ON LUNA LAND
GRACE tapped at the side window of the Log Cabin; she had climbed over
the little stile-steps that mounted the fence between Rosabell and
Cleo's cottage, and now she waited at the window for a sign of life
within, for it was early, and summer folks could sleep late. Her round
dimpled face was pressed to the pane with a rather serious look, and
anyone might know to see her, that Grace was troubled.
Cleo answered the call, throwing open the latticed window, and almost
kissing Grace in the act.
"Come in, Grazia. Why so early? Looking for the story book worm?" Cleo
greeted.
"I'm glad you are not out--on the lake I mean," answered Grace. "I'll
come around to the side porch, Cleo, I must talk with you."
On the big swing made of interlaced white birchwood, the two chums
perched, and Grace promptly undertook to unburden her mind.
"Cleo dear," she said, "I am so worried about Kitty. How do we know but
that woman may have locked her up, or something?"
"Strange, Grazia, I have been thinking just that myself. But how are we
to find out without jeopardizing Kitty's interests? She begged us not to
go over there."
"I know, Cleo, but I have a plan. You and I can go to the Point. We will
ask Tommie Johnston to row us over. He would not be busy so early, and a
row boat doesn't make any noise. Then, we can go over to the island, and
just feel our way around."
"Splendid," agreed Cleo. "I'll be ready in a jiffy. Are you ready?"
"Just have to tell Benny I'm going up the river," replied Grace. "We can
easily be back in an hour."
Tommie Johnston could go, and was glad to give the girls a sail in his
freshly-painted boat, but he wagged his head seriously when Cleo said
she had a message for Kitty, and was going to take it straight over to
the island.
"Miss Morehouse is over there," he said in warning, "I saw her sailin'
around in her hospital clothes yesterday."
"We don't mind. Is she Aunt Hannah?" Cleo asked.
"Yes, that's the dame. Miss Hannah Morehouse, boss of Looney Land,"
replied Tommie, "and you've got a lot of nerve to trespass on her
territory. She's mighty strict."
"We are going to try it," insisted Grace, whereat Tommie pulled harder
than ever on his oars.
They stopped at the Point but everything was quiet there, if the wildest
chirping of birds, and fluttering of all feathered creatures be
overlooked. Before the human world moves birds seem happiest, and surely
wildest, so that on the dewy summer morning, Grace and Cleo stepped onto
the Point and into a perfect medley of bird language.
"No one around here," commented Cleo. "Don't let us waste time."
They hurried back to Tommie's boat, just in time to see a launch cut by.
In it was the white duck woman, Miss Hannah Morehouse.
"There she goes," said Tommie, with abroad and noisy grin. "You're in
luck."
"And we are glad of it," admitted Cleo, popping into the boat.
"Which side shall we land at?" asked the boat man, as they brushed the
sandy shore.
"We don't know," answered Cleo. "Which way do you think is best? We
would like to get on a quiet end, not near the cottages, if there are
any?" said Grace.
"Don't know much about it," said Tommie. "But I guess the far end is
best--over by the Cave of the Winds," he finished, pointing his boat
toward the rocky arch on the far side of the little island.
The two scouts stepped cautiously ashore. That end of the island was
banked with huge rocks that shot up almost straight, forming a natural
fort, with the rugged, artistic arch at its base. Under the arch Grace
and Cleo felt their way, and their attention was almost immediately
arrested by a series of the pasteboard cards, signed "Peter Pan."
"Little Royal's work," said Grace quietly. "Wonder if we shall see him?"
Up from the rocks a sparkling little stream played. Its origin was a
spring under a hill, and as it trickled along, in the tender growth of
green, the girls felt instinctively the beauty of the little spot so
hidden and isolated from the inhabitants of Sea Crest.
"Lovely!" breathed Cleo. "Little Royal could hardly be lonely here."
"Oh, yes, he could," contradicted Grace. "A child wants more than
scenery to play with."
They had gone but a short distance in the woods when something was heard
threshing through the bushes.
"It's he," said Cleo, and she secretly hoped no armed caretaker might
appear with the child.
A sudden swish, then from under a tangled elderberry bush there emerged
a darling little boy. At the sight of the intruders he stood stock still
in evident amazement.
"Oh, I knew you would come!" he exclaimed, clapping his little hands in
glee. "I knew my letters would reach you! What are your names, fairies?
Please tell me, and are we going right now to Mama?"
"How do you do, little boy," said Cleo. "Are you Royal?"
"Yes, I'm Royal, and I know who you are. I've been expecting you a very
long time."
He came forward a little hesitatingly. Grace could not resist rushing up
to him and throwing her arms about the pretty child.
"Oh, you perfectly darling little boy," she exclaimed. "We know who you
are, for Kitty has told us," and she hugged him quite indecorously for a
fairy.
He was so pretty. His light hair cropped at his ears did not succeed in
preventing curls to tangle and his blue eyes were roguish as even a baby
boy's should be. With these unerring features his color reflected the
outdoor treatment, and his little form evinced unmistakably that quality
for which we have no better term than "good breeding."
Cleo stooped to pay her homage, and when Grace released Royal she caught
him up.
"Why do you want to go to mama?" she asked. "Where is mama?"
"Oh, far away, and she cannot get back till the Royal comes in. Her boat
is Royal too," he said proudly.
"And who takes care of you?" pressed Grace, keeping in mind the
prospect of almost any interruptions spoiling this valued confidence.
"Kitty-dear does. There is Hannah, of course, but I don't like her, and
I do like Kitty-dear," he said, with a brave echo in his childish voice.
"And where do you live? Where is your house?" Cleo was peering through
the trees, but could see no sign of anything like a dwelling.
"Oh, I haven't any house; I must live outdoors. Dr. Grant ordered it,
and I must roll in the mud. But I get tired rolling, and there isn't any
real mud here, except what Kitty-dear fetches in the boat. Then we make
mud pies, and that's fun. But you are going to take me for a boat ride
now, aren't you? I have wanted one for such a long time." His voice was
wistful, and his blue eyes were fastened on the boat, that through the
trees could be seen, rocking on the water's edge, where Tommie waited.
"Where is Kitty?" asked Cleo without answering the appeal for a long
delayed boat ride.
"She's busy with Uncle Pete," replied Royal. "Hannah wants lots of
things done when she comes, but sometimes she gives Kitty-dear money,
then we have cookies, but we never dare tell Hannah, 'cause I'm not
allowed cookies," he said with a cute twist of his yellow head. "But you
are the fairies who took my letters, aren't you? I knew when they were
gone from their letter boxes on the birch trees, that I would surely
get an answer! And see, I was right!"
"I think I hear Kitty coming," said Grace. "Yes, here she is."
"Well, I never," called Kitty gleefully. "Look who blew in!"
"Hello, Kitty," called back Cleo, delighted to notice the high spirits
Kitty flaunted. "We just did blow in from the bay to make a very early
call. Hope we haven't interrupted any gardening?" This applied to
Kitty's outfit, for she wore blue overalls, and a boy's cap, that looked
better on her cropped head than could any other sort of hat, and her
bare feet completed a really charming rustic picture.
"Gardening, you said it!" exclaimed Kitty in pardonable slang. "That's
what I have to do when 'her nibs' is in town. But thank goodness she's
out for the day, and may have to run up to the city" (this in a mocking
tone). "I hope she does, and I hope she gets tripped up in the run so
she can't get back for a while. What do you think of my little Royal? I
call him little Boy Blue, and he calls me Bo Peep, don't we have good
times, Roy?"
In answer the small boy rubbed his head against Kitty's overalls, like a
fond little kitten.
"We felt we must see you, Kitty," said Cleo seriously, "and we'll have
to talk fast, as we left home so early and have to get back. Tommie is
in the boat, and he too, must get back to the landing. Kitty, are you
all right? and is everything all right?"
"Pretty much," said Kitty with a little wink in Royal's direction. "I'm
glad you came and would--you--like to see our lodgings?"
"I'm afraid we can't wait this time," said Grace thinking it would be
like Brother Benny to raise a still alarm that Grace had gone to that
Looney Land. "But we can come back again soon."
"You are going to take me with you," gleefully announced the boy making
a start toward the rocky arch.
"Oh, Roy dear, you wouldn't leave Kitty," protested the little
caretaker. "You know we are both going together--"
"But these are my fairies," and tears welled into the saucer blue eyes.
"I can't--can't let them go away!" Two monster tears rolled right into
the quivering lips.
Cleo and Grace felt very helpless in this sort of predicament. It was
one thing to dive off piers, and fish boys or girls out of the depths,
but how to bank a flood of baby tears?
Kitty knew. She took Royal in her arms and attempted to hoist him up a
tree.
"Peter Pan," she said severely. "See that cloud floating by! That's our
airship, and very, very soon I promise we shall go to mother's land--in
our ship of love. You see, these are the messenger fairies (she did not
know what truth she spoke,) and they will soon return," she finished
grandly.
Grace and Cleo felt impelled to be fairies, and each raised fluttering
arms, saved from comic effect by the love they betrayed in their smiling
assent.
"Yes, we surely will come back very soon," declared Grace. "And Little
Peter Pan, you may watch us from your tree. We have a power boat--and a
row boat--you can tell us by a signal. When we come we will wave a blue
flag--a light blue one, like a piece of the sky," finished Grace.
"All right," said the child, a little dolefully. "But I sat in the tree
so often in my nighty, and Kitty-dear built steps so I could go up and
down--" He paused, and bravely brushed away another big tear, with a
motion that indicated dislike for feeble symbols.
"Well hurry," said Cleo, seizing the chance of escape. "Good-bye little
Royal-Boy-Blue-Peter Pan," she said merrily. "And good-bye, Kitty. Send
a letter by Lovey dove, or by Bentley, and we will answer promptly."
Kitty understood, and as they turned for a last look before stepping
into Tommie's boat, they saw her holding Royal, as high on her shoulder
as she could prop him; and he was wildly waving Kitty's blue cap.