Betty Takes a Dare
It would be a week or two before Wild Rose Lodge would be ready for the
girls' occupancy, and as a relief for their impatience they filled in the
time in hiking, motoring and put-putting up and down the Argono in their
natty little motor boat.
But whatever it was they were doing, their conversation almost invariably
returned to one of two subjects--the return of the boys and the good time
they would have at Moonlight Falls.
They spoke often of Professor Arnold Dempsey. They took a real interest in
the queer little old man, both because of the service he had done them and
the fact that he was watching and waiting for his two big sons, even as
they were anxiously awaiting the return of their boys.
"It must be dreadfully lonely for him in that little cabin or house or
whatever you call it in the woods," Amy said one day as she and the girls
sauntered down to the dock where their motor boat was anchored. "And he
said he hardly ever had company."
"Goodness, I should think he would go crazy," Mollie commented. "Why, I go
almost mad when I don't have any one to talk to for an _hour_."
"I wonder if he lived in that little house all during the war," said Betty
thoughtfully. They had reached the dock and were walking slowly out upon
it. "If he did, it must have been dreadfully hard for him. It makes me
shiver to think of him sitting there all alone, reading the casualty list,
terrified for fear the next name would be that of his son----"
"Oh, Betty," cried gentle Amy, all her sympathy quickly roused by the
picture Betty had drawn, "what a dreadful thing to think of!"
"But he never did find their names among the missing or killed," Mollie
reminded them soberly. "We know that because he said he expected to see
them soon."
"Of course. And all we can do is hope with all our hearts that he gets his
wish," said Betty brightly, adding with a sudden change of subject: "But
away with dull care. The sun is shining and here's our fairy ship waiting
to carry us off to fresh adventure. What more could any one want, I'd like
to know."
"Humph," grunted Mollie, eyeing critically the trim little boat in which
they had had so much fun and adventure, as the other girls tumbled aboard.
"I'd say she didn't look very much like a fairy boat just now. She needs
considerable polishing and scrubbing. Why don't you girls get busy,
anyhow?"
"Just hear who's talking," yawned Grace, disposing herself lazily in a
comfortable chair on deck. "I haven't noticed you waving a broom and mop
frantically around these parts lately, Mollie dear."
"In fact," Betty added with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, "I think I
remember suggesting that the _Gem_ needed grooming the other day.
Whereupon some one who shall be nameless suggested a motor ride instead."
"She's got you there, old dear," drawled Grace, taking the inevitable box
of chocolates from her pocket and opening it lovingly. "I remember the
incident pre-zactly as it has been described."
Mollie, who was still standing on the dock, regarding them frowningly,
started to reply but Betty interrupted her with a shout. She had started
the engine and the boat began to move slowly away from the dock.
"Better hurry up," suggested the Little Captain wickedly. "We'd rather not
leave you behind, but if you insist--"
However, Mollie had not the slightest intention in the world of being left
behind. With a gasp of mingled surprise and dismay she made a jump for it,
cleared the foot of space between the dock and the boat and landed square
in the middle of Grace's astonished and outraged lap. She would have sat
on the candy box, too, and would, in all probability, have ruined it and
her dress as well, had not Grace, with rare presence of mind, whipped the
box out of danger just in the nick of time.
"Well," said Mollie, too surprised and indignant to move for a moment,
while, at the comical picture she made, both Betty and Amy laughed
merrily, "I surely like this!"
"You do, do you? Well, I don't!" cried Grace, recovering both her breath
and her dignity at the same moment. "If you don't stop sitting on my lungs
this minute, Mollie Billette, I'll--I'll--stick this pin into you."
With a yell Mollie stumbled to her feet and shook out her dress
belligerently.
"You had better not. I'm stronger than you, Grace Ford, and I've a good
mind to let you see what the bottom of the river looks like."
She advanced toward her prospective victim, and Betty stopped laughing
long enough to call to her.
"You'd better change your mind, Mollie," she cautioned merrily. "You can't
give Gracie a ducking without ruining her dress and she might charge you
damages. Reconsider--I beg of you, reconsider!"
Mollie condescended to reconsider and plumped herself down cross-legged on
the deck, disdaining a chair.
"Oh, very well," she said, adding as she glared darkly at Grace: "You will
probably never know, woman, how near to death you were."
To which Grace replied with unexpected ferocity.
"And you may never know, woman, just how near to death you are this
minute. Look at what you have done to my best sport skirt. I don't believe
I will ever be able to get those wrinkles out."
"If you two will stop quarreling just long enough to tell me where you
want to go," Betty requested, "I should be very much obliged. Up or down
the river?"
"Anywhere," answered Grace, still regarding her crumpled sport skirt
gloomily. "We are just trying to kill time this afternoon anyway, so I
don't see that it makes much difference where we go."
"Suppose we take her up to the Point," suggested Mollie, getting up from
the deck and going over to Betty who still had the wheel. "Maybe we can
get some ice-cream and a drink of ice water. I am getting dreadfully
thirsty already."
Betty looked tempted but a little doubtful.
"You know it is pretty dangerous to run in there, Mollie," she protested.
"There are so many other boats driven by Percy Falconer's crazy lot who
don't care whether they capsize you or not--"
"Goodness, Betty, it isn't like you to be afraid," Mollie started, but
stopped at the look in the "Little Captain's" eye.
"I'd rather you didn't ever say that again, Mollie," she said. "I'll take
you in there since you want it, but if anything should happen remember
that I warned you."
"Goodness, Mollie, I don't see why you ever wanted to go and suggest that
for," said Grace nervously. "We all know there is danger of a collision
over at the Point, and I'm sure I don't want to spoil my clothes, even if
you do."
"Your father said that he would rather we kept to this side of the river,
Betty," urged Amy. "Please don't go over to the Point now."
"There's no use talking to her," snapped Grace. "You ought to know Betty
well enough by this time to know that she would take us over to the Point
now, after what Mollie said, if she knew we would all die of it. Might as
well save your breath."
Mollie said nothing, but down in her heart she was more than a little bit
anxious and was beginning to regret that she had deliberately egged Betty
on.
Percy Falconer, of whom Betty had spoken, had once been a rather dudish,
affected boy and had later developed into an exceedingly fast young man.
He had an immensely rich father and a mother who denied him nothing so
that he had been able to gather together a few kindred spirits among whom
he was the leader. All the regular boys and girls in town thoroughly
disliked "the set," but there were a few girls who were willing to put up
with Percy Falconer and his crowd for sake of the long motor rides,
dances, dinners and motorboat picnics that the boys were able to give
them.
There were always some of this wild crowd over at the "Point," and it was
for this reason as well as the very real danger of a collision with a
recklessly driven boat that Betty's father had rather discouraged the
chums going over to that side of the river.
However the day was fine, the water of the river was as calm as a lake and
the _Gem_ flew across the sparkling water like a gull, bringing a
flush of pure excitement and pleasure to the faces of the girls.
Danger--what danger could there be in this staunch little craft, with
Betty at the wheel?
They were half way across the river, now--three quarters. The gay pleasure
craft flaunting up and down the river were becoming more numerous and
Betty slackened speed. Her breath came more quickly and her hands
tightened on the wheel. She could drive a boat as well as any boy, but
here, she knew, was a situation to test her greatest skill.
Craft of all sizes and descriptions seemed to the excited girls to be
piling up about them. Most of the boats were being navigated carefully,
but now and then a small, fast speed-craft would shoot out from behind
another so suddenly that Betty would be forced to swerve sharply to one
side, fairly grazing the stern of the racing boat.
On one of these occasions, when it had seemed impossible to avoid a
collision, Amy called out sharply:
"Oh, Betty, don't you think we had better go back?"
And Betty replied with a queer little laugh:
"Might just as well go ahead as back now. We'll be there in a minute.
Don't worry."
The words were scarcely out of her mouth when two craft running neck and
neck and driven recklessly slipped out from behind a sailboat and drove
directly down upon the _Gem_. It seemed impossible that the Outdoor
Girls could escape disaster.