Luncheon proved a merry little meal. When one has been suddenly lifted
out of the dumps by the arrival of a friend from afar, and afterward
doubly cheered by exceptionally good news, the dreariness of a rainy day
is soon forgotten.
Returned to the living room after luncheon, Marjorie drew forward a
deep, soft-cushioned chair with wide padded arms.
"Take this chair, Ronny," she invited. "It's the most comfortable old
thing! In winter it is my pet lounging place at twilight. I love to curl
up in it and watch the firelight. Captain likes that wicker chair near
the table. General and I always fight over this one. If he gets it
first, I try to tip him out of it. I might as well try to move a
mountain. He braces his feet and sits and laughs at me. Ruffle, my big
Angora cat, claims it, too. He always looks so injured if I lift him
from it."
"An extremely popular chair," commented Ronny, smiling. Settling back in
it, she added: "I don't wonder you all fight for it. I shall enter the
lists, too."
"You are welcome to it. You're company. It's only the Deans who won't
respect one another's claims, Captain excepted. By the Deans, I mean
General, Ruffle and me."
"Much obliged for clearing me of the charge," her captain remarked with
twinkling eyes. "You should hear those squabbles, Veronica. They are
noisy enough to bring the house down."
Veronica laughed, yet into her gray eyes sprang a wistful light. "My
father loves to tease me like that," she said. "We had such good times
this summer at Mañana. That is the name of our largest ranch. We live
there most of the time."
"Mañana?" Marjorie looked questioningly at Ronny. "That means 'morning'
in Spanish, doesn't it? I know a few Spanish words. General speaks the
language. His trips often take him to Mexico."
"Yes, it also means 'tomorrow,'" Ronny answered. "The full name of our
Mañana is 'Lucero de la Mañana.' It means 'Star of the Morning.' I named
it. Father bought it when I was twelve years old. The first time I saw
it was one morning before seven. We were on a riding trip and could look
down on it from a height. It was so beautiful, I asked Father to find
out if it were for sale. It belonged to a Spanish woman, Donna Dolores
de Mendoza. She was willing to part with it, as she wished to go to
Spain to live. So Father bought it. I hope someday you will visit me
there. I shall never be satisfied until the Dean family are under the
Lynnes' roof tree."
"Someday," Marjorie made hopeful promise. "General has said he would
take us on a western trip sometime."
"I hope that 'sometime' will be next summer," returned Ronny. "When I
grow to know your worthy General well, I shall interview him on the
subject."
Veronica's allusion to her far western home furnished Marjorie with an
opportunity she had long desired. She was anxious to hear more of
Ronny's life prior to her advent into Sanford. She had, therefore, a
great many interested questions to ask which she knew Ronny would now be
willing to answer. Formerly, while Ronny had been securely wrapped in
her cloak of reserve, Marjorie had never attempted to question her
personally.
Ronny, in turn, had an equal number of questions to ask regarding
Sanford and the Lookouts. The afternoon slipped away before either of
the reunited friends was aware that it had gone.
"Do you suppose we'll ever catch up in talking?" Ronny asked in
pretended despair, as the three women lingered over the dessert at
dinner that evening.
"Oh, after a long while," easily assured Marjorie. "You see I couldn't
get you to talk about yourself last year, so we lost a good deal of
time. I am actually ashamed for asking you so many questions, Ronny.
Still there were so many things I wanted to ask you last year and did
not feel free to. Wait until you see Jerry. She will ask you more
questions than I have. She said in her last letter to me that she had no
news to tell. Well, I shall have some news to tell her when she comes
home. She will be so surprised when she----"
"_Surprised?_ Well, yes; _quite_ a lot."
The familiar voice that gave utterance to this pithy affirmation
proceeded from the doorway leading into the reception hall. It
electrified the placid trio at the table. Three heads turned
simultaneously at the sound. Marjorie made a dive for the doorway.
"Jeremiah!" she exclaimed, with a joyful rising inflection on the last
syllable. "Wherever did you come from? This is my third splendid
surprise today. You can see for yourself who's here. You've had one
surprise, at least." Marjorie clung to Jerry with enthusiastic fervor.
"I have, I have," agreed Jerry, putting two plump arms around Ronny, who
had come forward the instant she grasped the situation. "Now how in the
world do you happen to be here, mysterious Mystery? You are the last
person I thought would be on the job to welcome me to our city."
"How long have _you_ been here? That is what I should like to know,"
Marjorie interposed, patting the hand she held between her own.
"Long enough to hear all you said about me. I'm simply furious. No; I am
perfectly delighted, I mean. Now what do I mean?" Jerry showed her white
even teeth in a genial grin.
"We didn't say anything about you that would either delight you or make
you furious. I know you didn't hear a single thing we said, except maybe
the last sentence. How did you get in? Not by the front door or we would
have heard the bell. Now confess: Delia let you in by the back door."
Marjorie waved a triumphant finger before Jerry's nose as she made this
conjecture.
"I'll never tell how I came in. No; that won't do, Geraldine. You must
try to be civil to these Deans. They may ask you to stay a few days and
you----" Jerry paused significantly, then sidled up to Mrs. Dean. "I'm so
pleasant to have around," she simpered. "You will positively adore me
when you get used to my ways." She put both arms around Mrs. Dean and
gave her a resounding kiss.
"You may stay as long as you please, and the longer you stay the better
pleased we shall be." Her invitation thus extended, Mrs. Dean was now
assisting Jerry to remove her long coat of tan covert cloth. "How did
you manage to keep so dry, Jerry?" she inquired. "It has been raining
steadily all evening. Veronica came to us thoroughly drenched."
"The beautiful truth is, Delia hung my coat in front of the range and
dried it. I had an umbrella, too, and I ran like a hunter the minute I
left the taxi. I made the driver stop at the corner below the house and
I ducked in at the side gate. I landed on your back porch just as Delia
was going to serve the dessert. I asked her not to tell you I was here.
It's a great wonder she didn't laugh and give me away."
"I noticed she had a broad smile on her face when she came into the
dining room. I thought it was in honor of Ronny. Here she was aiding and
abetting _you_, Jeremiah Macy! She knows I have been anxiously waiting
for you to come home. Just wait till I see her!"
Marjorie chuckled in anticipation of her interview with Delia. The
latter would regard Jerry's stealthy arrival as a huge joke in which she
had played an important part.
"I thought a relative had come to see you," Jerry continued. "Delia said
it was a young lady from away off. That's all she seemed to want to tell
me. I didn't quiz her. It was none of my business."
"That is the time Delia fooled you," Ronny asserted. "Delia knows me.
She wanted to surprise you, too."
"All right for Delia. Wait until _I_ interview her for keeping so quiet
about you." All of which pointed to a lively session for Delia. "Anyhow
I had some cherry pudding with whipped cream. I saw it the minute I
struck the kitchen. I hoped it wouldn't give out before it got around to
me. There was enough, though, for Delia and me. We emptied the dish."
"All this going on behind my back!" Mrs. Dean made an unsuccessful
effort to look highly displeased. "I shall have to discipline the
commissary department for smuggling vagrants into the house under my
very nose. Not to mention distributing pudding with a free hand!"
"Vagrants! She means me." Jerry rolled her eyes as though greatly
alarmed. "I see I'll have to swallow the insult. If I make a fuss I may
be put out."
"Promise good conduct in future and we'll try to overlook the past,"
Marjorie graciously conceded.
"Thank you, kind lady! I wasn't always like this. Once I had a home----"
Jerry gave vent to a loud snivel. "I lost it. Now all I can say is:
"Into your house some tramps must fall,
Some Deans must be made aweary."
Sobbing out this pathetic sentiment, Jerry endeavored to lean on
Marjorie, with disastrous results. They were saved from toppling over by
landing with force against Veronica.
"Here, here!" expostulated Ronny. "Don't add assault and battery to
vagrancy. Have some respect for me. I'm a real guest. I arrived by the
front door."
"Excuse me and blame Marjorie for being an unstable prop. Try to regard
me as your friend." Jerry leered confidently at Ronny.
"I'll think it over. You are the funniest old goose ever. I'll try to
prevail upon the Deans to let you stay."
"Oh, I think I can manage them," Jerry returned in a confident stage
whisper.
"Yes, we are going to be kind to our tramp now." Marjorie gently
propelled Jerry to the table and shoved her, unresisting, into a chair.
"You had dessert. Now you had better have the rest of the dinner. While
Delia is getting it ready you can tell us how it all happened. How did
you get away from the beach before your folks were ready to come home?"
"I teased Mother good and hard and she finally said 'yes.' It took me
about two hours to pack and wish the beach good-bye. The folks will be
home Saturday. I'll have three whole days with you girls. I hadn't
figured on the distinguished presence of Miss Veronica Browning Lynne."
"Neither had I," smiled Marjorie. "The best part of Ronny's visit is
that it is going to last until the very day I start for Hamilton. Ronny
is going to Hamilton, too, Jerry."
"Did I get that right?" Jerry placed an assisting hand to one ear. "Say
it again, will you? Hooray!" Jerry picked up a dessert fork and waved it
jubilantly. "The three of us; and Muriel Harding as a fourth staunch
supporter! We can teach the Hamilton faculty how to act and
revolutionize the whole college. Oh, yes! Lucy Warner makes a fifth.
Ummm! She will have to be supported until she gets on her ear. Then
she'll freeze solid and support herself."
Neither Ronny nor Marjorie could refrain from laughing at this view of
Lucy. It was so precisely like her.
"Thank goodness there won't be Mignon to reform." Jerry sighed
exaggerated relief. "Any more sieges like the four years' siege of
Mignon ahead of me, and I'd stay at home and go to night school for a
change. Talk about the wars of the Trojans! They were simple little
scraps compared with the rows we've had at Sanford High with various
vandals."
Delia appearing from the kitchen with a heavily laden tray, the three
girls greeted her with a concerted shout. Not in the least dismayed, she
only beamed more broadly, as each of the trio attempted to take her to
task, and refused to commit herself.
After Jerry had made a substantial repast, she was triumphantly
conducted to her room by Ronny and Marjorie.
"Have you a kimono or negligee in your bag, Jerry? If you have, put it
on and be comfy. If you haven't, speak now and you can have one of mine.
Captain will be on guard duty in the living room this evening. If any
one calls they won't have the pleasure of seeing us. We are going to
have an old-time talking bee in my house. Come along as soon as you are
ready."
"I have a kimono in my traveling bag. It has probably acquired about a
thousand wrinkles by this time," returned Jerry. "Wrinkled or no, I
shall hail it with joy. You may expect me at your house in about fifteen
minutes."
"All right," Marjorie called over her shoulder, as she and Ronny left
Jerry. "Don't be longer than that. Remember we have weighty matters to
discuss this evening. If we began early enough we may have the affairs
of the universe settled before midnight."
When within the prescribed fifteen minutes Jerry joined her chums, it
was their own personal affairs that came up for discussion. Enough had
happened during the summer in their own little sphere to keep them
talking uninterruptedly all evening.
"There is one thing we must do before we leave Sanford for college and
that is pass the Lookout Club on to the senior class at Sanford High.
You know we planned to do so when we organized the club, Jeremiah,"
Marjorie reminded.
"That's so," Jerry agreed, "but how do we go about it? If we just hand
it to the senior class, they may not carry it on as we would wish them
to. It was really our own little private club. I'm not crazy to continue
it as a sorority."
"We ought to, Jerry, just the same. The Lookouts have been a credit to
Sanford High, and the influence we have tried to exert should be carried
on each year by fifteen seniors." Marjorie spoke with conviction. "I
have thought a good deal about it this summer. I believe the best way
for us to do is for each of the Lookouts to propose the name of one
member of the present senior class. As soon as the other girls come home
we will have a meeting. The names of the candidates can be written on
slips of paper and read out to the club in turn. If any one of us
objects to another's choice, she must say so and state her reason. If it
is sufficient, the name will be dropped and the Lookout who proposed it
may propose another."
"That's a good idea. While we can be trusted, I hope not to pick lemons,
slackers and shirkers, still it makes our choice surer to have it
approved by the gang. So long as we are to be the ones to do the
choosing, I begin to see light." Jerry had begun to show more
enthusiasm.
"It's really organizing what one might call a new Lookout chapter. We
are the charter members and will continue to run our chapter as we like.
Next year the girls we choose will select their fifteen members for a
new chapter, and so on, indefinitely," said Veronica.
"We need these new girls, Jerry," Marjorie earnestly pointed out. "We
can't look after the day nursery and go to college, too. While we have
hired help there, and Miss Allison, you know, is always ready to do all
she can to help keep it running smoothly, we need the personal influence
of the seniors at the nursery. There should be two club members to take
their turn each day from four to six, as we did."
"Who has been looking after that part of it this summer?" Jerry demanded
abruptly, her keen eyes on Marjorie. "I wrote and asked you that and you
never answered my question. You are the one who has probably been making
a slave of yourself at that same nursery while the rest of us have been
having a lovely time."
"I have been down there twice a week from four to six," Marjorie
replied. "Sometimes Captain went with me. Thanks to _that_ generous
person," she indicated Ronny, "we could afford to engage some one to
amuse the children. Ronny put five hundred dollars in bank for a
vacation fund and never said a single word about it. When she was half
way to California I received a note from Mr. Wendell asking me to call
at the bank. You can imagine what a surprise it was to me. It was fine
in you to think of it, Ronny. The girls were worried, for we found out
that all of the Lookouts except me, were going to be away from Sanford
at about the same time.
"While we had quite a good deal of money in the treasury we didn't think
of engaging anyone from outside," she continued. "It worked beautifully.
Miss Stratton, a kindergarten teacher, needed the work on account of
having an invalid sister to support. Then, Nellie Wilkins, one of the
mill girls, had been sick for a long time and when she was well enough
to go back to her work as a weaver there was no position for her. She is
a very sweet girl and knows all the children. She was a great help to
Miss Stratton and I would like her to have the position permanently at
the nursery. She knows all the songs and games now that Miss Stratton
taught the children and is the best person one could have there."
"Whew!" whistled Jerry. "Things have certainly been happening at the
nursery. You are simply splendid, Ronny. You are always thinking of some
way to help people. Just wait until I take my presidential chair as
chief boss of the Lookouts. I will publish your noble deed abroad."
"If you _don't_, I _will_," emphasized Marjorie. "There isn't much we
can say to tell you how grateful we are to you, Ronny."
"Don't say anything." A bright flush had risen to Ronny's cheeks. "I
knew the girls would be away. I thought you would be quite apt to worry
about the nursery and spend a lot of time there for conscientious
reasons. I was thinking more of you I presume than the nursery."
"It was a great relief," Marjorie made honest response. "Besides, it
helped two splendid girls along."
"Then let it rest at that. Never mind about publishing my, thus-called,
noble deed at a club meeting. I prefer not to let my right hand know
what my left happens to be doing," declared Ronny. "What we must think
of is getting the new Lookout chapter started. We ought to have it
organized by the fifth of September so it will stand on its own feet.
After the fifth you know what a rush there will be. We shall be going to
farewell teas, luncheons and parties. At least I hope so. Last year I
had very good times. This fall things have changed. Now I'd love to
dance and be happy with the crowd of Sanford boys and girls who were so
friendly with me when I was a senior. Marjorie said today, Jerry, that I
was like a butterfly that had won free of the chrysalis. The butterfly
is anxious to spread its wings for a few last delightful flights around
Sanford."