CHAPTER XXI
STRANGE DISCLOSURES
For a moment no one spoke--they were all so surprised.
"Hello!" called out Vita. "What's this? A party?" Her English wasperfect.
"No, it isn't Vita," Nora managed to answer. "I was almost scared todeath----"
"Let me tell her, Nora," interrupted Thistle, the leader.
"I'm not going in that house with her until Cousin Ted comes home,"declared Nora. "Vita is always putting me off. She knows what that noiseup in the attic is."
"Have you heard it before?" asked Betta.
"Yes, a number of times----"
"Then, if the moaner did not die before, Nora, what makes you think thepresent attack would be fatal?" Wyn came out from the bush to inquire.
"Land sakes, Wyn! Will you hush? Fun is all right in its place but thisis serious," warned Pell.
"Looks it," whispered the same Wyn, into Betta's unwilling ear.
"Nonsense, standing here like a----"
"Serenading party," finished Laddie. "Let's begin."
"Serenading?" An uncertain and feeble whistle followed, but in the darkno one owned up to it.
"You coming in? No?" asked and answered Vita.
"No. We are not coming in," declared Nora, who had stepped up to thedoor at which the spacious Vita stood. "We heard a noise up in the atticand we were coming in to investigate, but we won't now."
The girls were audibly disappointed. They said so outright.
"Perhaps she doesn't know a thing about it," suggested Laddie. "Don'tyou think, Nora, we ought to go in and look around?"
"No, I don't. She is in the plot, or secret or whatever it is," declaredNora aside. "When I first came here I heard it----"
"Why didn't you tell us?" demanded Doro. The parade had come to auseless halt.
"I don't know," murmured Nora. "You know I had queer ideas at first,"she faltered, unconsciously smoothing down the pretty little velvetknickers and slipping a nervous hand into an inadequate pocket.
"We know, but we all have--at first," admitted Laddie. "I used to thinkI would love Thistle, and see what she has done to us with her oldbossing." The challenge went unanswered.
"Can't we go to the bench and talk it over?" suggested Betta, unwillingto leave the scene thus unsatisfied.
"Oh, no, please don't," begged Nora. "I don't know just what I fear, butactually, girls," she did whisper this, "I am as much afraid of Vita nowas I am of the thing up in the attic."
"Your nice, fat, good natured Vita?" asked Pell in surprise. The personspoken of had gone indoors discreetly.
"I don't mean that I am afraid of her all the time," Nora hastened tocorrect. "She is as good as gold, generally, and I am sure Vita ishonorable. But it is that attic affair--she is in some way connectedwith that, and I am not going to take a chance of getting frightenedagain tonight. You have no idea how I felt, up there all alone, in factI was all alone in the house when I heard that groan."
"Groan?" Wyn could not resist. "I thought it was a moan?"
But no one paid any attention to the remark. Betta suggested they agreewith Nora and all go back to camp.
"We can bring Nora back home about the time she expects her CousinJerry," Betta's suggestion included. "There is no sense in subjectingher to more terror with the Italian woman."
"For once I agree with you, Betta," answered Thistle. "March back to theChickadee, every Scout of you, and see that you don't wallow in that mudpuddle."
"But the prince?" inquired Wyn. "Is he to walk through ordinary mudpuddles?"
"No. Of course not. You and the other big girl, Treble by name, are tocarry him. Avaunt!" ordered the leader.
"Oh please----" protested Nora; but in vain. She was upon the shouldersof Wyn and Treble before she had a chance to finish her useless appeal.
"Put your royal arms around me," chanted Treble.
"If you don't you may be dumped," warned the other slave.
"Listen!" ordered someone. "Here comes the whole camp! Are we out afterhours?"
"If we are we can plead emergency," explained Thistle. "How could wewait for permission when someone was moaning to death?"
They took up the march in real earnest. As faithful Scouts they alwayskept to regulations and found pleasure in doing so. Only Nora's call ofdistress had lured them away as darkness was setting in.
"Please let me walk," begged Nora. "I know you must get back as quicklyas you can, and I am sure I have given you enough trouble."
"We love to carry you," insisted Wyn. "Besides, we know it's our lastchance. Alma will be unconscious in the throes of love from this on,"she finished with a lurch that brought the erstwhile prince to "his"feet in spite of their intentions.
A few more accidents, minor and major, according to the way saidaccidents were accepted, and the squad arrived at Chickadee. Nora wasnow more embarrassed than ever. How could she again go in among allthose sensibly-clad girls in that ridiculous costume? Besides, now shewas bound to tell the whole miserable story.
"Where have you girls been?" began Becky, who stood waiting. "Did younot know this was story night?"
"We have been out scouting, and we did," replied Thistle in her mostdocile tone. "Becky, love, we have the bravest thrill of our entirecareer to unfold."
"Begin, please, by explaining the infraction of hours," said MissBeckwith, although her manner belied her demand, and the summer twilightlasted.
"The thrill is none other than someone, anyone, dying of moans," saidWyn. "We have with us tonight----"
At this she craned her neck over the tallest of them to locate littleNora. But she, the guest of honor, was hiding behind Treble.
"When you hear the whole wonderful tale," promised Pell, "you will onlybe sorry you were not along. We have been out gunning for attic ghosts."After more talk of this variety Nora was dragged forth.
How pretty she looked in the camp light! A glow from the fire that hadbeen lighted for stories, surrounded the little prince, and, as thepicturesque figure stood in the center of the group of admiring eyes,even the glory of the modern Scout uniform was threatened with eclipse.In the late twilight the effect was entrancing.
"Isn't she darling?"
"Just look at those--panties?"
"Oh, don't you remember----"
"Sweet Alice Ben Bolt."
"No, not Alice, but the night we fought over those bloomers," recalledTreble.
"They're not bloomers. They're rompers."
Then began that whole foolish debate which ended up by Thistle declaringthey might be overalls for all it mattered, if only the girls would letNora tell her story. Pell and Treble agreed. The introduction wasbriefly outlined for Becky's benefit, then Nora was allowed to tell itas it appeared to her--that is, she was allowed to begin to tell it thatway, but what with the interruptions, the suggestions, the questions,and the qualifying clauses, it was small wonder the willing culprit madepoor headway.
As the story took the shape of a confession Nora seemed to be theculprit, but judging from the approval voiced by the multitude they allhad little regard for _her_ brand of "crime." In other words, Nora onlyimagined she had offended, the entire detail made a most interestingstory as it was told around the campfire blaze of Chickadee Patrol.
She admitted frankly that her early notions were anything but practical,she bravely recounted her weakness for fancy things, including ivorybureau sets and pink ribbons, to which more than one Chickadee added herown little admission, in fact, Pell said she always did and always wouldlove pink; brown khaki and smoked pearl buttons to the contrarynotwithstanding.
The telling of her attempt at attic tenancy brought forth peal afterpeal of laughter, in which Nora joined. Then she told all about herdisguise as the fabled and famous prince.
"I think it is all too jolly for words," insisted Laddie, "and what doyou say, girls, to our adopting Prince Adorable for our mascot?"
This precipitated more trouble. Nora was put on the table, that long boxused when weather was p
leasant and drenched when weather was wet, andfrom that grandstand, or throne, she was called upon to make sillyspeeches, prompted by Wyn and interrupted by Betta.
Alma objected. She insisted Nora had hinted to her something she oughtto tell the others. And she further maintained it was a matter seriousenough to put a stop to all nonsense, and "if the girls aren't willingto listen quietly, I shall take Nora over to the other tent, where shecan tell Becky in peace," threatened Alma.
This put a soft pedal on all unnecessary sounds: even Wyn desisted.
"Tell us, Nora, please do tell," begged Wyn. "We have had fun enough togive our poor jaws a rest. Mine are aching from laughing."
So Nora began.