Folly and Courage
Before information of any kind concerning her mysterious disappearance
was received from Gerry Williams, every member of the Sunrise Camp Fire
had become alarmed. But it must be confessed that the girls were more
annoyed than they were agitated.
Mrs. Burton and Mrs. Webster were necessarily anxious, yet as Mrs.
Webster had never felt an especial interest or affection for Gerry, she
was less so than her sister.
The Camp Fire girls had returned from their walk in time for a late
afternoon tea. They were just finishing when Marta Clark inquired what
had become of Gerry, and why she was not having tea with them?
Then for the first time Mrs. Burton mentioned that Gerry had gone away
from camp with Felipe Morris several hours before. But as she had
promised to return in a short time, already she was beginning to feel
worried for fear something had happened.
Then another hour went by and the dusk began to descend. But since it
was late summer and the days were long, some time would still elapse
before actual darkness.
Nevertheless Mrs. Burton at first betrayed her nervousness by walking
alone up and down the little traveled road beyond the camp. Finally she
came back to the group of girls, who were still loitering about their
camp fire before clearing away the tea things.
"Do be good to me, Peggy. I know you are already tired from your long
walk and I won't go far," she promised. "But somehow I am so
uncomfortable about Gerry I cannot keep still. I know I am absurd, but I
have one of those ridiculous premonitions which never amount to
anything. If she does not come back in another hour, I shall motor over
to the ranch to inquire if Mr. Morris has received any word from
Felipe."
In spite of the fact that Peggy was tired and also annoyed at what she
presumed to be Gerry's selfish unconcern, she got up instantly at Mrs.
Burton's request, and as they started off on their walk placed her arm
affectionately inside her aunt's.
"I don't see why you allow yourself to become so worked up over Gerry's
staying away from camp with Felipe longer than you approve," said Peggy
with her usual directness. "If you do not realize how much she is
interested in him, you are the only one of us who is blind. Gerry has
not cared for anything except her friendship with Felipe all this
summer. She has an affection for you, but except for you everything in
our Camp Fire life has bored her."
Knowing by her aunt's expression that she was annoyed by her critical
attitude, nevertheless Peggy, who was not in a good humor, went on with
her plain speaking.
"Sometimes I have thought Gerry was really in love with Felipe; at other
times I have simply thought she liked him just because he was a man and
showed her some attention. Gerry is the type of girl who has not the
faintest interest in other girls."
"Is this your opinion alone, or the opinion of all the Camp Fire
girls?" Mrs. Burton inquired in a tone it was difficult to translate.
Peggy flushed. "Perhaps it is my opinion alone, since it sounds rather
hateful. In any case, I have no right to speak except for myself. But if
you wish to know the truth, the opinion is pretty general."
"Have the girls the same attitude toward you, Peggy, because of your
interest in Ralph Marshall?" Mrs. Burton demanded. "You know how much of
your time and thought you give to him these days, even though you rarely
mention his name, and you have many more people to care for than Gerry,
who is rather singularly alone. If you girls are not fond of her I am
not surprised that she prefers Felipe Morris, who, after all, is
exceptionally attractive."
Peggy was suddenly upon the defensive.
"I don't think I have allowed my interest in Ralph to interfere with my
friendships with the Camp Fire girls," she argued defensively. "But I
did not intend being disagreeable about Gerry. She is always amiable and
sweet, only it is difficult not to resent her indifference and her
absorption in herself."
After this speech Mrs. Burton and Peggy continued their walk in silence
for a few moments. Then Mrs. Burton said in a different tone:
"When Gerry comes back this evening, Peggy, I wish you would try to be
particularly nice to her. If she has become too much interested in
Felipe I cannot help being sorry for her. I have never told you girls
much of Gerry's history because she preferred my not telling. But she
has had a hard time and no one has ever really cared for her. Her father
is dead and her mother an impossibly common person without any good
traits of character, so far as I have been able to discover, which would
redeem her commonness. So things will be all the more difficult for
Gerry if she is under the impression she cares for Felipe. In a little
time our Camp Fire summer will be over and they will be separated."
Peggy nodded. "I will do my best. I am sorry to have been so critical.
At least Gerry does not make disagreeable speeches about other people!
But you are mistaken if you think any of us has ever been unkind to
her; it is only that we have found it impossible to become intimate. Of
course she and Sally like each other. But if there are facts in Gerry's
life she does not wish to discuss, I can understand why she prefers not
to develop too close an intimacy with the rest of us, who know almost
everything about one another. But don't worry, I presume some accident
has delayed Gerry and Felipe. Suppose we return to camp? They may have
taken some other route and arrived by this time."
But of course Gerry was not at the Sunrise camp. Within five minutes
after Mrs. Burton's and Peggy's return, an automobile appeared
containing an unknown man and woman.
The woman asked to be permitted to speak to Mrs. Burton alone.
Then, as she stood hesitating, trying to make up her mind what to say
first, suddenly she remembered Gerry's crumpled little note.
For Gerry's sake it was as well that the news of her runaway marriage
was imparted to her Camp Fire guardian and friend in this fashion, for
the note revealed infinitely more than Gerry realized. With Mrs.
Burton's understanding of human nature she understood something of the
struggle, something of the temptation to which Gerry had yielded.
Therefore in the midst of her surprise and anger she could not forget
the note's final pathetic appeal.
Neither the woman nor man would tell much more than the bare facts of
Gerry's and Felipe's marriage. They insisted that the ceremony was
entirely legal and that immediately afterwards the young couple had gone
away. In truth, they could not tell more, since as a matter of
precaution Felipe had not informed either his nurse or her husband of
his plans.
After appreciating that the marriage had become a reality and that there
was nothing she could do or say which would make any difference, Mrs.
Burton asked but few questions. She knew that Felipe's father would come
to her as soon as he learned what had taken place and she preferred to
discuss the situation with him and not with strangers.
Of necessity it was Mrs. Burton who imparted the information to the Camp
Fire girls, but she merely told what she knew as briefly as possible,
adding no comment. Then she went away to be alone. She was not thinking
of Gerry's ingratitude, of the poor return she had made for her interest
and assistance, but she was thinking of Gerry herself. Gerry was so
young and she and Felipe knew each other so slightly. Then, as Mrs.
Burton knew nothing at present of Felipe's attempt to hide in Mexico, it
also occurred to her that he might soon be forced to join the army.
Left to themselves, the Camp Fire girls were not so lenient in their
condemnation. It was Alice Ashton who chanced to voice the general
sentiment.
"I cannot understand how any human being could behave as Gerry has done!
Certainly she has proved how little the Camp Fire influence has meant to
her! But there is no point in our criticising her, because some day
Gerry will have to pay dearly enough."