CONCLUSION.
Another week had passed by, and Marjorie was to be allowed to come
down stairs for dinner. Gradually she was growing stronger; the color
was returning to her cheeks, the vivacity to her voice. Perhaps it was
John’s visit, with its apologies and explanations that had given her a
renewed interest in life, or perhaps it was the bunch of violets that
arrived each day from the florist, or the letter that came punctually
with each morning’s mail. At any rate, it seemed so to Queenie,
for the very day after her trip to the city, the doctor pronounced
Marjorie able to get up for a while, and to repeat this program for
an increasing length of time each day, until he considered her strong
enough to go down stairs. The added exertion seemed not to hurt her in
the least; indeed, after three days he agreed that the nurse’s services
were no longer necessary.
All this time Queenie had safely guarded her secret, going about her
duties with a smile on her lips and a suppressed light in her eyes.
Half the pleasure would be lost if she divulged it before the appointed
moment.
Marjorie, however, was not too deeply engrossed in her own affairs to
notice that Queenie was unusually happy, and she longed to be able to
share her joy with her. Once or twice she ventured to ask her about
it, but Queenie had only laughed, and replied that it was only because
Marjorie was getting better that she felt like dancing with every step.
On the very morning that Marjorie was to celebrate her recovery by a
little dinner party down stairs, she made one more attempt to fathom
the younger girl’s secret.
“Queenie,” she began, as she folded John’s letter and replaced it in
the envelope, “You’re keeping something from me. Please tell me! You’re
not engaged, or anything, are you?”
The other girl burst out laughing.
“Miss Wilkinson! Of course I’m not! Why, who would I be engaged to?
You know I haven’t seen any of my old fellows—or heard from them,
either——”
“Well, you might be engaged to Jack, or Mr. Richards. You’ve certainly
seen a good deal of both of them.”
“You can put your mind at rest on that point, Cap! Neither one has
asked me—and I wouldn’t have them if they did. I’m not ready to get
married yet—I’m mighty thankful to be single. Besides—don’t forget
I’m only seventeen!”
“Yes, I know—and I’m glad you feel that way about it. You’re much too
young.”
“I know it,” answered Queenie decisively. “Besides—I’ve got other
plans.”
“What, Queenie?” demanded Marjorie eagerly, believing that she was
getting at the reason at last. “Did you go and get a job?”
“I’m not tellin’ yet. My job is right here—till you’re well enough to
go back to college.”
“Yes, but what then?” asked Marjorie anxiously. “I meant to help you to
find something during spring vacation, and here I went and got sick.”
“Don’t you bother your head about that, Miss Wilkinson. I’ll be all
right.”
“Will you go back home? Have you heard from your mother?”
“Yes, I’ve heard from her and she’s still pretty mad, but she says I
can come back whenever I want and she won’t send me off to Aunt Tillie.
But I’m not goin’ to stay—maybe once in a while to visit.”
“Where are you going to live, then?” persisted Marjorie. “Not at some
cheap room——”
“Oh, no! But really you needn’t worry, Cap. Your mother has invited me
to stay here till I get settled, and I promise you I will if you don’t
approve of where I will be living. Now, your mother wants you please
to tell me what you’d most rather have for dinner tonight. It’s your
party, you know.”
“Anything but chicken,” returned Marjorie laughingly. “I’m so tired of
chicken broth, and spring chicken, that I feel as if I never wanted to
taste another. Let’s see. Roast beef, I guess—and a real fancy salad!”
“Ice cream and birthday cake for dessert?” concluded Queenie.
“Birthday cake? It isn’t my birthday!”
“It’s just like it, though.”
It seemed indeed to Marjorie that Queenie’s words were true, for all
day long she continued to be treated as if it were her birthday. Her
wishes were consulted upon every detail of the dinner, and her comfort
looked out for. She received more flowers than she usually did on her
real birthday, and, when John Hadley arrived just before dinner, he
capped the climax by presenting her with a tiny jeweler’s box.
“Marjorie,” he began, “I ventured to bring you a pin—a friendship pin,
in honor of the occasion. Will you accept it?”
“Of course I will, John!” she replied radiantly, taking the box and
opening it. It was a narrow circle, bordered on both edges with the
finest, the daintiest, carving.
“It’s beautiful!” she exclaimed, pinning it upon her dress. “And,” she
added softly, “I will always wear it.”
Before the young man could express just how much this promise meant to
him, Lily and Dick entered the room. The former had been out to see
Marjorie several times during her illness, but not since college had
re-opened, and she had a great deal to tell her.
“When are you really coming back, Marj?” she inquired finally, as they
went into the dining room. “I’ll die of loneliness if you don’t come
soon.”
“I don’t know,” replied her roommate, casting meek glances at Queenie
and her mother. “Those two are such tyrants.”
“The last day of April, I believe—if she is strong enough,” answered
Mrs. Wilkinson for her, with a sidelong look at Queenie.
“Yes, that’s right,” nodded the younger girl.
“I’m beginning to be worried about my lessons—the classes I’m
missing,” said Marjorie. “And my troop, too. But Queenie says that will
be all right——”
“Yes, she and I will take care of that, won’t we, Queenie?” Lily
assured her.
“But suppose the girls are all scattered by this time—it’s been so
long——”
“You’ll see them soon, Miss Wilkinson,” put in Queenie, with another
meaning glance at her captain’s mother. “Just mark my words.”
“Yes, I think so,” smiled the older woman.
Marjorie shrugged her shoulders, and turned to John in the hope of
gaining some explanation of the mysterious messages that seemed to be
flashing between Queenie and her mother, but was not rewarded with any
information. So she gave it up, and entered light heartedly into the
joyousness of the occasion.
When they had finished the salad course, Mrs. Wilkinson surprised
Marjorie by announcing that dessert would be served in the living room.
“How funny, Mother!” commented Marjorie. “I know it’s quite the thing
to serve coffee in another room, but I never heard of doing it with
dessert. Has that become the fashion, since I was sick?”
“We’re starting the fashion tonight!” came the joking reply. “You lead
the way, Marjorie.”
“But it’s all dark!” she exclaimed as she peeped through the curtains.
“Oh, so it is! Jack, run and make a light!”
He flashed on the electricity; to Marjorie’s amazement she beheld her
whole scout troop, with the exception of Queenie, standing to receive
her. An exclamation of delight and surprise burst from her lips; but
before she could say anything Stella stepped forward and presented her
with a huge bunch of American Beauty roses.
“Oh, this is wonderful!” she cried, sinking limply into the nearest
chair. “I never had such a thrill in all my life!”
The maids began to bring in the ice cream and cake and after a minute
or two of questions and explanations, the party proceeded more calmly.
It was only after Mr. Richards’ arrival, a little later, that the real
surprises began.
Queenie took charge of the ceremony. She began by rising and saluting
her captain, in real scout fashion.
“Captain Wilkinson,” she said, “this was a little surprise party that
your mother and I planned for you tonight, and I hope the shock won’t
be too much for you, because a bigger one yet is comin’. But you seem
pretty strong now, so I guess you’ll survive.”
Marjorie’s eyes shone with anticipation; Queenie was always doing
something unusual, something delightful.
“Well,” she continued, “you said tonight at dinner you were afraid
we might not stick to you, and be scouts. We’re here tonight to tell
you we’re goin’ to, and by way of showin’ our colors, we want to tell
you just how serious we are. We all have our little story. Clara, you
first!”
All eyes immediately shifted to the girl in question, but undaunted,
she followed her cue.
“I’ve been studyin’ stenography, and I’ve landed a job with the
Curtis’. It was scouts started me thinkin’ about my old job, and not
bein’ satisfied.”
“Good work!” approved Marjorie with a genuine pleasure.
“You next, Stella and Annie.”
“Miss Wilkinson knows we’re takin’ up swimmin’ at the Y. W.”, answered
Stella for both of them, “but she don’t know we’ve been takin’ the
normal course. And we’ve been appointed swimmin’ teachers at a girls’
camp for the summer.”
“Great!” exclaimed Marjorie absolutely bewildered by the actual
realization of her own dreams for her scouts. “I certainly do
congratulate you both!”
“And of course you know Dot and the twins are makin’ good at school,”
added Queenie, “and Aggie always was a plugger.” She paid no attention
to the giggles that greeted this last remark, but proceeded right on to
her climax—the thing, as she told Mr. Richards, “that would knock Miss
Wilkinson’s eye out.”
“And now about my job—and why you won’t need to worry about our scout
troop—at least if I make good. You know I’m so sociable I always said
I wished I could get a job where I’d meet a lot of people in a social
way, and Mr. Richards has found me one. I start in May first as Miss
Winthrop’s assistant at the community house!”
“Miss Winthrop’s assistant!” Marjorie repeated, almost unable to
believe her ears. “Why, Queenie, that is marvellous!”
“I think so, too,” agreed the girl. “I’m to have charge of the girls’
clubs, under her direction, and have my mornings off to study. So
naturally, Troop Two Hundred will get the choicest care!”
Marjorie leaned back in her chair, pressing her roses to her face, and
letting her eyes wander from one scout to another, and finally to John.
At last she heaved a sigh of content.
“This,” she whispered so low that hardly any one could hear her, “is
the happiest day of my life!”
But Queenie and John, on either side of her, heard and understood—and
smiled.
THE END.
Transcriber’s Note:
The Contents was added by the transcriber. Punctuation has been
standardised. Hyphenation has been retained as published in the
original book.
Known changes have been made as follows:
Title page
THT GIRL SCOUTS’ CAPTAIN _changed to_
THE GIRL SCOUTS’ CAPTAIN
Page 29
They don’t phase me _changed to_
They don’t faze me
Page 30
a great sheath of wheat _changed to_
a great sheaf of wheat
Page 52
But girls, you musn’t bank _changed to_
But girls, you mustn’t bank
Page 57
talk with wrapt attention _changed to_
talk with rapt attention
Page 62
the futilty of her effort _changed to_
the futility of her effort
Page 78
the later added _changed to_
the latter added
Page 86
muttered Lily, signficantly _changed to_
muttered Lily, significantly
Page 96
I’ll play you back _changed to_
I’ll pay you back
Page 99
that there in a small _changed to_
that there is a small
Page 100
have to qualify, ahd pass _changed to_
have to qualify, and pass
Page 104
A brand new occurance _changed to_
A brand new occurrence
Page 137
at im yet _changed to_
at him yet
Page 139
as he lead the conversation _changed to_
as he led the conversation
Page 141
So just drop us anyhere _changed to_
So just drop us anywhere
Page 156
it would be a pleasant occurrance _changed to_
it would be a pleasant occurrence
Page 161
and by Chritsmas _changed to_
and by Christmas
Page 162
if it had been May instead of Deecmber _changed to_
if it had been May instead of December
Page 162
a solitaire in a filagree platinum _changed to_
a solitaire in a filigree platinum
Page 166
were married and liver near _changed to_
were married and lived near
Page 180
some and not far all _changed to_
some and not for all
Page 192
with the agilty of a tigress _changed to_
with the agility of a tigress
Page 194
with the same apprenhension _changed to_
with the same apprehension
Page 227
Lillies of the valley from her _changed to_
Lilies of the valley from her
Page 241
unable to believe here ears _changed to_
unable to believe her ears