and cooking, but I do think I needsome new things--and as for you--why, Douglas, you are a perfect ragbag."
Douglas looked at her sister in amazement. The lesson, then, was notlearned yet! She had thought that Helen understood about the necessityof making no bills as the bills were what had helped to reduce theirfather to this state of invalidism, but here she was falling into themother's way of thinking--willing to plunge into debt to any amount.
"But Dr. Wright----"
"Oh, always Dr. Wright!"
"But, Helen, you know you like Dr. Wright now and you must trust him."
"So I do. I like him better and trust him entirely and he himself toldme at the station that father was getting well fast. He said it wouldtake a little more time but that he would be perfectly well again--atleast that is what I gathered. I know father would be the last man inthe world to want his girls to go around looking like ash cats and youknow it would make him ill indeed to think that mother wanted to go toWhite Sulphur for a while and could not go because of lack of money."
"Of course it would, but surely neither you nor mother would tell himthat she wanted to go if you know there is no money to pay for such atrip."
"But there is money!" exclaimed Helen with some asperity. "You told meyourself that the camp was paying well enough for us to begin to havequite a bank account."
"Yes--but----"
"Well now, if we have some money you must think that I have helped toearn it!"
"Why, Helen dear, you have done more than any of us. You are socapable----"
"I don't say I have done more, no one could have worked harder than youhave--in fact, everybody has worked, but if I have done my share of thework, then I am certainly entitled to my share of the money and I intendto take my share and send mother to White Sulphur for a change. Ofcourse you will simply have to go with her as she has set her heart onit."
"I will not," announced Douglas, her girlish face taking on st
erndetermination.
A shout from Bobby heralded the arrival of Josephus with the luggage.The discussion ended for the time being as Douglas and Helen were bothneeded to prepare for the inroad of week-enders that were to arrive in afew minutes. Mr. Carter alighted from the cart, already looking better.He was most enthusiastic over the camp and all of its arrangements.
"I am going to be your handy man," he said, putting his arm aroundDouglas. "Are you well, honey? You look bothered."
"Oh yes, I am as well as can be," said Douglas, trying to smooth herwrinkled brow. How she did want to talk all the troubles over with herfather, but he of all persons must not be bothered. The old habit ofgoing to him with every worry was so strong that it was difficult tokeep from doing it now, but she bit her lips and held it in.
"I'll tell Lewis," she thought. "He will at least sympathize."
What was she to do about her mother and Helen? They seemed to have nomore gumption about money than the birds. Even then parcels were beingcarried into the cabin from the cart that must have meant much moneyspent in New York. Where did mother get it? The rent from the house intown had been sent to Mrs. Carter for running expenses on shipboard andhotels at the many places where they had stopped, but that must havegone for the trip. Could she have charged the purchases in New York?Poor Douglas! She had felt that the problem of making her sisters seethe necessity of economizing had been a great one, but she realized thatit was nothing to what she must face now. She felt that all her formerarguments had been in vain since Helen was dropping into her mother'shabit of thought and upholding that charming butterfly-like person inall her schemes of extravagance. Lucy was sure to follow Helen's leadand begin to demand clothes, treats, trips and what-not. Nan, dearsensible, unselfish Nan, would be the only one who would sympathize withher older sister in regard to the necessity of continuing the stricteconomy they had practiced since early in May, when Dr. Wright haddeclared that the only thing that would save their father's reason wasan immediate change, a long rest and complete cessation of all businessworries.
Nan's tastes were simple, but she had a passion for color and beautifultextiles and sometimes indulged that taste in adorning her dainty littleperson. As a rule, however, she was quite satisfied to behold the colorin a Persian rug or the wings of a butterfly. Beauty was to the girlthe most important thing in life whether it was of line, color, soundor idea. She was perfectly happy with a good book and a comfortableplace in which to curl up. Her fault was laziness, a certain physicalinertia which her indulgent mother always attributed to her delicateconstitution; but the summer in the mountains with the enforced activityhad proven that the delicate constitution was due to the inertia and notthe inertia to the delicate constitution. Up to that time in her lifethere had been no especial reason for exerting herself, but Nan was veryunselfish and when she realized that her sisters were one and allbusying themselves, she threw off her lazy habits as she would an uglyrobe, and many tasks at Week-End Camp fell to her share.
Douglas, in this trouble that had arisen, felt that she could go toNan for comfort and advice. Nan's mind was as normally active as hergraceful little body was inactive and she had a faculty of seeing herway through difficulties that the conscientious but more slowly thinkingDouglas much envied her.
"Nan, it's fifteen minutes before train time when the week-enders willcome piling in--I'm dying to have a talk with you."
"Well, don't die--just talk," drawled Nan, looking up from her book butnever stopping turning the crank of the mayonnaise mixer. This was a jobNan loved, making mayonnaise. She had gotten it down to a fine art sinceshe could mix and read at the same time. She declared it was a plainwaste of time to use your hands without using your head and sinceturning a mayonnaise mixer crank required no intelligence beyond that ofseeing that the funnel was filled with olive oil, she was able toindulge in her passion for poetry while she was making the quarts ofmayonnaise that the young housekeepers dealt out so generously to theirweek-enders.
"Listen to this!" and Nan turned the crank slowly while she read:
"'Alas for all high hopes and all desires! Like leaves in yellow autumn-time they fall-- Alas for prayers and psalms and love's pure fires-- One silence and one darkness ends them all!'"
The crank stopped and all of the oil flowed through the funnel while Nansoftly turned the leaves of Marston's "Last Harvest."
"Yes, honey, it is beautiful, but you had better read a livelier form ofverse or your salad dressing will go back on you."
"Heavens, you are right! I've got 'Barrack Room Ballads' here ready incase I get to dawdling," laughed Nan.
"I want to talk about something very important, Nan. Can you turn yourcrank and listen?"
"Yes, indeed, but you'll have to talk fast or else I'll get to pokingagain. You see, I have to keep time."
So Douglas rapidly repeated the conversations she had had with hermother and later with Helen.
"What are we to do? Must I tell Dr. Wright? I am afraid to get themstarted for fear father will be mixed up in it. He must not know motherwants to go to White Sulphur--he would be sure to say let her go andthen he would try to work again before he is fit for it, and he wouldcertainly get back into the same state he was in last spring."
"Poor little mumsy! I was sure she would not understand," and once morethe mixer played a sad measure.
"I was afraid she wouldn't," sighed Douglas, "but I did think Helen hadbeen taught a lesson and realized the importance of our keeping withinour earnings and saving something, too, for winter."
"Helen--why, she is too young for the lesson she learned to stick. Sheis nothing but a child."
"Is that so, grandmother?" laughed Douglas, amused in spite of hertrouble at Nan's ancient wisdom (Nan being some two years younger thanHelen).
"Why, Douglas, Helen has just been play-acting at being poor. She has noidea of its being a permanency," and Nan filled the funnel again withoil and began to turn her crank with vigor.
"But what are we to do? I am not going to White Sulphur and I am notgoing to make my debut--that's sure. I have never disobeyed mother thatI can remember, but this time I shall have to. I don't know what I am tosay about the trip to the White. Helen is saying she has helped to earnthe money and she means to spend her share giving poor mumsy a littlefun after her tiresome long journey on the water. I wish we had nevertold her we were able to put something in the bank last month. It wasprecious little and Helen's share would not keep them at White Sulphurmore than two or three days. Helen thinks I am stingy and mother thinksI am stubborn and ugly and sunburned--and there's the train with all theweek-enders----" and poor Douglas gave a little sob.
"And I have turned my wheel until this old mayonnaise is done--just lookhow beautiful it is! And you, poor old Doug, must just leave it to me,and I'll think up something to keep them here if I have to break outwith smallpox and get them quarantined on the mountain."
"Oh, Nan! Is there some way out of it without letting father know thatmother wants something and cannot have it for lack of money?"
"Sure there is! You go powder your nose and put on a blue linen blouseand give a few licks to your pretty hair while I hand over themayonnaise to Gwen and see that Lucy has counted noses for the suppertables. I've almost got a good reason already for mumsy's staying hereaside from the lack of tin, but I must get it off to her with greatfinesse."
"I knew you would help!" and Douglas gave her little sister and themayonnaise bowl an impartial hug, and then hastened to make herself morepresentable, hoping to find favor in the eyes of her fastidious mother.