A COUPLE OF FREAKS
LEONORE, an older sister of the vivacious Grace, very willingly picked
up the trio, and presently they were contrasting the ocean air as
breathed at a speed rate along the ocean front, to the same air as
gathered "by hand" from a stationary position.
"It's like drinking air," commented Cleo. "This is surely liquid air if
there is any such commodity."
"I want to stop at Borden's for a paper," said their driver, Leonore.
"Grace, will you kindly hop out and get it?"
The opportunity of inspecting the big pavilion which was just opened
that day for the season, was eagerly grasped by all three girls, who
promptly decided there were many and various things they all needed; all
of which might be bought at Borden's, so they hopped out with
conspicuous alacrity.
"Isn't this splendid!" enthused Grace, almost dancing across the well
polished floor. "We will be sure to want a lot of ice cream this
summer."
Over in a corner a queer looking girl was counting and recounting a lot
of small change. First she would finger it from one hand to the other,
almost counting aloud; then she would drop each coin on the table and
its ring counted aloud for her. This attracted the attention of the Girl
Scouts, who without speaking of it, were all watching the process with
interest.
"Wealth," whispered Louise, "and newly acquired, I guess."
"Going to treat the world," said Cleo under her breath. "Too bad they
are all out of balloons."
The girl had finally decided to spend one pile of the coins she had
heaped before her, and the other she brushed into a little muslin bag,
tied it with a black string and then stuck it carefully into the neck of
her blouse. As if conscious she was being watched she shuffled
awkwardly, then made her way to the end of the counter, where the
one-time penny candies were sold.
"There!" exclaimed Cleo, when the girl was well out of hearing. "She is
surely a queer character and worth watching. How do you suppose she ever
came by that famous collection of modern coins."
"Why, she earned them, I should say," guessed Louise. "That's the sort
of girl always available for a mind-the-baby job."
As the girl waited to make her purchase she kept turning, very boldly,
to stare at the scouts, who were vainly trying to hide their interest
in the queer character. Evidently _she_ had no misgivings concerning her
interest in them.
First she would shrug her shoulders, then tilt up her broken straw hat,
kick the heel of one "sneak" against the other, until finally the clerk
spoke sharply to bring her attention to the point of buying candy.
It took her some time longer to make her selection and again in counting
out her money she made quite an unnecessary display. A spill of the
coins brought an ill-concealed titter from Cleo and Grace, and this the
girl so sharply resented that Louise edged her chums to the other side
of the room for safety.
"Fierce!" commented Grace. "Think she bites?"
"Might," replied Cleo under her breath.
Louise was ordering stamps, and her friends pretended to examine the
alluring display of new post-cards.
"Oh, my!" whispered Grace. "What is this we have come upon? Please look
over in that far corner!"
They followed the direction indicated and saw there a very tall, awkward
boy, pouring over a badly worn book, and making notes on a slip of
yellow paper. He wore glasses, and possessed that queerly undefinable
personality, usually ascribed to the gawky boy, or he who is different
from others.
"Look!" begged Louise grasping the arms of Grace and Cleo. "He has the
same kind of paper we found in the bottle!"
"Our fire-bug!" breathed Cleo, edging away in mock alarm. "Behold his
avenger!" and she held aloft a pretty yellow lolly-pop lately chosen
from the candy case.
The boy never noticed those about him, but literally poured over his
book and dug notes out with a stubby pencil.
Meanwhile the girl with the bag of coins had procured her confections,
and was now counting her change. As she passed the girls she looked
boldly at them and actually stuck out her tongue!
Grace roared laughing. The outburst caused the boy in the corner to drop
his pencil and stare.
Then Cleo laughed; Louise joined her, and all three bolted for the door.
"Oh, I thought I'd choke," gurgled Cleo. "Did you ever see such circus
folks?"
"But the boy with the yellow paper may be writing us another letter,"
hazarded Grace. "We should have gone up boldly and confronted him."
"I was more interested in slip-shod Letty," said Louise. "She looked
real daggers, and what about her threat? She almost shook her fist at
us."
"Oh, she'll be sure to love us, that's certain," commented Cleo, "but I
don't see why we should let her act so bold. We ran as if we were afraid
of her."
"We were afraid of ourselves--thought we were going to get into a fit of
laughing," admitted Grace.
"Come on," urged Louise. "Leonore will be out of patience."
"I thought you were going to buy the store out," said the waiting girl,
impatiently pressing the self starter button and the car rumbled off.
"No danger," replied Grace. "But we saw the funniest folks," and she
proceeded to tell of their near-encounter with the girl they named
Letty, and then mentioned the glimpse they had of the queer, studious
boy.
"A couple of freaks," said Leonore, as the car picked up speed. "There
are plenty of them around here, and you little girl scouts better watch
out. Some one may find you off your guard," she finished good-naturedly.
When the girls settled down they exchanged opinions on the morning's
experience. No little country coin collector could open fire on them
that way, without paying some penalty. Not if they knew it.
"And think of her sticking her tongue out," exclaimed Grace. "Of all the
rude tricks!"
"I do believe she would have punched me if she had dared," remarked
Cleo.
"Well, she had better wait--just wait," said Louise with a threat in her
voice. "We are sure to meet Letty again and then--just wait!"
"And the boy with the yellow paper," Cleo reminded her chums. "What
about him?"
"There's plenty of yellow paper," replied Grace, "but of course he might
be our fire-bug. He looked sort of unconscious."
"Didn't notice you looking at him, that _was_ queer," teased Louise.
"Oh, I think I saw your gray eyes rolling over in his corner," fired
back Grace.
"Not even the entire volley brought him to his senses," put in Cleo,
"for I must admit _I_ was looking over his way myself."
"Well, here we are. Thanks for the lift, Leonore," said Louise as the
car stopped in front of the glistening white cottage, one of the show
places of Sea Crest.
"Oh, how fine!" exclaimed Cleo. "Like Crystal Palace, so white and
shiny."
And then began the third lap in their inspection of the summer
cottages.