CHAPTER XIII
The Life-boat Anniversary
On the following Wednesday three much-disinfected girls took theirplaces in the train, and started off for the short remainder of theirholiday.
"I wish we didn't smell so horribly of carbolic!" protested Dulcie. "I'msure everybody'll think we're coming from a fever hospital, and give usa wide berth."
"All the better if we can keep the carriage to ourselves," chuckledDeirdre. "Those three old ladies were just going to come in, when theyturned suspicious and sheered off in a hurry. I feel rather inclined tolabel myself 'Recovering from Measles'."
"Then you'd come under the Infectious Diseases Act, and be fined fortravelling in a public conveyance. Perhaps they'd turn you out, and putyou in the guard's van."
"To give him measles? How kind! But I'd travel in a cattle-truck to gethome. Only one week of the holidays left! I mean to get the most amazingamount into the time, I assure you."
Deirdre and Dulcie were travelling together to Wexminster, where theirways parted, and Gerda was to go on to Hunstan Junction, where shewould be met by a relative. If she was pleased at the prospect, she didnot betray much excitement, nor did she vouchsafe any details of whatwas in store for her. The chums were too busy with their own plans toconcern themselves with hers, and jumped out of the train at Wexminsterin such a hurry that they almost forgot to bid her good-bye. Ratherconscience-stricken, Dulcie remembered just in time, and turned back tothe carriage window.
"Good-bye! I hope you'll have as jolly holidays as mine," she called.
"Thank you!" said Gerda, waving her hand, with a wan little smile, asthe train began to move. And for the first time since they had known oneanother, it struck Dulcie that there was something infinitely sad andpathetic about her mysterious school-fellow.
Could she really be a spy? The chums had discussed the question againand again. Her German associations, her intense reserve, and, above all,her incriminating meetings on the shore, seemed highly suspicious. Whatwas the secret that she so persistently concealed? And what theexplanation of the letter she had placed in the bottle? For the presentthe riddle must remain unanswered. Both they and she had turned theirbacks on Pontperran for one brief week, and during that time neithersuspicions nor speculations must disturb the full bliss of their belatedholiday.
Deirdre and Dulcie made up for the shortness of the vacation by thethorough enjoyment of each precious day, and when they returned to theDower House had enough material for conversation to last them a month ormore. Even Gerda appeared cheered by the change. Though she did notoffer any details of her doings, she admitted she had enjoyed herself inLondon. She looked brighter, and was more ready than formerly to join inthe life of the school and take some part in all that was going on. Thechums watched her closely, but found her conduct perfectly regular andorthodox. She indulged in no more surreptitious expeditions to theshore, and did not attempt, when on the warren, to separate herself fromthe others. Since the day they had been marooned on the island, Deirdreand Dulcie had not seen the brown-jerseyed stranger again. Theyconcluded that he must have left the neighbourhood, and have suspendedhis evil designs till a more favourable season.
Though they could not in any degree trust her, they certainly foundGerda a more genial companion than she had been last term. Her reserveabout her own affairs remained unshaken, but she began to show aninterest in school doings. She took keenly to tennis, and improved sorapidly that she was soon one of the best players, and even vanquishedJessie Macpherson in singles--a great triumph for VB.
"She's 'Gerda the Sphinx' still, but she's not quite so bad as she wasbefore," said Dulcie.
The bedroom shared by the three girls had been well disinfected andrepapered before their return after the measles. They themselves wereregarded rather in the light of heroines by the others.
"You weren't quite clever enough, though," said Betty Scott. "If you'dmanaged to catch it in term time it would have been a real excitement,and perhaps it would have spread, and we should have had one of thedormitories turned into a nice little hospital."
Betty spoke regretfully, as if she had lost an opportunity which mightnot occur again. Evidently measles at school was an experience shecraved for. Not a solitary germ, however, had survived the stoving andwhitewashing, and the health record at the Dower House maintained itsformer standard of excellence.
The summer term was always of more than usual interest. The school livedlargely out-of-doors, many classes were held in the garden, and meals,when weather permitted, were often taken on the lawn. The girls wouldparticularly petition for breakfast in the open air. It was delightfulto sit in the warmth of the early morning sunshine, with birds singingin chorus in the trees and shrubs around, and the scent of lilac andhawthorn wafted by the gentle little breeze that was blowing white capsto the waves on the gleaming sea below the cliffs. The wholeneighbourhood of Pontperran changed annually after Easter. During thewinter it was as sleepy and quiet a spot as could be imagined, with noexcitements beyond an occasional temperance meeting or village concert.In the summer it woke up. Every farm or cottage that had a room to sparelet it to visitors. The place had a reputation amongst both artists andanglers, and throughout the season easels might be seen pitched at everypicturesque corner, and the one hotel blossomed out into thehead-quarters of the "Izaak Walton Club". So long as the visitors didnot attempt to trespass on the headland, the girls rather enjoyed theiradvent. It was interesting to try to catch a glimpse of an artist'spicture as they passed his easel, and the added gaiety in the villagefound its way to the school. Miss Birks took her pupils to an occasionalconcert or entertainment, and never omitted to let them attend suchimportant functions as Hospital Saturday Parade and the Life-boatcelebrations.
It had been decided by the local authorities this year to keep theLife-boat anniversary on Whit Monday. On that day large numbers ofvisitors often came to Pontperran from other seaside places, acircumstance which would largely enhance the possibility of a goodcollection. The girls at the Dower House, having had a long Easterholiday, were not going home for Whitsuntide, so, with Miss Birks'spermission, they were pressed into the service, and requisitioned tosell flowers and take donations. As it was the first time they had beenallowed to play such a public part, they were much delighted andexcited.
"It's as good as a bazaar, only more fun, because it will be in thestreets," said Evie Bennett.
"We'll just make people buy," announced Annie Pridwell. "I'm not goingto take a single flower back with me, I've made up my mind about that!"
"I hope people will feel generous," said Elyned Hughes.
It was arranged that the girls should be dressed in white, and shouldwear their school hats, and a badge consisting of a scarlet sash tiedover the shoulder and under one arm. The flowers--imitationcorn-flowers--were supplied at the public hall; they were made into tinybuttonholes, which were to be sold for the sum of twopence, or anythingmore that the charitable felt disposed to give for them. The collectorswere to go two and two together, one to sell the flowers, and the otherto hold the miniature life-boat into which the pennies were to bedropped. Dulcie begged hard to be allowed to collect with Deirdre, butthis Miss Birks would not permit, apportioning an elder girl to eachyounger one, so that Dulcie, instead of having her chum for a partner,found herself, rather to her chagrin, placed with Jessie Macpherson, thehead of the school.
"It isn't going to be fun at all!" she lamented. "I'd almost as soon goabout with Miss Harding. I thought we should have had a ripping time.I'll undertake Jessie will want to sell all the flowers herself, andmake me rattle the box."
Jessie decidedly had views on the due subordination of younger girls,and would probably have fulfilled Dulcie's gloomy prophecy, had not MissBirks intervened with the injunction that the seniors were to commencethe sale of the flowers, then when half the stock was disposed of, theremainder was to be handed over to the juniors, so that each might havea fair part in the proceedings.
"Jessie looked rather s
ulky about it," chuckled Dulcie. "I shall seethat those flowers are divided equally and she doesn't take more thanher legitimate share of them. Twenty buttonholes apiece is the portion.I've a good mind to label mine."
This particular anniversary was to be one of more than ordinaryinterest, for a new life-boat had been presented to the station, and wasto be launched amid general rejoicings. A large influx of visitors wasexpected, so there seemed every reasonable hope of a speedy sale of thepretty little bouquets.
"I only wish they'd been real flowers," said Deirdre, who, with IreneJordan, had been apportioned a beat in the main street near theprincipal shops.
"The real ones fade so horribly quickly," replied Irene. "They wouldhave been drooping by the time we got them down to the town, and they'donly last about an hour in people's buttonholes. These are really verypretty, and can be kept as mementoes. I shan't part with mine till nextyear. Now, are you ready? I'm going to tackle that old gentleman overthere; he looks charitably disposed."
At first the girls were rather shy in pressing their wares, but peopleresponded so kindly and readily that they took courage, and offered themeven in unlikely quarters. It was amazing how many and what variedcustomers they found. A ragged, roguish-looking urchin, who generallybegged from them when he could snatch the opportunity, came up now, andinvested his twopence in the biggest posy he could select, standing withquite the air of a dandy as Irene pinned the treasure on to his fadedlittle jersey. He dropped the coppers into the life-boat with keenenjoyment, and retired beaming, satisfied that he had contributed hissmall share to the general fund. Day trippers proved a harvest, someputting threepenny bits or sixpences in place of pennies, and buyingmore than one bouquet. A waggish young fellow decorated his sailor hatwith enough bunches to form a wreath, quite finishing Irene's stock, andencroaching on Deirdre's half of the tray. Several ladies tied bouquetson to the collars of their pet dogs, and a sweet little girl insistedupon making a purchase on behalf of her doll. A small, very spoilt boywanted to carry off the miniature life-boat, and howled lustily when herealized that it was not for sale; but was consoled when Irene allowedhim to hold it for a few minutes, and rattle it suggestively atpassers-by. So delighted was he with the novel occupation that his nursecould scarcely tear him away, and it was only by the bribe of a bun thatshe cajoled him into restoring the box to its lawful owner.
"It's getting almost too full to shake!" laughed Irene. "If everyoneelse has done as well as ourselves, this ought to be a record day. Oh,look! There's Miss Herbert with Ronnie! They're coming this way!"
"Ronnie must have one of my bunches, if I buy it myself and give ithim!" declared Deirdre.
But Ronnie had come with his small pockets well lined with pennies whichhe was burning to spend. He gallantly chose a buttonhole for hisgoverness first then one for himself, and would have added a third forhis aunt had not Miss Herbert reminded him that he would meet otherfriends with trays of flowers if they walked farther down the street.
"I want to buy some from Jessie," he sighed, "and from Gerda. I do likeGerda--the best of anybody!"
"He's taken quite a fancy to Gerda," laughed Miss Herbert. "He oftentalks about her. And really she's very kind. She gives him so manypicture post cards--the sort he loves, with photographs of animals onthem. I think she must get them from Germany. I've never seen any likethem in England."
"Gerda's ripping!" remarked Ronnie as he trotted away.
Deirdre looked after him in much astonishment. She remembered how on theoccasion of Ronnie's birthday Gerda had paid him a surreptitious visit,and given him a present on her own account, but she had no idea that thefriendship had been continued. Gerda must surely have seen him on otheroccasions, and won his favour. Ronnie was so entirely the "King of theCastle" to the school at the Dower House that Deirdre felt hugelyindignant at the notion of her room-mate stealing a march on hisaffections. It was an extraordinary thing, she reflected, that Ronnieshould care for anybody so silent and uninteresting. Then a mentalvision returned to her of Gerda's eager, animated face, as she had seenit when she had peeped unobserved over the wall. No, Gerda had notlooked silent and uninterested when she was alone with Ronnie.
"The girl's a riddle. I can make nothing of her," decided Deirdre.
By half-past eleven the enthusiastic flower vendors had the extremesatisfaction of finding their trays cleared, and their miniaturelife-boats grown extremely heavy. They carried the latter to the publichall, and delivered them safely to the secretary of the fund; then,being off duty, they wended their way to the quay to await thatmost-important function, the launching of the new life-boat. Quite acrowd was assembled, of both visitors and townspeople, and the place foronce seemed full almost to overflowing. A long jetty stretched out fromthe harbour, and here, during the summer months, large numbers of lasseswere busy every day packing fish into barrels and boxes. They were abonny, picturesque crew, most of them wearing gay-coloured handkerchiefstied over their heads, and short sleeves which showed their well-shapedarms to advantage. They were brought to Cornwall for the summer fromScotland, in a special vessel chartered for the purpose, and performedtheir task of fish packing with a skill and dispatch in which nobodycould rival them.
For the moment they had ceased work, and, wiping the scales from theirhands, stood watching the preparations with as keen interest as anybody.
"They're talking Gaelic to each other!" exclaimed Ronnie, running up toDeirdre in great excitement. "Oh, it sounds so funny! Miss Herbert saysit's rather like Welsh. I asked one of them to say something, and shejust gabbled gibberish, and said it meant I was a sweet, nice littleboy. She let me stand on a barrel, and I could see so well, but MissHerbert made me get down, because she said it was too fishy."
"Come and stand here with me," suggested Deirdre persuasively.
"No, I'm going to Gerda--she's over there and smiling at me. Good-bye!"and Ronnie rushed away tumultuously to join his latest favourite,placing himself so extremely near to the edge of the quay as to haveinvolved imminent danger, had not Gerda held one of his small hands, andMiss Herbert the other.
As everybody seemed to be collected, and the appointed hour of noon wasalready past, a flag was waved as a signal for the proceedings to begin.First a blank charge was fired, which rang over the water with atremendous report, scaring those who were not quite prepared for it, andmaking some people clap their hands over their ears. Then the greatdoors of the National station swung open, and the beautiful newlife-boat came gliding gently out on her path to the sea. All her crewwere in new jerseys and scarlet caps, and as the bow of their vesselfirst touched the water, they broke into a mighty ringing cheer. It wastaken up by the crowd, and from every side came hurrahs and shouts ofcongratulation. Ronnie was flourishing his hat frantically (with MissHerbert and Gerda both clutching him in the rear) and hurrahing with allthe power of his young lungs; the fish packers were clapping and wavinghandkerchiefs; and even the sea-birds, frightened probably by the gun,screamed as if adding their quota to the general disturbance.
"I do like anything that makes a noise!" declared Ronnie, when theexcitement had calmed down a little, and everyone was tired of shouting."I'm going to ask Auntie to let me fire the two old cannon on theterrace at home when I go back."
"I'm quite sure she won't!" laughed Miss Herbert.
The life-boat made a short trial trip round the harbour, then, returningto the quay, the coxswain announced that they would be pleased to takevisitors on board in relays, and gave a special first invitation to theyoung ladies who had so kindly sold flowers in the interest of theinstitution. With Miss Birks's permission the delighted girls descendedthe stone steps, and were jumped by sturdy sailors into the boat. Ronniebegged so hard to be of the party that his pretty wistful little facegained the day, and the coxswain himself took him in his arms, andhanded him safely on board. Very proud he was of his trip, and veryloath to go back to dry land when the vessel, after a partial tour ofthe harbour, returned to take a fresh cargo of young people.
W
hen those of the juveniles among the crowd who cared to venture had hadtheir turn, the crew provided a fresh sensation by giving an exhibitionof life-saving. One of their number jumped into the water, and, throwingup his hands, shouted as if in the utmost jeopardy of his life.Immediately the boat was turned, a rope flung, and in record time he wasrescued, hauled on board, and revived. The rocket apparatus was nextfixed, and the crowd watched with deepest interest as a rope was firedover the vessel, and skilfully caught and attached by the crew, who thendrew up the "cradle", a rough canvas bag, in which the passage from thelife-boat to the shore must be made. Without wasting a moment one of themen was popped in, then those on shore hauled him as rapidly as possibleto land. He kept dipping in the water as he came, so the girls decidedthat in a real storm it must be an extremely perilous passage, and hewould be likely to arrive half-drowned.
"I don't think I'd ever dare to be saved in a dreadful thing like that!"shuddered Dulcie. "I'd rather stay on board and take my chance."
"I wish they'd let me go in it!" said Ronnie. "Are they going to takevisitors as passengers? I'm going to run down the steps, and ask them tohave me first!"
"No, you're not!" laughed Miss Herbert. "You're getting tooobstreperous, young man, and I must take you home. Say good-bye to thegirls."
"Good-bye! Oh, hasn't it been glorious! I have so enjoyed myself! Whenwill the next fun be?"
"Not till Empire Day. Then we'll have the beacon fire on the headland."
"Oh, lovely! I wish it was to-morrow! What, Gerda?" as his friend bentover him and murmured something. "Really? Oh, how spiffing! Rather!"
"What was Gerda whispering to you?" asked Deirdre jealously.
"Shan't tell you! It's a secret between her and me," chirruped Ronnie ashe danced away.