Time passed, a great many things happening. Gwenny, accompanied by her
mother (there being plenty of money for everything), was taken away to
the place of her great trial. When the question arose as to what should
be done with Mary and Tommy and Myron and Luella and Baby Christopher,
Rosanna thought of Minnie, always so good and kind. She went to see her,
and the result was that Minnie volunteered to stay at Gwenny's and run
the little house and take care of the children as long as Mrs. Harter
was needed in Cincinnati. Both Doctor MacLaren and Mr. Horton went with
Mrs. Harter and Gwenny, and made the journey as comfortable as they
possibly could. The great Doctor Branshaw, after seeing his patient,
said that she must have at least a week of rest under his own eye before
he would be willing to try the operation. So Gwenny was settled in a
sunny room at the hospital where she at once became the pet of the ward
and Doctor MacLaren and Mr. Horton came home.
Late in the afternoon, the very next Sunday, Mr. Horton came into the
house looking the picture of gloom. He scarcely spoke to his mother and
Rosanna but rushed up to his room and immediately there was a sound of
things being dragged around, and many footsteps. And the door opened and
shut a great many times. Mrs. Horton wondered what that boy was up to
now and went on reading. But Rosanna listened with a black suspicion
growing in her mind.
And, sure enough, Mr. Horton came down presently to announce that he was
going away for a few weeks. He was getting stale, he said, and needed a
little change. When he saw Rosanna's round eyes fixed on him, he looked
away but repeated that he felt stale.
"It is that War," said his mother, as though the war should be severely
reprimanded. "Before you went into that war, you were always contented.
Now nothing contents you for long."
"Perhaps you are right," admitted Robert absently. "At all events I can
be spared from the office just now better than at any other time, and I
am going to go away."
And go he did an hour later. Mrs. Hargrave and Elise came in presently
to take Sunday night luncheon.
"Where is Robert?" asked Mrs. Hargrave, seeing that no place was set for
him.
"Gone off for a vacation," said his mother.
"Dear me, isn't he well?" asked Mrs. Hargrave.
"Perfectly, but he just took one of his notions and went."
"Anything--er--happened, do you suppose?" questioned Mrs. Hargrave.
"Anything--er, _you_ know. Misunderstanding?"
"Possibly," answered Mrs. Horton. "That is what I suspect. But I don't
_know_ anything."
"Oh dear, oh dear!" cried Mrs. Hargrave, folding her fine old hands
together. "It is too bad! Can't something be done? Why, Robert is the
finest boy in this world! He is just what I dream my son would have been
if I had had one. Do you suppose one could say anything to the other
person?"
"No, indeed," said Mrs. Horton. "I don't _know_, you see. I only
suspect."
So Uncle Robert went away, and Gwenny was off at the hospital, and
Rosanna and Helen spent all their time drilling Elise in the
requirements of the Tenderfoot examination. Elise was quick to learn,
but she found more difficulty in learning this because her knowledge of
English was of course limited. The girls were anxious to make a
brilliant showing with their recruit.
Over and over they drilled her in the Tenderfoot examination, at the
last requiring her to write the answers to the examination paper which
read as follows:
TENDERFOOT EXAMINATION,
WRITTEN.
1 a Give the Scout promise.
b What does the Scout motto mean?
2 Give the Scout laws in order.
3 a What is the purpose of the Scout movement?
b What does a Scout's honor mean?
c Give the meaning of one law.
d How and when should the Scout salute be given?
e Explain the Scout badge.
4 a Who made the American flag?
b Why was a flag needed?
c In what city was it made? What year?
d Name the committee appointed to design it.
5 a Quote General Washington's words about the flag.
b When was the flag officially adopted?
c Describe the first official flag of the stars and stripes.
6 a What do the stars represent? The stripes?
b For what do the colors, red, white and blue stand?
c How many stars has the flag now? What day is Flag day?
d When is a new star added and why?
7 Give fully the respect due the flag.
8 a What should Scouts do when the National Anthem is played?
b What should Civilians do at Retreat? Scouts?
9 a What is the United States Government?
b Who is at its head?
c Name the Commissioners of the District of Columbia.
10 a Write America.
b Write The Star Spangled Banner (omitting 3rd stanza).
Then followed the demonstration of knots and knot tying. Over and over
they drilled her, and Elise was an apt pupil. Her delicate little
fingers seemed to know of themselves what to do.
"I am glad she is to _write_ that examination," sighed Helen the day
before Elise was to go to Captain Hooker and take her examination
formally. She was to be examined on Friday afternoon, and at the meeting
Saturday night she was to become a Tenderfoot Scout member of their
patrol.
"What difference does it make whether she writes the exam, or recites
her answers?" returned Rosanna. "She speaks brokenly, of course, but
that does not matter."
"All it matters is that no one could hear her speak of General
Washington the way she does in her funny broken English, without wanting
to scream. It is so funny."
Funny or not, Elise went through her examination most successfully and
Saturday night accompanied Helen and Rosanna to the meeting at Miss
Hooker's house. Their little Captain had fitted up a room specially for
her girls, where they could keep their various documents and where the
seats, the neat desk for the secretary, and the standard for the big
silk flag did not need to be disturbed in the intervals between
meetings.
Elise was thrilled beyond words.
As they entered the room she saw that the two girls saluted their little
Captain. Not knowing if she was expected to salute before becoming a
Scout, Elise dropped a shy curtsey and followed Rosanna to a seat where
they awaited the full number of Scouts and the shrill whistle from the
Lieutenant which brought the meeting to order.
"The first whistle means _Attention_," whispered Helen.
Once again it sounded.
"That is for Assembly," whispered Rosanna on the other side, as all the
girls rose.
Leaving Elise in her seat, the Scouts formed in double ranks at a
distance of forty inches between ranks and an interval of sixty inches
between patrols.
The eight girls who formed a patrol took their places in groups as
signified by the crosses.
Patrol Patrol Patrol
XXXX XXXX XXXX
XXXX XXXX XXXX
Captain X X Lieutenant
Elise found out afterward that number one in the front rank of each
patrol is the Patrol leader, and number four the Corporal.
At the command "Company, attention!" from the little Captain, now
standing so straight and so stern that Elise scarcely recognized her,
the Company as a whole stiffened to attention.
The Lieutenant, a tall, pretty girl of nineteen, then commanded,
"Corporals from Patrols!" and the three Corporals stepped forward two
paces, made two right turns, and stood facing the center of the patrol.
The Corporals then snapped out together, "Attention! Right Dress!" after
which they faced left, took two paces, made right turn, right face, and
looked critically down the line to see that it was perfectly straight.
After two short left steps to straighten the rear line, they faced
right, took four paces forward, and with two right turns got back in
position facing patrol and called the command "Front! Count off!"
The Corporals then one after the other called the roll of her Patrol,
and finishing that, turned and reported to the Lieutenant that the
Patrol was formed, after which they returned to their places in the
ranks, and the Lieutenant, saluting the Captain, reported, "Captain, the
Company is formed."
Inspection then followed. Each girl, saluting, stepped forward and her
hair, teeth, hands, nails, shoes and general appearance was scrutinized.
Elise watched all this with great interest, interest which deepened as
the Captain commanded "Color guard, march!" and three girls stepped from
the ranks and stood side by side for a moment, then at a word of command
marched to the flag. There they saluted and marched back; when the
Captain and the Lieutenant faced about, and the Captain in her silvery
voice said:
"The Flag of your Country; pledge allegiance!"
With one voice the girls united in the beautiful pledge to the flag, "I
pledge allegiance to the flag, and to the republic for which it stands;
one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
Elise looked at the silken folds of the glorious red, white and blue
with tears in her eyes. How glad she was to make that pledge! Had not
that flag, the flag that was now her own, floated over the shell-racked
fields of France? Oh, she _loved_ it!
The color guard returned, and the fresh young voices rose in the first
verse of America.
"Scouts, your promise!" said the Captain.
"To do my duty to God and to my country.
To help other people at all times.
To obey the laws of the Scouts."
the voices rang out.
"The laws!" said the Captain.
Again the chorus of girls repeated:
A Girl Scout's honor is to be trusted.
A Girl Scout is loyal.
A Girl Scout's duty is to be useful, and help others.
A Girl Scout is a friend to all, and a sister to every other Girl Scout.
A Girl Scout is courteous.
A Girl Scout keeps herself pure.
A Girl Scout is a friend to animals.
A Girl Scout obeys orders.
A Girl Scout is cheerful.
A Girl Scout is thrifty.
"Dismissed!" said the little Captain and, breaking ranks, the girls went
to their seats where they sat talking in low tones until the sharp sound
of the Lieutenant's whistle called them to attention again.
"Now I do come," said Elise to herself, and her heart commenced to
hammer in quite an alarming fashion. But it was not quite time for her
to rise. Looking at Rosanna, she saw her give a slight shake of the
head, and Elise leaned back in her seat while all the business of the
meeting was settled and plans made for some aid for a poor family living
near.
One thing Elise noticed particularly. The girls present were widely
different in looks, and Elise with her delicate perceptions saw plainly
that they belonged in widely differing classes, so called. A few of the
girls, Rosanna among them, had the carefully cared for and delicately
nurtured look of the very rich. More were like Helen, clean, carefully
groomed and almost precise in her dress and accessories. Others were
very evidently poor, with rough little hands that already told the story
of hard work and few toilet creams. But whoever they were, they saw no
difference in each other. They were Girl Scouts in the fullest and best
sense of the word: sisters pledged to each other, and living up to that
pledge in all earnestness and honor.
Elise, waiting for her summons to go forward, and understanding nothing
of the business that was going on, threw her thoughts backward. She saw
herself the idolized child of the gay, rich young couple in the great
chateau, where long painted lines of powdered and frilled and armor-clad
ancestors looked down at her from the long galleries, and where dozens
of willing servants danced to do her bidding. Then the picture changed,
and with the roll of drums and the thunder of cannon she saw the hated
foe march across her land, destroying as they came. Father, mother,
grandmother, home, riches; all went down as under a devouring tide. Then
the promises of her Monsieur Bob, and after long, long weary days spent
with the ladies of the Red Cross came the journey into the Unknown, that
trip across an ocean that was to forever separate her from a past that
was too terrible for a little girl to have known.
To have found refuge in Mrs. Hargrave's tender arms, to have won such
love and such friends--to be able to be a Girl Scout--
Elise turned her eyes, brimming with sudden tears, to the flag.
"Never, _never_ will I zem disappoint!" she whispered tenderly, using as
best she could the unfamiliar words of her adopted tongue.