TAKING THEIR FIRST DEGREE
"But my dears," cried Mrs. Livingston, a sweet-faced, motherly woman.
"What could have occurred?"
It was not strange that she should express amazement, for the condition of
the clothes of the Meadow-Brook Girls would have attracted attention
anywhere. She stood back surveying them anxiously. All were more or less
disheveled. Tommy's blonde hair had fallen about her shoulders in tangled
locks; Margery had burst most of the buttons off her blouse when she fell
over Jasper; Harriet's blue gingham frock had been sadly demolished on her
journey at the end of the rein behind the frightened horse; Hazel found
difficulty in keeping her hair out of her face; besides which, both she
and Miss Elting looked tired and worn.
"We had an accident," explained Miss Elting. "But we overcame all
difficulties finally."
"I'm the only one that wath overcome," lisped Grace. "It wathn't the
difficultieth, it wath mythelf. And, Mithith Livingthton, Harriet pulled
out some of Jathperth whithkerth. Wathn't that funny?"
"You had better leave the explanation to me," suggested Miss Elting, who
then went on to explain what had occurred on their journey to the Pocono
Woods, Mrs. Livingston listening with wide open eyes.
"Oh, I am so sorry, my dears," comforted the elderly woman after having
heard the story of their experiences. "But you surely did show pluck. That
is proper. A Camp Girl must be resourceful and brave under all
circumstances."
"Yeth ma'am. Pleathe tell that to Buthter. She ith a 'fraid cat."
"My dear Miss Thompson, that is not the way a Camp Girl should speak of
any of her companions. However, I will forgive you this time. Are you
hungry? You must be after that long walk."
"We had a light luncheon on the way out," answered Miss Elting.
"All of you come with me to the cook tent at once. But I warn, you it will
be a luncheon of such as we can put our hands on. I do not wish to wake
the workers at this hour."
They passed by a long row of darkened tents on their way to the cook tent
located well down the street, which was a street in name only.
"I have assigned you and Miss Thompson to this tent, Miss Burrell," said
the Chief Guardian. "You will be introduced to your tentmates in the
morning. Here we are."
The cook tent was filled with long tables running lengthways of the tent.
Everything was bright and clean with a strong odor of pine in the air.
"My! That odor of pine does give one an appetite," laughed Miss Elting.
"What may we do to assist you?"
"You may make the coffee while I get together some things to eat,"
directed Mrs. Livingston. "You will find the coffee-pot and coffee can
beside it on the second shelf to the right. I think there is still fire in
the stove. I had it kept up until late rather expecting that you would
come in hungry. I shall have to talk with Jasper. His attitude was
inexcusable."
Miss Elting having turned her attention to the fire, Harriet promptly
reached for the coffee-pot and in a short time had the coffee boiling.
Hazel took the food from Mrs. Livingston, placing it on the table and
arranging the places for the party.
"Very well done, young ladies," approved Mrs. Livingston, whose keen eyes
had missed nothing of the preparations. "That is as it should be with a
Camp Girl. I am afraid it will be useless to suggest that you eat as
lightly as possible. You must be famished, but remember you will be going
to bed very shortly after your meal."
They promised her that they would heed her suggestion. All did so save
Grace who ate heavily. Mrs. Livingston regarded the little girl with an
amused smile. She already knew Tommy better than Tommy even knew herself.
To take their attention from their eating in a measure, Mrs. Livingston
told them something of the life of the camp with reference to themselves.
"After you have filled out and signed the blanks to-morrow you will be
full fledged members of the Camp Girls' Association. Each of you will have
attained your first rank. You will be known as Wood Gatherers and the
emblem of your rank will be the crossed fagots on the Sleeves of your
blouses. By the way, Miss Elting, have they been supplied with the
uniform?"
"Yes. Their clothes are in their trunks. We were obliged to leave them at
the station."
Mrs. Livingston nodded.
"Jasper will bring them over to-morrow--provided he has found his horse by
that time," she added with a half smile.
"Do we have to gather wood?" questioned Grace.
"Sometimes. We all have to do our parts in this community. The young
women of the organization do the cooking and the sweeping for the entire
camp. They are divided into squads. All this is arranged by themselves.
Those who are doing the work for the day are called the Workers. You will
have to be up and ready for your duties by six o'clock in the morning when
you are Workers."
"Oh, my goodneth, I couldn't do that," exclaimed Grace.
"Each girl must do her part. The rules of the camp will be explained to
you to-morrow. But I am quite sure the Meadow-Brook Girls will make a
delightful addition to Camp Wau-Wau."
"We shall do our best, Mrs. Livingston," Harriet assured her with eyes
fixed on the face of the Chief Guardian.
"I am sure that you will," was the reply. "Miss Burrell, you and Miss
Thompson will occupy cots in the tent I showed to you as we passed along.
Your tentmates will be Patricia Scott and Cora Kidder. We are obliged to
place four girls in a tent now when we have so many of them with us, later
on two girls may arrange to occupy one tent if they desire to do so,
though the request is seldom made. Breakfast will begin at seven o'clock.
We like to have all our girls on hand promptly at that hour. Miss Brown
and Miss Holland will be your tentmates for the present, Miss Elting. I
think as soon as possible I shall place the Meadow-Brook Girls in one
tent. Would that please you?"
"Yes, indeed," cried the girls.
"Yeth, thank you. We're a clothe corporation, ath my father would thay."
"Grace's father is a lawyer," explained Miss Elting with a smile.
"I observe that she exhibits quite a legal trend of mind," laughed the
Chief Guardian. "Now if you have finished eating I will show you to your
tents. Have you any other changes of clothes for to-morrow morning!"
Harriet said they had not. The Chief said she would try to borrow a skirt
for Harriet. The other girls' clothes were in somewhat better condition,
and would do, even though Sunday was a partial dress up day at Camp
Wau-Wau.
Carrying her lantern Mrs. Livingston led the way first to the tent that
Miss Elting and the two girls were to occupy. The other occupant of this
tent did not wake up. Hers was a sound sleep, induced by hours full of
activity and enjoyment in the fragrant woods.
When they entered the next tent, however, Harriet caught a glimpse of a
pair of bright eyes peering at them from above the blankets. The eyes
closed almost instantly and the sound of regular breathing came from that
cot.
Harriet smiled to herself. She glanced quickly at Tommy who almost
imperceptibly closed and opened one eye. Quick-witted, Tommy had not
missed the little scene. Harriet wanted to laugh, but instead her face
wore a grave expression as she listened to Mrs. Livingston explaining how
they were expected to air their blankets out in the open in the morning,
then after breakfast make their beds and care for their tents.
Each girl had a locker, this being nothing more than a series of hooks set
into the lower ridge plate of the tent, and on which they were supposed to
hang their clothes. A curtain covered this locker or clothes press. There
was one washstand for each pair of girls. They provided their own towels.
In the case of the Meadow-Brook Girls, their towel rack was empty, but
each had a pair in the suit cases, together with other necessary toilet
articles.
Miss Elting had been left to look after Margery and Hazel. Mrs. Livingston
remained in the tent with Harriet and Tommy, until they had prepared for
bed and finally tumbled into their cots. Then the Chief Guardian bade each
of them good night.
"Pleasant dreams, my dears," she said, and left the tent taking the
lantern with her, leaving the interior of the place in darkness. For a few
moments the two girls lay quiet, then Harriet heard Tommy calling to her
in a loud whisper.
"What is it!" asked Harriet.
"I'm afraid."
"Afraid of what?"
"Everything. It ith tho thpooky in here. Thay, can't we lock the door?"
"There is no door to lock. Don't whisper so loudly. You will awaken the
other girls," warned Harriet.
"May I come over in your bed?"
"Indeed you may not. Tommy, do go to sleep. I can hardly keep my eyes
open."
Silence reigned in the tent for several minutes, then Tommy began another
plaintive whisper.
"Thay, Harriet."
"Oh, Tommy, please," begged Harriet. "What is the trouble?"
"I'm afraid."
"There is nothing to fear. What are you afraid of?"
"Bearth."
"There are no bears in this part of the country. I'm ashamed to see you
such a coward."
"You can't thee me at all. It ith too dark," retorted Grace. "What ith
that? Thomebody whithpered."
Harriet Burrell did not answer, for she was sound asleep by this time.
Tommy lay there staring into the darkness until her eyelids grew heavy.
They drooped and drooped, finally closing over her eyes altogether. But
she had no more than dropped into a doze when she came to a sitting
posture wide awake. Something had disturbed her. Something was moving in
the tent and she could almost feel it.
Tommy's eyes grew wide with terror.
"Harriet!" she whispered. "Harriet!" This time the whisper was a little
louder, but there was no answer to the appeal. Then a most terrifying
thing occurred. A low, deep growl sounded right at the head of Tommy's
cot. With a wild cry the terrified little girl landed in the middle of the
floor.