A DAY WITH AN EXCITING FINISH
The Camp Girls stood in groups waiting for introductions to the
Meadow-Brook Girls which they knew were to come. Mrs. Livingston performed
these introductions. As she did so, she explained the reason for the
disheveled appearance of the Meadow-Brook Girls, calling attention to the
pluck of Harriet Burrell in trying to stop the mad dash of the frightened
horse, for which, Mrs. Livingston said, an honor mark already had been
placed opposite her name. It was the true Camp Girl spirit, said the Chief
Guardian and they were proud to welcome her to their ranks.
The Camp Girls had been comparatively cordial to the newcomers since their
arrival. Now that they had heard of Harriet's pluck they were especially
so. They pressed forward with greetings so warm and friendly that the
Meadow-Brook Girls knew them to be sincere, and this made the four young
women feel at home on the instant. Harriet's face was still flushed from
Mrs. Livingston's praise and her eyelids were drooping modestly. Tommy,
however, was in her element. She talked incessantly, and even had to be
reminded that Mrs. Livingston was about to say grace. So absorbed did she
become in her own chatter that she did not observe that the whole table
was awaiting the conclusion of her talk for the more solemn duty of asking
grace.
Harriet thought she had never gazed upon a more attractive scene. Flowers
were arranged at intervals along each table. At each end of the tables sat
the guardians, generally college girls who had volunteered their services
for the summer. Then the rows of brown-faced, bright-eyed girls completed
the picture. There was practically no restraint placed upon the girls.
Most of the campers were well-bred young women who instinctively
distinguished between brightness and boisterousness. There was plenty of
gay laughter and bright repartee, in which the keen-witted college-girl
guardians occasionally took part. These college girls were both an example
and an inspiration to the younger girls of the camp. It was from one of
these young women sitting near her that Harriet learned what "honors"
meant in the camp. Every time a girl did something of merit she was
awarded an honor, these being bestowed in the form of colored wooden
beads.
In addition to this the girls were advanced in degrees. One day they might
themselves become guardians. It was all very attractive. There were many
duties for the girls to perform and many, many things to learn. Their days
Harriet discovered, were not wholly devoted to amusement, but to learning
woodcraft and other useful things.
"I am sure I shall never want to leave this wonderful place," cried
Harriet enthusiastically when the meal came to a close and the guardian
had bestowed an appreciative smile on her.
The work being cleared out of the way by the Workers, Mrs. Livingston read
from the Bible out in the open, with the girls sitting on the ground with
feet tucked under them. Over-head the birds sang sweetly, their voices
heard even above those of the girls when all joined in the singing that
followed the reading of the Scripture. Following this came a period of
relaxation and visiting during which the Meadow-Brook Girls began to
really get acquainted with their fellow campers.
The guardians, the four girls learned, had full charge of all forms of
recreation, so that when the guardian of Harriet's division proposed a
trip out into the woods, it was a virtual command. The walk was a saunter
among the trees, during which Miss Partridge gave them some lessons in
woodcraft, especially on how to find one's way about in the woods. It was
an extremely interesting talk to Harriet Burrell, though she already was
familiar with a number of the things Miss Partridge told her. Every one of
the girls who had been out on the tramp, returned with keen appetites for
luncheon which was served at half past twelve. Dinner on Sunday was served
at five o'clock, on other days it was served at six o'clock. At luncheon
Mrs. Livingston addressed the girls on the work and duties of a Camp Girl.
One part of her discourse gave Harriet a better idea of the purposes of
the camp than she had before known.
"We are a self-governing body," said the Chief Guardian. "For the benefit
of the newcomers among us I will say that our laws are not written laws.
Young women soon recognize that if we are to have a happy, wholesome camp
life, each girl must do her part well. The keynote of the whole summer's
work is service. The girls must be thoughtful for one another. I cannot
emphasize this too strongly.
"To be eligible to the second rank of your order a young woman must be
able to fulfil requirements such as these: She must be able to prepare two
meals without help or advice; must sleep with open windows or out of doors
for at least one month; must refrain from candy and soda for at least one
month; must know how to act when a person's clothing is on fire or when a
person has fallen into deep water, as well as what to do in case of
fainting.
"The honors," continued Mrs. Livingston, "are less easily earned. For
instance, any one of the following accomplishments will count as one point
in the favor of the girl who earns them: Be free from colds for two
successive months in the winter; be able to bring up some certain object
from the bottom in ten feet of water; to know and describe three kinds of
baby cries and what they mean; to commit to memory the preambles to the
Constitution and the Declaration of Independence; also Lincoln's
Gettysburg address. There are many more requirements that you young women
who have just become members of our camp, will learn from your associates.
I shall hope to see you not only reaching the next higher grade at an
early day, but winning honors as well," concluded Mrs. Livingston.
"Good grathiouth!" exclaimed Tommy in the brief period of silence
following the Chief Guardian's talk. She said it in a voice that was heard
by every one of the girls in camp.
A suppressed titter rippled around the tables. Mrs. Livingston looked
inquiringly at Tommy.
"Well, Miss Thompson, what is it?" questioned the guardian.
"I gueth I'll be an angel before I know all of thith."
The titter became a shout of merriment in which all the guardians joined.
Miss Elting knowing Tommy as she did, merely smiled, but Margery blushed
painfully. She felt humiliated for her friend. Tommy, however, had fully
established her reputation in that camp. In future nothing that she might
say or do would be taken seriously by her companions. Mrs. Livingston made
no effort to correct the girl. Instead she left that to the girls
believing that Tommy would leave the camp fairly well made over. She
understood that Tommy was merely a spoiled child, under whose apparently
thoughtless, almost impertinent manner lay the making of a charming,
lovable young woman.
While they were still at luncheon Jasper came into camp with the trunks
that he had brought in another wagon. He had found his horse, but the
animal had cut both legs severely and could not be driven for some time.
From the log road Jasper had dragged the trunks to the camp on a
two-wheeled cart. Tommy spied him plodding down the path pushing the cart.
She eyed him inquiringly. The girls set up a shout when they caught sight
of Jasper. He was popular in that he brought mail to them and sometimes
goodies from home.
"That ith Jath," nodded Tommy.
"You mean Mr. Jasper," corrected Miss Partridge.
"Yeth."
"Harriet pulled hith whithkerth latht night. Do you know what he thaid?"
"I can imagine that he was quite angry," answered Miss Partridge.
"Yeth I gueth he wath. He thaid, 'leggo my whithkerth, contharn ye!' Yeth
he did, didn't he, Harriet! Wathn't that awful?"
"Oh, Tommy!" begged Harriet.
It was a full minute before order was restored in the dining tent. At the
conclusion of the outbreak Mrs. Livingston gave the signal to rise and the
girls crowded out with flushed faces and laughing eyes, a group of them
surrounding Tommy, asking her questions in the hope that she might amuse
them with other funny remarks. This gathering was interrupted by the voice
of Mrs. Livingston.
"The Meadow-Brook Girls may go to their tents to arrange their outfits,"
she announced. "The trunks are in place. I suppose you will want to change
to your camp uniforms."
The girls assented eagerly. Tommy fairly flew over the uneven ground. She
caught her toe on the root of a tree, measuring her length on the ground.
She was up and off again unheeding the shouts of laughter from her
companions.
Each of the Meadow-Brook Girls was eager to get into her uniform. Tommy
was so excited that Harriet had to assist her in dressing. Then when this
had been accomplished Tommy swept up and down the tent, surveying herself
in the mirror from various different attitudes.
"How do you like me?" she demanded, squinting up at Harriet.
"You will do very well if you fix your hair. It looks frightful, Tommy.
You must spend more time with it. The way you wear your hair reminds me of
Crazy Jane."
"Oh, dear. I can't thpend the time to bother with it. I'm too buthy. You
do it for me."
"I will help you, of course, if you wish, but a Camp Girl should be able
to do such things for herself. Now you watch me do mine. While you are
watching, give your own hair a good brushing."
Harriet parted her hair in the middle in a very straight line, divided it
into four strands, which she wound into as many soft coils, two at the
nape of the neck and one on each side half concealing her ears. She pinned
it securely, then with artistic precision fluffed a few locks of hair
about her temples.
"There!" she said, turning a smiling face to her little companion who had
been observing her admiringly.
"I couldn't do that with my hair."
"I know that, dear. Your hair is not as thick as mine. Now let me see what
you can do with yours. It looks better now that you have brushed it out."
Tommy arranged herself before a mirror. She braided her light hair tightly
into a pig-tail, tying it about half way up with a black ribbon. Stray
ends, like the unraveled strands of a rope were left stringing down over
her ears, giving to her face a more impish expression than it had worn
before. She turned from the mirror in which she had been admiring her
handiwork, to meet the laughing eyes of her companion.
"How do you like me?"
"Oh, I don't know. At least it looks better than it did."
"Fine, ithn't it? Crathy Jane'th hair never looked tho well ath that. But
thith dreth ith a little too thombre for one of my age, don't you think?"
questioned Tommy wisely.
"I think they will forget all about the sombreness of the dress when they
see your happy face," answered Harriet. "Besides, it is the dress that
all the girls here are wearing. I call it a very pretty uniform. I hope
Margery had the buttons sewed securely on hers. If not she will burst them
all off the first time she stoops over."
"Yeth, Buthter ith too fat," agreed Tommy. "Thay, Harriet?"
"Yes?"
"I don't like Patrithia and Cora."
"You shouldn't say that. You hardly know them."
"I don't want to. Every time they look at me they laugh. I'll thay
thomething to them firtht thing they know."
"Please, please, Grace, never do anything of the sort. You might be sent
home for such a thing. You know what Mrs. Livingston said to-day about
girls being thoughtful for each other and always kind and helpful."
"Well Patrithia ithn't thoughtful or kind to me, ith thhe?"
"That is no reason why you should not be. Are you ready?"
"Yeth. Let'th go out and thtrut up and down."
"I am afraid you are a vain little creature, but you are a dear, Tommy,
just the same," laughed Harriet, giving one of Tommy's little pink ears a
mischievous pinch after which the two girls emerged from their tent arm in
arm.
The Camp Girls gathered about them. The plainness of the costume became
Harriet, but Tommy did not look quite herself. Her face appeared smaller
than ever, and her light hair was accentuated by the dark color of the
uniform. The little girl, however, soon forgot all about her personal
appearance in the enjoyment she found in talking with the other girls of
the camp.
There was little to be done on Sunday afternoon. Those who preferred to do
so might read. Others spent the time in lounging and visiting or strolling
among the great trees either putting into practice such wood-lore as they
had learned or discussing their own and camp affairs. Those girls who had
been to the camp before or held high rank in the association took it upon
themselves to instruct and be helpful to the younger and less experienced
girls. Harriet's love of nature and her frequent communions with it, made
her a popular pupil. About many things she knew as much if not more than
her instructors among the girls, but she carefully avoided setting up her
knowledge against that of her companions.
The day passed happily. After dinner the campers gathered about a cheerful
campfire where they spent the greater part of the evening listening to
Indian legends told to them by the guardians, relating interesting
experiences in their own lives, or exciting adventures, as the case might
be. Then came bedtime. The Meadow-Brook Girls were eager to retire. They
were equally eager to greet the coming day.
During the day just ended, they had passed scarcely a word with Patricia
and Cora. The former was a girl about Harriet's age, the latter a year or
two older. Cora was proud and haughty. In this respect she was unlike the
average Camp Girl, making the contrast, in Harriet's eyes, all the more
marked.
Harriet bade both girls a courteous good night as she turned in to her
cot. They were more slow to get to bed, and a guardian's voice reminding
them that it was then a quarter after nine, fifteen minutes past the time
when lights should be out, caused the two girls quickly to extinguish the
lantern that hung on the centre pole and seek their cots. Harriet in a
half doze realized that they were talking. She roused herself, not to
listen, but because they had disturbed her. But Harriet would not ask them
to be quiet. As for Tommy, that young woman was asleep almost the instant
she touched the cot. It will be recalled that she had had little sleep
during the previous night.
Then Harriet went to sleep with the whisperings of Patricia and Cora
reaching her but faintly. She recalled afterwards that when she roused
herself they were sitting on the edge of Patricia's cot.
As the night advanced the camp became dark and silent. Two or three
figures might have been seen stealing into the tent where the two
Meadow-Brook Girls lay sleeping, but their movements were so cautious and
stealthy that they did not awaken the sleepers.
There was sudden rush of feet, a smothered exclamation and a half cry of
alarm from Tommy's cot, then a struggle from Harriet's side of the tent A
few moments of silence followed, after which two forms with their heads
swathed in towels were led from the tent, one struggling with all her
strength to free herself from her captors, the other walking along without
a protesting word or action.
The camp slumbered on. Not a sound had reached the ears of the sleeping
guardians near at hand, nor had another Camp Girl been awakened. The
figures of captors and captives were swallowed up in the gloom of the
forest within a few moments.