CHAPTER VIII
Time passed, a great many things happening. Gwenny, accompanied by hermother (there being plenty of money for everything), was taken away tothe place of her great trial. When the question arose as to what shouldbe done with Mary and Tommy and Myron and Luella and Baby Christopher,Rosanna thought of Minnie, always so good and kind. She went to see her,and the result was that Minnie volunteered to stay at Gwenny's and runthe little house and take care of the children as long as Mrs. Harterwas needed in Cincinnati. Both Doctor MacLaren and Mr. Horton went withMrs. Harter and Gwenny, and made the journey as comfortable as theypossibly could. The great Doctor Branshaw, after seeing his patient,said that she must have at least a week of rest under his own eye beforehe would be willing to try the operation. So Gwenny was settled in asunny room at the hospital where she at once became the pet of the wardand Doctor MacLaren and Mr. Horton came home.
Late in the afternoon, the very next Sunday, Mr. Horton came into thehouse looking the picture of gloom. He scarcely spoke to his mother andRosanna but rushed up to his room and immediately there was a sound ofthings being dragged around, and many footsteps. And the door opened andshut a great many times. Mrs. Horton wondered what that boy was up tonow and went on reading. But Rosanna listened with a black suspiciongrowing in her mind.
And, sure enough, Mr. Horton came down presently to announce that he wasgoing away for a few weeks. He was getting stale, he said, and needed alittle change. When he saw Rosanna's round eyes fixed on him, he lookedaway but repeated that he felt stale.
"It is that War," said his mother, as though the war should be severelyreprimanded. "Before you went into that war, you were always contented.Now nothing contents you for long."
"Perhaps you are right," admitted Robert absently. "At all events I canbe spared from the office just now better than at any other time, and Iam going to go away."
And go he did an hour later. Mrs. Hargrave and Elise came in presentlyto take Sunday night luncheon.
"Where is Robert?" asked Mrs. Hargrave, seeing that no place was set forhim.
"Gone off for a vacation," said his mother.
"Dear me, isn't he well?" asked Mrs. Hargrave.
"Perfectly, but he just took one of his notions and went."
"Anything--er--happened, do you suppose?" questioned Mrs. Hargrave."Anything--er, _you_ know. Misunderstanding?"
"Possibly," answered Mrs. Horton. "That is what I suspect. But I don't_know_ anything."
"Oh dear, oh dear!" cried Mrs. Hargrave, folding her fine old handstogether. "It is too bad! Can't something be done? Why, Robert is thefinest boy in this world! He is just what I dream my son would have beenif I had had one. Do you suppose one could say anything to the otherperson?"
"No, indeed," said Mrs. Horton. "I don't _know_, you see. I onlysuspect."
So Uncle Robert went away, and Gwenny was off at the hospital, andRosanna and Helen spent all their time drilling Elise in therequirements of the Tenderfoot examination. Elise was quick to learn,but she found more difficulty in learning this because her knowledge ofEnglish was of course limited. The girls were anxious to make abrilliant showing with their recruit.
Over and over they drilled her in the Tenderfoot examination, at thelast requiring her to write the answers to the examination paper whichread as follows:
TENDERFOOT EXAMINATION,
WRITTEN.
1 a Give the Scout promise. b What does the Scout motto mean?
2 Give the Scout laws in order.
3 a What is the purpose of the Scout movement? b What does a Scout's honor mean? c Give the meaning of one law. d How and when should the Scout salute be given? e Explain the Scout badge.
4 a Who made the American flag? b Why was a flag needed? c In what city was it made? What year? d Name the committee appointed to design it.
5 a Quote General Washington's words about the flag. b When was the flag officially adopted? c Describe the first official flag of the stars and stripes.
6 a What do the stars represent? The stripes? b For what do the colors, red, white and blue stand? c How many stars has the flag now? What day is Flag day? d When is a new star added and why?
7 Give fully the respect due the flag.
8 a What should Scouts do when the National Anthem is played? b What should Civilians do at Retreat? Scouts?
9 a What is the United States Government? b Who is at its head? c Name the Commissioners of the District of Columbia.
10 a Write America. b Write The Star Spangled Banner (omitting 3rd stanza).
Then followed the demonstration of knots and knot tying. Over and overthey drilled her, and Elise was an apt pupil. Her delicate littlefingers seemed to know of themselves what to do.
"I am glad she is to _write_ that examination," sighed Helen the daybefore Elise was to go to Captain Hooker and take her examinationformally. She was to be examined on Friday afternoon, and at the meetingSaturday night she was to become a Tenderfoot Scout member of theirpatrol.
"What difference does it make whether she writes the exam, or recitesher answers?" returned Rosanna. "She speaks brokenly, of course, butthat does not matter."
"All it matters is that no one could hear her speak of GeneralWashington the way she does in her funny broken English, without wantingto scream. It is so funny."
Funny or not, Elise went through her examination most successfully andSaturday night accompanied Helen and Rosanna to the meeting at MissHooker's house. Their little Captain had fitted up a room specially forher girls, where they could keep their various documents and where theseats, the neat desk for the secretary, and the standard for the bigsilk flag did not need to be disturbed in the intervals betweenmeetings.
Elise was thrilled beyond words.
As they entered the room she saw that the two girls saluted their littleCaptain. Not knowing if she was expected to salute before becoming aScout, Elise dropped a shy curtsey and followed Rosanna to a seat wherethey awaited the full number of Scouts and the shrill whistle from theLieutenant which brought the meeting to order.
"The first whistle means _Attention_," whispered Helen.
Once again it sounded.
"That is for Assembly," whispered Rosanna on the other side, as all thegirls rose.
Leaving Elise in her seat, the Scouts formed in double ranks at adistance of forty inches between ranks and an interval of sixty inchesbetween patrols.
The eight girls who formed a patrol took their places in groups assignified by the crosses.
Patrol Patrol Patrol XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Captain X X Lieutenant
Elise found out afterward that number one in the front rank of eachpatrol is the Patrol leader, and number four the Corporal.
At the command "Company, attention!" from the little Captain, nowstanding so straight and so stern that Elise scarcely recognized her,the Company as a whole stiffened to attention.
The Lieutenant, a tall, pretty girl of nineteen, then commanded,"Corporals from Patrols!" and the three Corporals stepped forward twopaces, made two right turns, and stood facing the center of the patrol.The Corporals then snapped out together, "Attention! Right Dress!" afterwhich they faced left, took two paces, made right turn, right face, andlooked critically down the line to see that it was perfectly straight.After two short left steps to straighten the rear line, they facedright, took four paces forward, and with two right turns got back inposition facing patrol and called the command "Front! Count off!"
The Corporals then one after the other called the roll of her Patrol,and finishing that, turned and reported to the Lieutenant that thePatrol was formed, after which they returned to their places in theranks, and the Lieutenant, saluting the Captain, reported, "Captain, theCompany is formed."
Inspection then followed. Each girl, saluting, stepped forward and herhair, teeth, h
ands, nails, shoes and general appearance was scrutinized.
Elise watched all this with great interest, interest which deepened asthe Captain commanded "Color guard, march!" and three girls stepped fromthe ranks and stood side by side for a moment, then at a word of commandmarched to the flag. There they saluted and marched back; when theCaptain and the Lieutenant faced about, and the Captain in her silveryvoice said:
"The Flag of your Country; pledge allegiance!"
With one voice the girls united in the beautiful pledge to the flag, "Ipledge allegiance to the flag, and to the republic for which it stands;one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
Elise looked at the silken folds of the glorious red, white and bluewith tears in her eyes. How glad she was to make that pledge! Had notthat flag, the flag that was now her own, floated over the shell-rackedfields of France? Oh, she _loved_ it!
The color guard returned, and the fresh young voices rose in the firstverse of America.
"Scouts, your promise!" said the Captain.
"To do my duty to God and to my country. To help other people at all times. To obey the laws of the Scouts."
the voices rang out.
"The laws!" said the Captain.
Again the chorus of girls repeated:
A Girl Scout's honor is to be trusted. A Girl Scout is loyal. A Girl Scout's duty is to be useful, and help others. A Girl Scout is a friend to all, and a sister to every other Girl Scout. A Girl Scout is courteous. A Girl Scout keeps herself pure. A Girl Scout is a friend to animals. A Girl Scout obeys orders. A Girl Scout is cheerful. A Girl Scout is thrifty.
"Dismissed!" said the little Captain and, breaking ranks, the girls wentto their seats where they sat talking in low tones until the sharp soundof the Lieutenant's whistle called them to attention again.
"Now I do come," said Elise to herself, and her heart commenced tohammer in quite an alarming fashion. But it was not quite time for herto rise. Looking at Rosanna, she saw her give a slight shake of thehead, and Elise leaned back in her seat while all the business of themeeting was settled and plans made for some aid for a poor family livingnear.
One thing Elise noticed particularly. The girls present were widelydifferent in looks, and Elise with her delicate perceptions saw plainlythat they belonged in widely differing classes, so called. A few of thegirls, Rosanna among them, had the carefully cared for and delicatelynurtured look of the very rich. More were like Helen, clean, carefullygroomed and almost precise in her dress and accessories. Others werevery evidently poor, with rough little hands that already told the storyof hard work and few toilet creams. But whoever they were, they saw nodifference in each other. They were Girl Scouts in the fullest and bestsense of the word: sisters pledged to each other, and living up to thatpledge in all earnestness and honor.
Elise, waiting for her summons to go forward, and understanding nothingof the business that was going on, threw her thoughts backward. She sawherself the idolized child of the gay, rich young couple in the greatchateau, where long painted lines of powdered and frilled and armor-cladancestors looked down at her from the long galleries, and where dozensof willing servants danced to do her bidding. Then the picture changed,and with the roll of drums and the thunder of cannon she saw the hatedfoe march across her land, destroying as they came. Father, mother,grandmother, home, riches; all went down as under a devouring tide. Thenthe promises of her Monsieur Bob, and after long, long weary days spentwith the ladies of the Red Cross came the journey into the Unknown, thattrip across an ocean that was to forever separate her from a past thatwas too terrible for a little girl to have known.
To have found refuge in Mrs. Hargrave's tender arms, to have won suchlove and such friends--to be able to be a Girl Scout--
Elise turned her eyes, brimming with sudden tears, to the flag.
"Never, _never_ will I zem disappoint!" she whispered tenderly, using asbest she could the unfamiliar words of her adopted tongue.