THE WHIRLING MAY-POLE
"Oh, isn't it too mean!" deplored Grace, talking to her chums, Cleo and
Madaline, after succeeding in diverting the troublesome brother Benny
over to his ballfield. "Hal Crane drove out on his wheel to the woods,
as he promised, you know, and not a letter, nor a line, nor a scrap was
there," and she dropped her dimpled chin down on her soft white dimity
collar, until the top of her curly head slanted like a toboggan hill.
"That isn't what worries me most," interposed Madaline. "It is the
fact--the solemn fact," and she rolled her round eyes as if expecting a
mote to sail out on a tear--"that not one of our troop has done
anything big enough to win the B. C."
"How do you know?" queried Cleo mysteriously. "We don't each of us know
what every single member of the troop has done, do we?" "Oh, but we
would be sure to hear of anything big enough to win the Bronze Cross,"
Grace assisted Madaline's argument. "And the True Treds are all so
brave and such a fine set of girls! Land knows, I tried hard enough
with tieing my man to the tree!" and she indulged in one of her
unpredicted gales, "and now to think even he has deserted us!"
"He may--have had to go off for supplies or something," suggested Cleo.
"We can hardly expect a cave man to be always so punctual. But isn't it
lovely about our new member?"
"Yes," answered Grace. "Captain Clark told us last evening every single
one passed her tests! Daddy says the mill owners are simply delighted
with the change in the employees. You see, the men and boys always had
organizations to cheer them along, but the girls and women were not
treated like human beings." Grace was usually strong for her own rights
and she had developed considerable individuality competing with Benny.
"Here's Margaret. I suppose she expected some--wonderful news, too.
Really, girls," gloomed Madaline, "I fear our cave man has deserted us."
Margaret came blithely along, her tam-o'shanter being a little late in
seasonable style, but so becoming that the detail was forgotten in the
entire effect.
"Heard the news?" she inquired indifferently. Her indifference
indicated real importance, always.
"What news?" chorused the trio.
"We're going on a picnic!"
"Where?" encored the chorus.
"Out to River Bend," replied Margaret, making herself picturesque on a
tree stump. The conference was being held in a shady lane directly back
of the home of Cleo Harris.
"River Bend!" a unanimous exclamation from the others.
"Certainly, why not?"
"Because that's our secret place," protested Grace, the first to come
out in solo, "Why couldn't some other place have been chosen?"
"Ask Captain Clark," replied Margaret, with tantalizing exactness, "and
of course she won't tell you. You don't suppose one little hollow rock,
or even one big wood-man comprises all the natural beauty of River
Bend? Think of the canoes out there now! And we may even have a ride in
them!"
"That's so, of course," agreed Grace. "The Bend is a lovely pine picnic
grove. Who's going?"
"All True Treds. We are going to make it Saturday afternoon so as to
include the entire troop" (the term mill girl was studiously avoided),
"and besides," continued Margaret, glorying in the importance of her
post, "we may have the Venture Troop of Franklin with that pretty
little leader, Rose Dixon. All the girls rave about her."
"We never knew how pretty those other girls were until we got a
close-up view. That's a movie term, of course, but it fits," Cleo
analyzed. "We poor mere Americans can never hope to compete with the
girls of foreign parents in the way of eyes. Did you ever see such big,
deep, dark eyes as Olga Neilson carries around?" and Cleo exercised her
own blue-gray orbs in emulation.
"One lovely thing about our picnic," commented Grace, "we will all wear
uniform and look so alike. We will have to depend on our eyes for
especial distinction, and as Benny would say, 'I see our finish!' At
any rate, since we can't get any more mail from the woods, I guess it's
a good idea to go out there and explore again. Perhaps we'll discover
the secret of the stone man. Don't you remember, our history tells us
the first records were made in crude carvings on stone? Maybe he's the
original stone-cutter!" and the laugh that answered did credit to the
joke.
Meanwhile preparations for the picnic were being made in a number of
localities, and the strings of this story's may-pole are again
encircling a broad territory!
Keen with anticipation, Rose and her constituents were trying their
uniforms on this the night previous to the "June Walk," and if there
had been any doubt concerning the popularity of the scout movement, it
must have been dispelled when Venture Troop drilled that Friday night.
Molly Cosgrove was proud of her troop. Never had Americanization seemed
so definite in its results. The mothers of many of the girls attended
the drill, and it was held in the Public School auditorium to
accommodate all the numbers. The foreign women in their queer garb
formed a most picturesque background for the uniformed troop, and
viewing the scene from the gallery, one might have fancied it the
picture of some European reconstruction field, with the battalion of
uniformed girls led by Captain Molly Cosgrove "on patrol."
Nora Noon made opportunity to whisper in the pink ears of Rose Dixon
the fact that "awards and badges" were going to be conferred on "some
of the girls" next day, and Rose felt a suspicion of anxiety at the
news.
Had she done anything worthy of award? Was there not always that
unhappy memory of the merit badge found in Flosston, and so
unfortunately lost again? She was relieved now that an attempt, at
least, had been made to acquaint Molly Cosgrove with some few of the
facts regarding the disappearance of Tessie Wartliz, but Molly hadn't
seemed the least bit surprised, rather she laughed the subject off, as
if Rose were making a mountain out of a mole hill. So no mention was
made of the Merit Badge.
But now with Nora's news the matter assumed a different aspect. Rose
had done her best to develop her patrol, and what if the leaders should
offer recognition for this? How awful it would be to have to refuse and
confess!
"Break ranks!" rang out the clear voice of the captain, and the call
aroused Rose to the situation demanding attention.
Everyone buzzed and chattered, the recreation hour to-night fairly
threatened a stampede in jollity, and suppressing the insistent
apprehension, Rose joined the merrymakers.
Another circle of "our may-pole" now swings out to the home of
Jacqueline Douglass. Here preparations are being made for the most
mysterious event, and even Tessie cannot guess the sequel. The nurse
has warned Tessie to "keep Miss Jack as quiet as she can," but to
follow her instructions rather than oppose her. Mr. Gerald has imparted
the same orders, and both chauffeurs have been busy all day, carrying
mysterious bundles to the big cars, then dashing off towards town with
them.
The epochal Saturday morning had now blazed its trail on the June
calendar in a perfect day. Jacqueline received her indispensable
attention from Mrs. Bennet and the nurse with a show of impatience.
"Be sure, Stacia (Tessie), my small chair is all ready for the car--the
collapsible one, I mean. We must leave for our wonder trip directly
after lunch," she cautioned Tessie.
Mr. Gerald Douglass was rambling about, keeping step to his own
extemporaneous whistle. He tapped at the door of his sister's dressing
room and poked his handsome head in.
"All ready, Sis! Remember your catalogue of promises! You wouldn't have
poor Jerry courtmartialed by old Doc Blair, would you? And you know,
Jack, I am taking an awful lot of responsibility in this!"
"Don't you worry one little bit, brother mine," replied the girl whose
soft light hair was receiving its last touch from skilled hands. "I'll
be so good you won't know me, and I feel so splendidly well. When did
that old doctor say I could stand up?"
"Very soon, but not just to-day. All right, Jack. I'll be on hand. Any
orders?" and he imitated the honorable butler in pose and manner, his
thumbs just touching the seams of his trousers and his head thrust back
as if complying with the savage demands of a high-priced dentist.
"The car at two," ordered Jacqueline, and with a "well butlered bow"
Gerald took himself off.
"You are not to wear your black dress--no uniform to-day, Stacia,"
Jacqueline told Tessie. "Put on the nicest summer dress you own, that
one with the pink flowers. You are to be my companion to-day--and I
hope you have a lovely time."
"I'm sure I shall," replied Tessie respectfully, but the whole
proceedings were becoming so mysterious she wondered if the plan really
did involve Fairyland.
"You look as if you wanted to say something. What is it, Stacia?" asked
Jacqueline.
"Oh, I couldn't bother you with it now," replied Tessie, but an
envelope in her hand spoke more intelligently.
"No bother at all. I have lots of time. What is it, Stacia?"
"I overheard you say, Miss Jacqueline, that you were treasurer of the
Violet Shut Ins, and I have some ticket money belonging to their last
benefit. Could I give it to you?" asked Tessie.
"Why, of course you could. Isn't that lovely!" taking her envelope from
Tessie's trembling hands. "I always knew we would hear from those lost
tickets, and now my accounts are all perfectly straight. Won't Cousin
Marcia be pleased!"
"Cousin Marcia!" Tessie could not help repeating, as she all but
stumbled from the room in her confusion.
To be rid of that nightmare. To have made complete amends for that
ticket money!
Now she could face the world! Now she could go back to Flosston and
find Dagmar Brodix!