AT THE COLONADE
THEY felt quite like grown-ups out there in the moonlight, on the
carpeted piazzas, with the music from the ballroom wafting out through
the many open windows.
Here and there in sheltered nooks, knots of young folks buzzed their
confidences, while the scouts chose two long, low divans, directly off
the exchange, where they might at once enjoy the music of the waves and
the rhythm of the orchestra.
It all seemed too pleasant to mar with ordinary conversation, so holding
hands as girls will, the companions sank down to enjoy the wonderful
summer night.
They were not more than settled when two young men sauntered out of the
smoking room and took the seat just back of their divan. The girls
nudged each other, and squeezed hands, but did not emit the usual
warning cough.
"Well, I am glad to hear from Dick," spoke one of the men; "I tell you,
he did great work in our little old war."
"You-bet-y'u," replied the second voice, slurring his words together as
young men do, and giving them that jolly twang peculiar to the college
boy.
"Yes, sir, Dick Gordon is some boy, and I'll be mighty glad to see him."
Grace almost pinched Cleo's arm to the yelling point. "That's my
Jackie--the one who owns my marine room," she said in a low voice.
"Keep your window locked," cautioned Cleo.
"And he's still on the blue?" went on the masculine voice.
"Still is--you-bet-cha," replied his companion. "Regular Willie off the
yacht, only he's bound to be Richard on the yacht. Seems some
millionaire family he knew--there may be a girl in it--prevailed on him
to take a yacht out this summer, so he's sailing her--the yacht I mean;
I'm only guessing at the girl."
Isabel coughed audibly. It was just like her to do so and she either had
to cough or laugh, and she hastily decided on expressing herself in the
least conspicuous outburst.
For a few minutes the young men ceased speaking, and in the interval the
girls undertook to carry on something like a conversation; at least they
were endeavoring to make their presence known to the other occupants of
that corner of the porch.
Thus establishing a general hum of voices, remarks from the young men
only floated in as the girls might pause, or giggle, or hesitate about
staying longer from the dance floor.
"So old Dick will be back before summer sundown?" they heard.
"Sure thing, you bet'cha," replied the second voice, "and we'll all be
here to give the cheers."
"But the Gordon place is rented. Wonder what Dick will do without all
his junk?"
"That's so. Well, we can bring him here. All the gang will be back by
that time."
"Heard when and where he comes in?"
"Depends upon the yachters, of course. But Dick said something about a
lady's good health or bad health, I forgot which."
A bevy of young ladies now discovered the youths who had been thus
enjoying a smoke and talk, and the boys were promptly carried off to the
ball room, where the strains of an alluring waltz were floating.
"Now Gracie, see what's going to happen?" exclaimed Louise, as soon as
talking thus was safe. "Your adorable Dick of the marine room is coming
back on a yacht, and he's going to miss his junk."
"And maybe he'll give us a sail on the millionaire's yacht!" suggested
Grace.
"See that it includes every True Tred. There, I believe the grown-ups
are breaking in on our evening," complained Mary. "Let's make a march
out of that waltz."
"Don't you have wonderful times here, Mary?" asked Grace, entering the
brilliant room again.
"Yes, but I can't say that I like it better than a simple home life,"
replied Mary. "We travel so much, and it's hotel all the time----"
"But you are going to spend next week with me," interrupted Cleo. "I
hardly realize it yet that you are my really truly coz," and she gave
the girl's long, brown braids a familiar twerk.
"Whatever did you do with old Reda?" asked Grace, referring to the
picturesque nurse who played so important a part in our second volume,
"The Girl Scouts of Bellaire."
"Daddy made her comfortable for life," replied Mary. "He considered she
had done everything that she know how to do for me, and mother's folks
decided she would be happier among her own people. But Aunt Constance
asked me to bring you up to her sitting room to-night, and as soon as
you have had enough of this, suppose we go up?"
It was well the sitting room was spacious, for the scouts numbered quite
a company. However the wealthy Miss Hastings greeted them warmly, and
seemed greatly interested in their organization.
"I can never forget how you discovered our little Mary for us," she
said, placing her hand lovingly on Mary's shoulder, "and if ever I can
do anything to help you, please let me know. It is splendid to have
girls united under such principles. Mary has charmed me with her
interpretations of your little manual."
They thanked Miss Hastings for her interest, and smiled over the
compliments. The girls were quite bewildered with the luxurious
surroundings. Everything seemed so velvety, and so much cushioned, and
all this was enhanced by the soft glitter of the shaded lights, and the
rose-tinted glow of the color scheme. Here, at least, scout uniform
seemed out of place.
Miss Hastings was what we might discreetly call a mellow blonde, not
implying or imputing anything artificial to her blondness. She had the
very softest blue eyes, and wore the daintiest orchid tint gown; but in
spite of her apparent luxury, she instantly inspired the girls with a
feeling of ease and confidence.
Mary fluttered about, displaying such trophies of her southern tour as
might safely be carried to her hotel abode; and when the sight-seeing
was done, Cleo exacted a promise from Miss Hastings, that Mary might
spend a complete week with her.
This was the signal for a perfect flood of similar invitations, and when
the girls left the suite, their evening dance cards were well marked
with dates to visit and dates to entertain Mary Dunbar, Cleo's popular
cousin.
"What worries me is that Dick boy coming over in the yacht," remarked
Isabel jokingly. "Seems to me Grace is in for a wonderful time."
"But he may be on shore leave," added Julia, "then he wouldn't be any
more attractive than our 'you-bet-chu' chap," she said, indicating the
young man who inserted that boyish expression so often in his
conversation.
The children were leaving the ballroom when the scouts took their final
drink of pink lemonade, as Grace insisted on calling the fruit punch,
and as they came out to the porch for their "good-nights," mothers and
nurses were gathering the fluttering little ones to their arms.
They were about to leave when a shrill voice from the hall startled
every one, "Oh, come quick, a doctor! My baby is choking!"
A mother uttered the cry. In an instant every one was in confusion
looking for a doctor, but it so happened in all that big hotel at the
moment no physician could be found.
"What shall I do!" wailed the mother, now wringing her hands and begging
for help. "I don't know how--to save--my darling!"
Quick as a flash Julia broke away through the crowd and, followed by
Louise and Helen, she made her way to the room of the distracted parent
and the suffering child.
On the bed lay the little child, gasping, choking, his face almost
purple. No one had attempted to do anything but look on in horror, as
people usually do under such exciting conditions.
Julia, however, summoned all her courage and her scout training, and
grabbing the little one before she had a chance to suffer from
hesitation, she held his little heels high as she could stretch them,
and shook him vigorously, while the distracted mother looked on in
consternation. When the Girl Scout's strength failed, and she allowed
the child to sink down on the bed again, the safety pin, he had almost
swallowed, lay beside him on the coverlet.
It was all over in so few minutes that Louise and Helen merely looked on
to encourage Julia.
"Oh, my darling, my darling!" wailed the excited mother. "Are you alive?
Does he breathe?"
"He will be all right directly," said Helen, surprising herself with her
own calmness. "Just give him plenty of air."
By now those who had assembled in idle curiosity had dispersed, leaving
room for the other scouts to come within sight of the open door.
Quickly as the chubby youngster recovered his breath he made a grab at
the neck tie that floated from Julia's blouse. Then he wanted to play
with the buttons on her skirt, and he evinced such other evidence of
good fellowship that every one stood by in silent admiration.
The mother, however, had recovered her composure sufficiently to thank
Julia; and this she did most profusely.
"What would I have done?" she asked. "I simply went to pieces, in a
perfect panic, when I saw that boy choke. Oh, here is Neal," turning to
greet a young man who just entered the room. "Neal, do come and meet
these wonderful little girls. They saved the baby brother. In another
moment, I am sure, he would have strangled."
And before them stood one of the young men who had entertained them
unawares on the West porch, an hour earlier. He added his thanks to
those of his mother, while the baby brother kicked delightedly on the
badly tossed bed.
"And you knew more about it than mother," he remarked, a note of
incredulity in his voice. "But I see you are scouts. They teach you
emergency stunts in your organization, I suppose."
"Yes," replied Julia covered with confusion and anxious to escape; and
escape she did directly the good-looking Neal stepped aside, and bowed
the girls graciously into the corridor.
"I almost choked myself," admitted Louise.
"I will do so yet," declared Helen.