THE GUARDIAN
Miss Martha McMurtry was an odd guardian for a Camp Fire club which owed
its existence to Betty Ashton's enthusiasm, for two more different
persons cannot well be imagined. Of course the girls in the club were
of many kinds and characters and it would have been almost impossible
for any guardian to have been congenial with all of them, but it was
unfortunate that the head of the Sunrise Camp and the two girls who were
its leading spirits had at the beginning of the summer so little in
common. For there was no question but that Betty and Polly were
leaders, one week in camp had been more than sufficient to prove this.
Betty's influence was of course easy to understand, for she was
uncommonly pretty and wealthy, and though spoiled and wayward, given to
sudden generous impulses and affections which made her friends willing
to overlook her faults. With Polly, O'Neill the case was different, she
had no money and was not particularly good looking, it was simply that
the intensity of her emotions would always, whether as a woman or child,
make her a force for good or evil. When Polly was happy persons about
her found it almost impossible not to share in her mood, she had such a
delicious sense of humor and was so full of clever jokes and delicate,
unconscious flatterings. Then when an ugly mood descended upon her,
and, as Polly in Irish fashion used to say, "a witch rode on her
shoulders," it was almost equally impossible to ignore her foolishly
tragic points of view. There is an old name for Ireland, Innis Fodhla,
which means the Island of Destiny, and though Polly had been born in a
little New England village, nevertheless, in her blood there was a
strain of those inheritances which have made the Irish nation so unlike
all others.
While Betty and Polly were friends there was apt to be peace among all
the girls in camp, but if they should disagree? Ah well, they had never
really had any serious differences of opinion in their lives which
Mollie, after the passing of a day or two, had not been able to smooth
over. And they both had every intention of making themselves as
agreeable as possible to their guardian.
Of course from the beginning of things it had been perfectly apparent
that Betty would never voluntarily have chosen Miss McMurtry for their
camp guardian, but finding that her science teacher was the only woman
in Woodford who knew about the Camp Fire movement and was able to spend
the summer with them, she had accepted the situation with as good a
grace as possible.
Miss Martha McMurtry was not an attractive woman when she first came
into the Sunrise Camp. Names have an odd fashion of describing the
persons who own them and Miss McMurtry's exactly described her. Have
you not a mental picture of a tall, learned young woman, with straight
black hair, which she wore pulled back very tight, forming an
unattractive knot at the back of her head? Of course she also wore
glasses, having spent all her life inside of books until her pupils were
convinced that she knew everything in the world. She did know a great
deal and because of her knowledge was a splendid Camp Fire guardian, but
there were a few things about human nature which her girls were to teach
her in exchange for her science. Her information covered a number of
fields, for while she taught botany and chemistry at the Girls' High
School, she had also taken a two years' course in domestic science
before beginning her teaching. Miss McMurtry was only twenty-six, had
no family and lived all alone in a small house in Woodford. However, she
appeared much older, and one of the questions her pupils were never able
to answer was whether she had ever had a man call on her in her life.
About her early history there was very little known, as she did not care
to talk about herself and no one asked about her past.
About five o'clock on the next afternoon Miss McMurtry and Esther Clark
were seated not far from a small fire which they had lately built near
their pine grove. The day was not cold, but New Hampshire is seldom
very warm in June and, besides, no one in camp ever tried to resist the
opportunity for having a fire when most of their pleasure in being in
camp centered around it.
Back and forth from the pine grove to his friends Hai-ya, Little
Brother, traveled. He was cheerfully engaged in bringing pine cones to
Miss McMurtry, and piling them into a small mound, later to be thrown on
the fire. On the ground between the woman and girl were some odd pieces
of khaki galatea, bits of leather fringe, shells and beads, and Esther
was busily sewing. Miss McMurtry was writing: several times she had
torn up what she had written, throwing the waste paper into the fire,
but finally she handed a sheet to Esther in a hesitating way.
"See what you think of this, Esther?" she asked. "You see the Camp
Guardians are advised to follow certain rules and regulations in camp
life and I have been trying to decide what would best suit us. Please
tell me what you think?"
Esther looked the paper over thoughtfully, and then began reading it
aloud.
6:30 A.M. Arise, wash, either bathing in lake or tent, then air bedding
thoroughly. Hoist American flag, salute it. Three girls prepare
breakfast.
7:30 A.M. Recite in unison morning verse, eat breakfast, make up own
bed and clean tent, also do whatever share of work is apportioned for
the day.
10 to 12 A.M. Devote to practice in one of the seven Camp Fire crafts
for obtaining honors.
12 to 1 P.M. Three girls prepare dinner.
1 to 2 P.M. Dinner served.
2 to 3 P.M. Rest.
3 to 5:30 P.M. Recreation.
5:30 to 6:30 P.M. Three girls prepare tea.
6:30 to 7 P.M. Tea served.
7:00 to 8:30 P.M. Camp Fire, stories, songs, confidences, etc.
8:30 P.M. Milk and crackers, bed.
9 P.M. Lights out.
Ester read the schedule over the second time and then nodded her head
approvingly. "It's splendid and I am sure the girls will think it can't
be improved upon," she answered, adding the latter part of her speech as
she handed the paper back, for Miss McMurtry was looking troubled and
Ester half guessed the cause.
Miss McMurtry said nothing, however, only picking up a piece of Ester's
sewing.
"What is this you're making, Ester?" she inquired. "I thought you had
made your ceremonial Camp Fire dress some time ago!"
Ester did not reply at once as she bent more closely over her work, but
on being asked the question the second time returned with an attempt at
speaking carelessly: "Oh, it's Betty's costume, I hope you won't mind,
but she says really she never has had time to do any sewing since our
club was formed. So, as we are to have our June Council Fire to-night,
I promised to finished it for her. You see this is our most important
meeting because that afternoon in town we did not have an opportunity to
arrange appropriate ceremonies."
Miss McMurtry nodded, "Yes, but I thought it was part of our plan to
have each girl make her own dress. Even Sylvia Wharton has done her
best to help."
Miss McMurtry picked up a portion of the neglected dress, however, and
began to assist Esther. "I wonder if it is a good thing for you and
Betty to be together," she remarked thoughtfully. "Of course I know
Mrs. Aston's intentions were for the best in taking you to live with
them at this late date and they will probably be very kind to you, but
really there isn't any reason, Esther, why you should take all the cares
away from Betty. She seems to be one of the persons in the world for
whom nothing is ever made difficult, while you--" Breaking off abruptly
she turned to see if her small charge was still busy and then shaded her
eyes from the sun.
Esther laughed happily. Not so shy and awkward here in the woods with
the other girls, she had lately thought little of her own lack of
advantages. "You needn't worry about me," she now replied, stopping her
work for a moment to look off across the fields for the return of the
other Camp Fire Girls. "Already I perfectly adore Betty. Of course she
does not care a great deal for me, for there is nothing in me to attract
her, but all my life I have wanted some one to love, and sort of take
care of and do things for. Of course Betty has so many people she does
not need me much now, but some day. Oh well, as she herself says, one
never can tell just how things may turn out in this world."
"Wohelo, Wohelo, Wohelo!" A far cry from several voices sounded across
the fields and a few moments later Betty Ashton, Meg, Eleanor and Juliet
Field came into view. Betty was wearing her every day Camp Fire costume
with the official hat of blue cloth embroidered with a silver gray "W"
on a dark red background and over her shoulder was strapped a smart
knapsack. She seemed to dance away from the other girls, although she
was not dancing but running. Yet such was her grace and slenderness
that somehow she appeared:
Like to a lady turning in the dance, Foot before foot from earth so
slightly moved, That scarce perceptible her advance.
Arriving first she threw herself down on the ground near Esther, tossing
off her hat and resting her head on the other girl's lap.
"I am nearly dead!" she exclaimed rather irritably. "Two miles walk
into town and two miles back is a good deal when one has been doing a
thousand things beforehand. Besides, I didn't find a letter from mother
or father, and Mollie and Polly have seven from Mrs. O'Neill, one for
each day of her trip from New York to Queenstown. Of course it does
take longer for a ship to land in Naples, so I am silly to be
disappointed, yet I am just the same! Besides, Polly was dreadfully
obstinate and would insist on coming back to camp by another route, said
it was shorter and much more adventurous than the open road. So we
parted, and Mollie and Sylvia and Bee axe returning with her. She may
be having more adventures than we did, but the way is not shorter, for
we appear to have arrived first."
Opening her knapsack Betty then handed two letters to Miss McMurtry and
gave a little rolled package to Esther. "Here is something for you from
Dick; he doesn't seem to have written me either."
Esther unwrapped her parcel. "It is just a piece of music your brother
told me about, an Indian love song. He thought perhaps I could learn it
and we could sing it together in camp. He is very kind."
Betty shrugged her shoulders. "Oh yes, Dick is kind to nearly
everybody, except to me sometimes when he thinks I need discipline. But
he and mother both think you have a remarkable voice, Esther, and that
it will be a pity if you don't have it cultivated some day."
Esther laughed, touching Betty's auburn hair affectionately. It was
loosened from her walk and curling round her face. "That is my soul's
desire, Betty," she whispered, surprised at her sudden burst of
confidence. But Betty's manner with her was unexpectedly more intimate
than it had been since their first meeting. She could hardly have known
that it was owing to the fact that she had just quarreled with her
adored Polly. Of course Betty did not intend to be deceitful, she was
simply in the habit of seeking consolation from some source, whenever
things went wrong with her.
Now she put her hand the second time into her knapsack and, drawing
forth a square white box, she proceeded to open it in a slightly
shamefaced fashion and then handed it to Miss McMurtry. "I am a
dreadful backslider from Camp Fire rules, but I just had to have some
candy this afternoon. Do eat some with me, so I won't be the only
sinner in camp," she begged.
Miss McMurtry shook her head. "Don't tempt Esther or any of the other
girls, Betty," she replied in a tone that Betty was familiar with at
school. "One of the health craft rules you girls have promised to
observe is to give up candy between meals for three months. Of course
if you wish to break your word you may, but I had rather you would not
try to influence any one else."
Betty banged the lid back on her box.
"Oh," she replied unsteadily. "I am sorry you feel about me in that
way. I didn't mean to be a mischief maker, but you need not worry about
Esther, for she is not the kind that falls from grace."
She sat a few moments longer leaning her chin on her hand and looking
toward the grove of pine trees where the shadows were now growing longer
and darker as the afternoon lengthened. Sorry to have fallen from grace
herself, Betty at this moment would have perished rather than confess
it.
The other three girls had gone straight on up to the tents, Meg taking
"Little Brother" with her. But now Eleanor appeared at the opening
before their kitchen tent and began vigorously ringing a large dinner
bell.
"Betty Ashton," she called, "it is half-past five o'clock and time to
begin dinner. You know it is your turn to help with Juliet and me. Meg
is putting the baby to bed."
Betty encircled her hand above her lips forming a small trumpet. "I am
not going to help with dinner to-night, I am too dead tired," she
halloed back. "I will help to-morrow instead."
"To-morrow?" Eleanor cried indignantly. "What has to-morrow, got to do
with it? You are no more tired than the rest of us and besides it is
your turn to-night and we have promised not to try to get out of things
unless we are ill." Eleanor said nothing more, but even at a distance
of a good many yards it was plain that she had flounced back inside the
tent. When she came out again with some pots and pans her air was one
of conscious and offended virtue.
A moment later Betty sighed. "I wonder if you would mind taking my
place this afternoon, Esther?" she inquired. "I am very tired and you
haven't been doing anything. Would you mind, Miss Martha?"
Betty made her request very prettily and really without the least idea
that it could be refused, for she was not in the habit of being made to
do what she did not wish. With her own family to have said she was
tired would have been regarded as a sufficient excuse for any change of
plan.
Perhaps Miss McMurtry would have been wiser had she agreed to Betty's
request, and had she been another girl she possibly might have been more
lenient. Now she decided that Betty was simply trying to shirk her
responsibilities and so slowly shook her head.
"Of course if you are not well, Betty, I will be glad to take your place
myself," she answered, trying to speak kindly. "However, if I were you,
I would hardly say that Esther has been doing nothing since she has been
sewing all afternoon on the ceremonial dress you promised to make your
self, so that you may wear it to our Council Fire to-night."
Betty got up quickly. "Please don't do any further work for me while we
are in camp together, Esther," she demanded, "for it is evident that
Miss McMurtry thinks I spend my time trying to impose upon you. As far
as the dress is concerned, I shall not need it to-night, for I shall not
come to the Council Fire. I will do my part in helping to get dinner,
of course, but I prefer to rest afterwards."
Hardly, knowing what she was doing because of her anger, Betty yet
managed to get up quietly from her place and start toward camp without
glancing at either Esther or Miss McMurtry, although she heard Esther
following close behind her. "Please don't disappoint us, dear," Esther
pleaded. "I know Miss Martha will be willing to let me do your work
to-night, if we ask her again, and it will quite ruin our Council Fire if
you are not with us. What will Polly say when you and she have planned
the whole ceremony? And I--I shall be so disappointed, for I am to be
made a Fire-Maker to-night. Besides, you know we are to talk over the
names we hope to be known by in our club."
But Betty only walked steadily on as though deaf to the other girl's
entreaty. Near her own tent she turned at last and Esther could see
that her eyes were full of tears. "You are mistaken, Esther, though I
am sure you are very kind," she insisted with her offended Princess air,
about which Polly used so often to tease her. "I am sure no one will
miss me in the least and my absence will give you a chance to bestow on
me the title you think really belongs to me, such as: 'Betty who won't
bear her own burdens' or anything you prefer. Please leave me alone
now."
So there was nothing more for Esther to do but to return to her work,
knowing how little influence she had with Betty at any time.