A WONDERFUL OUTING
"Hello, Betty, that you? Yes, this is Mollie, of course. It seems to me
that I'm always at the 'phone these days. But, oh, Betty, I just simply
couldn't wait a minute to tell you! . . . Yes, I've just received a
letter. . . . What's that? . . . No, mother hasn't been able to trace her
silver at all yet. Isn't it terrible? . . . Oh, well, she is becoming
resigned to the worst. . . . But, Betty, aren't you a bit interested? . . .
Yes, I know you are, dear, and it's very sweet of you. . . . Well, it's
from Aunt Elvira. Remember I told you the other day that she intended to
go to Europe? Well, it's about that. . . . Yes, there has been so much
excitement about these old gypsies that I had almost forgotten I had
such an aunt. . . . No, I won't tell you one thing more about it, except
that everything is O. K. Will you come over to-night? . . . What's
that--you can't? Oh, Betty, you just have to. Oh, well, if that's all
why don't you bring him along? . . . Yes, all the boys are coming anyway.
Will says he has something to talk over with us. . . . Then I may count
on you, to-night, honey? . . . All right--good-bye till then."
This conversation took place in the morning. Promptly at eight that
evening the door bell rang and Betty, after a last peep in the mirror
and a finishing pat to her dress, flew down to answer the summons.
"Right on the dot, Allen," she laughed, flinging the door wide open.
"The clock is just striking the hour--listen," and obediently he
listened, his eyes on Betty's face, while the sweet chimes filled the
hall with melody.
"No wonder I am on the minute," he said, smiling whimsically. "I have
been wandering around for the past half hour trying to kill time. You
see I didn't quite dare to come at half-past seven."
She laughed gaily. "You would have had to spend your time in the library
if you _had_ come early," she said. "Because I have been ready for only
half a minute. Here's your hat, Allen," she added, taking it down from
the peg where he had just deposited it for the evening. Her manner was
grave but mischief sparkled in her eyes.
"What's the big idea?" he inquired, regarding the hat held out to him
with a puzzled expression. "I am very well acquainted with the article
in your hand. Too well acquainted, in fact, for this is the second
season we have been chums; and I see prospect of a third, if the law
business doesn't pick up. But, seriously, what is the idea, Betty? Do
you want me to go home and spend a dismal evening all by myself--is that
it?"
"Far from it, Allen. Oh, please don't look so glum," she added, and the
mischief bubbled over from her eyes and she laughed happily.
Opening Allen's hand, she placed the unwelcome hat therein and closed
his fingers over it. "The explanation for all this," she went on, making
him a curtsy, "is very simple. We have been invited to spend the evening
at Mollie's."
"Oh, bother M----" he began, then added, decidedly: "I came to see you
to-night and I am not going to the Billettes' or anywhere else! Here,
hat, get back where you belong," and he flung the offending article back
on the hook with an air of finality that matched his words.
"Please don't be an old bear," coaxed Betty, and Betty knew how to coax
to perfection. "Mollie has some perfectly wonderful news to tell us and
all our girls and boys are going to be there to hear it. You wouldn't
want me to be terribly disappointed--now you know you wouldn't," and she
looked at him appealingly.
Mollie opened the door to them herself, radiantly eager to tell her
news.
"Oh, hurry, you two!" she cried. "I thought you would never get here. We
have been waiting for--oh, ever so long."
"Well, if we are the last, everybody must have turned over a new leaf
just for to-night," remarked Betty, as she started for the library from
which came a confused murmur of many voices, speaking all at once, with
now and then a burst of merry laughter.
"Leave your hat here, Allen," said Mollie, and Betty threw him a merry
glance over her shoulder.
"Hello, everybody," she called a moment later, as she flung aside the
portières and stood framed in the doorway. "Mollie tells us we are the
last and----"
"Well, so you are. We thought you and Allen had mistaken the date," said
Frank. "Accidentally on purpose," he added slyly.
"Not a chance in the world, Frank," said Allen, who had come into the
room in time to hear the last remark. "I might be afflicted with loss of
memory; but, Betty--never!" They all laughed with enjoyment--all but
Betty who threw him a reproachful glance which he refused to catch.
"Well, now we are here, let's have the news," said Roy, who was always
impatient to get to the heart of things. "Come on, Mollie--out with it."
Nothing loath, Mollie settled herself with an important air and began
her tale.
"Well, you see----" she began, when Will interrupted.
"No, we don't. What?" he asked innocently.
"Now I won't try to tell it at all if you are going to begin that," said
Mollie with asperity. And Grace added:
"Do let Mollie tell it her own way, Will, and if you interrupt again, we
will get the boys to throw you out. You will do it, won't you, boys?"
"Sure!" they shouted with one accord, and Will retired meekly into a
corner.
"I'll begin all over again," said Mollie. "You all know, with the
exception of Amy and Allen, and they soon will, that I have been
expecting to hear from my aunt and uncle every day. They took rather a
long time to make up their minds, but now everything is settled. They
are really going to Europe, and we girls are going to have the use of
their bungalow, 'The Shadows,' for the summer. Or at least for the month
and a half that is left."
"Splendid, Mollie! Where is the bungalow?" inquired Betty, leaning
forward eagerly. "We ought to have a wonderful time."
"Well, I hope we shall," Mollie continued. "The bungalow is on an island
called Pine Island in Lake Tarracusio. They say it is a beautiful place,
and it is only about a day's journey in an auto. We could make it
easily."
"All this is very fine, but where do we come in?" Allen inquired. "There
isn't room in this wonderful bungalow for us, is there?"
"Of course not!" said Mollie scornfully. "And if there were, do you
think we would have you boys fussing around?"
"Well, I was just in search of information," Allen answered defensively.
"And all I get is scorn and ridicule."
"Hard luck, old man," said Will, feelingly. "I am in the same boat. But
you girls had better look out," he added threateningly. "Don't forget
that I had something to suggest to-night and if you don't treat me
better, I'll----"
"Will this do," interrupted Mollie, and, with hands clasped in prayerful
attitude, she besought Will, with tears in her voice, to have pity. "Oh,
kind and noble sir," she said, "be kind--be gracious to us, your humble
slaves, and deign to honor----"
"Now that's something like," broke in Will, beaming around on the
assembled company. "If you had done that from the first, Mollie----"
"Oh, Will, please hurry," Betty urged impatiently. "I know you have
something good to tell us, and I wish you wouldn't keep us in such
terrible suspense."
"Well, since you appreciate how great is the----"
"Yes, yes, go on," Grace interrupted.
"News I am about to impart," he continued without a glance in her
direction.
"You will impart it," Allen finished for him.
"Thank you," said Will, bowing gravely in Allen's direction. "As our
friend says, I will proceed. Well, to come down to brass tacks," he
continued, dropping the air of dignity, which, considering his youthful
appearance, was always very comical, "I thought maybe you fellows would
like to put up a tent on the same island and camp there near the girls
for the rest of the summer. We could have no end of fun."
There was a yell of joy from the boys, and the excited exclamations,
questions and answers that followed showed that they agreed heartily
with Will in his last prophecy that "they would have no end of fun."
"Oh, won't it be great!" cried Betty, her cheeks flushed with
excitement. "I do believe this is the very best of all," then her face
clouded as she turned to Allen, who had not been taking a very active
part in the conversation.
"Do you think you can make it, Allen?" she asked, trying to keep the
eagerness out of her voice. "You said something about a change in the
management of the firm----" her voice was questioning.
"Why, I was just wondering if I couldn't fix things up some way," he
answered seriously. "It looks as if some of our work might have to lay
over for a time anyway, and if it does----"
"Of course you will have to manage it somehow, Allen," Frank broke in.
"Why, having you there would be half the fun!"
"Oh, I guess I can," Allen began uncertainly. Then he continued: "But
you can just better believe if there is a chance in the world, I'll be
there."
"That's the way to talk," cried Mollie. "Now there is just one important
thing we haven't decided yet, girls, and that is, whom are we going to
have for a chaperon."
"I have been thinking of that, and I am sure I know just the one," said
Amy quietly; and they turned to her in amazement. Amy was like that, she
didn't talk much, but when she did, what she said was usually to the
point. "You all know young Mrs. Irving whose husband travels?"
"And she seems sort of lonely sometimes," Grace added, taking a
chocolate nut from a dish of candy that Mollie had placed, for Grace's
special delectation, on the table.
"Amy, you _are_ a wonder," said Mollie, regarding her chum with awe. "I
would never have thought of her in a thousand years, and of course she's
just the one."
"Well, now that the all-important question of chaperon is happily
settled," said Roy, veering back to the point like a compass, "suppose
we decide when to start."
After much discussion it was finally decided they were to start a week
from that day, which was Tuesday.
It was late when Mollie's guests started for home, and even then they
were all reluctant to go. As Allen stood on the porch of the Nelson home
a few minutes later, Betty turned to him impulsively.
"Oh, I do hope you will be able to go, Allen," she said.
"Would you be sorry if I didn't?" he asked her, eagerly.
"Why, of course."
"Then, I'll be there," he said, with a smile.