DOROTHY AND HER CHUMS
The disappointment was keen--Dorothy had felt Urania must be near, but
instead of finding a lonely girl, she and the Major encountered a group
of school girls on a nutting party, all joyous and seemingly filled
with the very enthusiasm of the autumn day itself.
No need to make inquiries of them--Urania would never allow herself to
be seen by this party.
“I suppose we will have to go home,” said Dorothy sadly, as Major Dale
showed plainly signs of fatigue.
“If you are satisfied we have looked thoroughly,” answered the Major.
“But I am not willing to give up the search until you say so.”
“I don’t know where else we can look,” replied Dorothy, with a catch in
her voice.
“But there may be spots nearer home,” suggested Major Dale. “You know
we made sure of the faraway places, but how about those in our own
neighborhood?”
“Oh, yes. We never looked in the swamp!”
“And there is a cave there?”
“Indeed there is. Oh, do let us hurry before it gets too dark. How
queer I should never think of that cave!”
“Not so very queer, either,” replied the father, “considering the good
reason you had to forget it. However, we will make just one more look.”
It seemed to Dorothy that the shadows of night came down
immediately--she wanted the light so much!
Over small hills and along winding paths they went, Major Dale keeping
up with small effort to the light step of his daughter beside him.
“I would be frightened to death if you were not along,” Dorothy took
breath to say. “I think this is the most lonely part of all our
woodlands.”
“Is that the swamp?” asked the Major, looking toward a deep ravine that
indicated a drop in the grade of the forest land.
“Yes,” replied Dorothy, “and the cave is at the other end.”
“Why, there are the ruins of the old Hastings homestead. Queer I never
explored these parts, as long as I have been around here. We used to
tramp through the Hasting’s farm years ago, but of late I had entirely
forgotten the place.”
“The cave is the old ice house, I believe,” said Dorothy. “See, there
it is, against that hill.”
“And I just thought I saw something dart through those bushes. See that
brush move?”
“Oh, do you suppose it might be tramps?” asked Dorothy, trembling.
“Not likely. Tramps, as a rule, do not move with that speed. It might
be a young deer, or--a young girl!”
They were but a few feet away from the cave now, and Dorothy drew back
while her father advanced.
“Anybody in there?” he asked gently, fearing that a male voice might
alarm the gypsy girl, were she in the old ice house.
There was no answer.
“I could almost say that darting figure went in there,” said Major
Dale. “Suppose you call, daughter.”
“Urania!” called Dorothy, “Urania, it is only Dorothy and Major Dale.
You need not be afraid!”
The Major was close to the door of the cave. It made Dorothy think of
the dreadful hour she had hidden there, and how she then feared to
answer the call of her friends.
“I heard something. I’ll just take a look--”
Major Dale put his head under the brick arch at the door. “Well,
girl--” he exclaimed. “Come out, we are friends.” And the next instant
Dorothy, too, was in the cave, standing beside the speechless gypsy
girl!
“Oh, come! Hurry, do!” pleaded Dorothy, but the girl neither spoke nor
moved.
“Are you ill?” asked the Major, looking around the dark place, hoping
to find some means of making a light.
“Urania!” Dorothy kept pleading, holding the hand of the girl who was
now crouching on the damp ground. “Do try to come outside. No one will
harm you. We came to tell you that it was all a mistake, and that you
are free to come and go as you please. You will even be given some
money. The men know they have wronged you--” She was talking hurriedly
without regard to word or sentence. She was trying to make Urania
understand--to rouse her to some consciousness.
“Have you any sort of light?” asked the Major, for he had searched in
vain, and it was now really dark.
Urania crawled over to a huge stone, then she put her hand up to the
brick wall that lined the place. For a few moments she fumbled about,
but seemed too weak to make further effort.
“I can’t,” she said at last. “There is--a candle there--behind the lose
brick!”
It took but a second for Major Dale to locate the spot, and but a
moment longer to have the candle lighted.
Then they could see Urania! And they could see that place!
“Oh, you poor, dear child!” sobbed Dorothy. “Why did you not let me
know?”
The dark eyes flashed and Urania showed she was not yet too weak to
smile.
“And it is all safe?” she asked, wearily.
“All entirely safe,” answered Major Dale. “But you are not safe here.
It is a wonder you have lived--hurry! We must get across the swamp
quickly to reach the road before it is dangerously dark.”
“Can you walk?” asked Dorothy, anxiously.
“Oh, yes--I can now,” replied Urania, “but I was so scared at first,
and I have been--out looking for some berries. I can’t believe I will
not have to run--any more.”
“And I can’t believe that I have really found you,” said Dorothy. “We
have been looking all day long.”
“Come, come,” urged the Major, “you young ladies may talk after we get
home.”
They made their way to the door, and the Major extinguished the candle.
“Oh, wait!” exclaimed Urania, “I must go back. I forgot something.”
“Can you see?” asked the Major.
“I don’t believe I can,” replied Urania. “Would you mind holding the
light?”
The Major re-lighted the candle and again entered the cave. Urania
walked over to the far corner and took some bricks out of the wall.
Major Dale held the candle close to her shoulder.
“It was here to-day,” she said. “Oh, yes, I have it. Just move that
brick--”
Dorothy pressed closely to Urania, and she drew away the brick that now
threatened to fall in on the hand of the gypsy girl.
“There!” said Urania, “Do you know what this is?”
“Oh!” screamed Dorothy, “Aunt Winnie’s East Indian cup!”
“Well--I give--up!” was all Major Dale seemed able to say, as he took
from the hand of the gypsy girl the treasured relic.
“And you hid it there?” asked Dorothy, taking the cup from her father
and holding it up to the candle light.
“No, indeed,” answered the girl. “I found it there. The men had the
hole in the wall for their stuff, I suppose, and they saved the cup to
drink out of.”
“Oh, how delighted Aunt Winnie will be,” exclaimed Dorothy. “Do let us
hurry. She has been constantly worrying over the loss of this--it was
to be given to Ned when he came of age.”
“That cup was the gift of an East Indian nobleman,” remarked Major
Dale. “Urania, you have repaid us now for all our trouble.”
An hour later Urania had been bathed, dressed and fed by her friends
at the Cedars. Mrs. White personally helped the maid to look after
the girl’s wants, while Dorothy and Miette brought from their own
belongings such articles as seemed fitting to make the poor, miserable,
haunted gypsy girl comfortable at last.
Mrs. White had already telephoned to the boys at Cadet Hall, telling
them the cup had been found. Major Dale took delight in imparting the
same news to the local authorities.
“And now,” said Mrs. White, “since we have found Urania, and she has
found the cup, I suppose I shall have to give her that brand new
one-hundred-dollar bill I have been saving as the cup reward.”
Dorothy and Miette tried to make Urania understand--she seemed so
queer, stunned, or shocked.
“Won’t that be wonderful?” said Miette, smiling.
“And won’t we have great times?” went on Dorothy, slightly lowering the
head of the steamer chair in which Urania was pillowed.
Urania looked around her, in a strange, startled way. Then she took
Dorothy’s hand. “I think I’ll like to go to school now,” she stammered.
“Of course you will,” spoke Mrs. White. “You want to be just like the
other girls, smart, clean and--pretty. Then you, too, may be one of
Dorothy’s chums!”
“Yes! yes! always!” murmured Urania. “She is so good!”
Here let me add a few more words, and then bring my tale to a close.
Some days later Dorothy and Miette returned to Glenwood and were
royally received by both teachers and scholars. Miette gave her party,
and never had the school seen a better time.
On the same day that the girls returned to their studies word came
in that the last of the thieving gypsies had been captured and put in
jail. When Urania heard this she breathed a sigh of satisfaction.
“I want never to see them again--never!” she told Mrs. White.
At the school, Dorothy was also glad the men had been captured. She ran
to tell Tavia.
“Well, that ends all your troubles, Dorothy,” said Tavia. “Now you can
study--and win that prize you are after!”
“I trust my troubles are over,” answered Dorothy. But she could not
look into the future. Many things were still to happen, and what some
of them were I shall relate in another book, to be called, “Dorothy
Dale’s Queer Holidays.” Queer indeed were the doings of those days--and
wonderful as well.
“It is such a grand thing to have you back at Glenwood!” cried
Rose-Mary, one day, as she caught Dorothy in her arms and hugged her.
“When you were away--it was just as if something was missing!”
“We moped and moped,” said Edna. “Just like hens in wet weather.”
“We can’t do without our Dorothy!” finished Tavia. “We want her with
us--always!”
And then the girls joined hands in a circle and began to caper and
dance; and thus let us leave them.
* * * * * *
Transcriber’s note:
Punctuation has been standardised. Other changes made to the original
publication are as follows:
Page 23
hugh white cat sat _changed to_
huge white cat sat
Page 28
the the road was not far away _changed to_
the road was not far away
Page 41
easy to replace mere mercandise _changed to_
easy to replace mere merchandise
Page 44
is a srawl, too scrawly for me _changed to_
is a scrawl, too scrawly for me
Page 46
Alladin and the seven Robbers _changed to_
Aladdin and the seven Robbers
Page 46
wtih much seriousness _changed to_
with much seriousness
Page 81
two whole days or a little check _changed to_
two whole days for a little check
Page 127
Mrs. Panghorn had intended calling _changed to_
Mrs. Pangborn had intended calling
Page 135
sweater, and your Tam O’shanter _changed to_
sweater, and your Tam O’Shanter
Page 136
a hugh bunch of sumac berries _changed to_
a huge bunch of sumac berries
Page 145
were so stingy about you old walk _changed to_
were so stingy about your old walk
Page 151
bunch of green burrs go _changed to_
bunch of green burs go
Page 183
about able to take of a little _changed to_
about able to take care of a little
Page 189
exclaimed he officer _changed to_
exclaimed the officer
Page 209
caves with walls of hugh stones _changed to_
caves with walls of huge stones
Page 212
Fron an envelope in the packet _changed to_
From an envelope in the packet
Page 214
met this little heroine,” she smiled _changed to_
met this little heroine,” he smiled
Page 220
with a michievous shake _changed to_
with a mischievous shake
Page 234
of the wherabout of this gypsy _changed to_
of the whereabout of this gypsy
Page 234
look for anything inn vain _changed to_
look for anything in vain