The Explanation
However, it only turned out to be Rose Dyer, looking unusually flushed
and excited, who kissed Betty rather tremulously and then sat down as
though she were out of breath. "I was afraid I would be late," was her
explanation.
An instant later there was another ring at the bell and on this second
occasion Miss McMurtry and Herr Crippen entered together.
Betty considered that Miss McMurtry looked a little bit agitated, but not
remarkably so, just enough if she were really about to announce her
engagement. But Herr Crippen, unhappy man, was this the way that love
affected the emotional German temperament? His face, which was ordinarily
pale enough, was to-day like chalk, his red hair was moist upon his high
forehead and his big hands cold as he shook hands with his hostess.
Then the little company arranged themselves in chairs before the glowing
fire and remained perfectly silent. Why on earth didn't some one speak?
It was her own home, and Betty felt that upon herself devolved the duties
of a hostess and yet so plainly in the present instance did it seem to be
her place to say nothing until her older guests offered some explanation
for their presence.
"Where is Esther?" Miss McMurtry finally asked, and feeling grateful at
having something to do which permitted even an instant's escape from the
frozen stillness of the room, Betty jumped up, announcing hurriedly:
"I will get her myself; Esther isn't feeling very well or she would have
been down before. She is upstairs in her own room."
Then before she could get away there was an unmistakable sound of some
one approaching and the next moment Esther Clark joined her friends.
She had washed her face and smoothed her hair, but there were still plain
traces of recent tears about her and yet no one of the company appeared
surprised.
When Betty had taken her place before the fire again Esther sat down on a
stool near her and, not seeming to care in the least about the near
presence of other people, took one of Betty's hands in hers as though she
were clinging to it for encouragement and support.
"Will you please tell the whole story as slowly and as clearly as you
can, Herr Crippen?" Esther then asked. "Miss McMurtry and Miss Dyer both
understand about it in a measure, but it will be an entire surprise to
Miss Ashton."
In utter amazement Betty, entirely forgetting her manners, now proceeded
to stare from one face to the other of her guests. Was this the way to
announce a betrothal, and besides what could Esther know of the relation
between her music teacher and their first Camp Fire guardian; had she not
been as much mystified as the rest of them?
Herr Crippen, clearing his throat, jumped up from his chair and began
striding rapidly up and down the length of the great room, talking so
rapidly and under the pressure of such great excitement that Betty had
almost to strain her ears to catch the real drift of what he was saying.
"I haf told you before, I haf lived one oder time in Woodford, fourteen,
fifteen year ago, but I haf not said for how long I am here nor why I
went away," he began hastily. "I haf a very beautiful wife, an American
woman. She was not well and we came here to your Crystal Hill country
with our babies that she might recover. But she recovered not; instead
she was ill so long a time until at last she was _todt_, dead," he
corrected himself, wiping the moisture from his brow with a big pocket
handkerchief. "Then I am poor, very poor; I haf spent so much time
nursing her and I haf two babies left who must be looked after. I try
then to get music pupils, but I haf not much heart, besides are not the
babies always there to be kept out of mischief, so where is the time I
can work? I must go away, there is noding else and how can I carry the
little ones, one under each arm? No, I must leave my children behind."
Esther's blue eyes were gazing steadfastly down at the oriental rug at
her feet, but Betty's cheeks were burning with interest and her gray eyes
followed the speaker as eagerly as her ears heard him.
"There is a great house here for little ones I am told, an orphans' home,
they call it. Are not my babies orphans, with no mother and a father that
has not even food to give them?"
In a flash Betty's arms were about Esther's neck and she was drawing her
toward her with an affectionate understanding she had rarely ever before
shown her.
"You need not explain any more, Herr Crippen, if the others already
know," Betty Ashton interrupted, "for I think I understand what you are
intending to tell me. You left your children at our Woodford orphan
asylum and Esther is your daughter, so after all these years have passed
you come back to find her. It is very, very strange, I can't quite
realize it all yet and here is Esther not looking in the least like a
German but inheriting your musical talent, although with her it has taken
the form of a wonderful voice." And Betty stopped talking at last to gaze
into the fire, too overcome with the surprising mysteries of life to say
anything more for the present.
An apparent relief showed itself in the faces of everybody present. Herr
Crippen sat down again and Esther left her place for a chair next his.
"Aren't we going to have some tea, Betty dear, now our surprise party is
over?" Rose Dyer inquired, so that Betty came back to herself with a
start and crossing the room rang the bell.
The next instant she paused in front of Esther and her father. It was odd
that no one had ever thought of it, but there was a kind of likeness
between the man and girl, the same red hair and paleness, the same
nervous manner, although Esther was far more attractive looking and had
learned a great deal more self-control. This afternoon there was an added
dignity about Esther, even a nobility, which showed itself in the quiet
poise of her head, in the firm lines about her always handsome mouth.
Looking at her friend, Betty Ashton's eyes filled suddenly with tears,
for in this moment she was feeling a deeper, a sincerer affection for her
than at any time since their acquaintance.
"But you won't be taking Esther away from me, Herr Crippen?" Betty
suddenly pleaded. "She has been a kind of foster sister to me for almost
a year and I should be so dreadfully lonely here in this big house
without her after the closing of our camp. She has already taught me such
a number of things, I don't suppose she can even dream how many! Can't
you just let her live on with me and come and see her whenever you like?"
Which question showed that Betty Ashton did not realize that
circumstances ever could seriously interfere with her dearest wishes.
But the German violinist, while he held his daughter's hand clasped tight
in his, slowly shook his head. "For a little while, yes," he agreed, "but
after that my Esther she must go away from Woodford. She hast _ein
grosser_ talent than you her friends who do not understand music can
know. She must study much, she must do all that I haf failed to do. I haf
a little money, it is enough for the start, after that----"
"But I shall not wish ever to leave Betty or you," Esther here
interrupted quietly. "I am not ambitious; I can learn all I shall need to
know to earn my living here in Woodford."
It was hardly the time for argument, as each member of the little company
realized, and fortunately at this moment the tea tray made its arrival so
that Betty and Esther were both busy in supplying the wants of their few
guests. However, when Betty had secured her own cup of tea she brought up
a tiny table and placed it between the German professor and herself.
There had not been much time for thought, but in a vague way Betty felt
that she wanted to make reparation both to her friend and Herr Crippen
for any foolish joking which she had done at the man's expense. Really he
was not so bad, now one realized how many misfortunes he had passed
through, although he could not have had much strength of character or he
would never have let anything persuade him to desert his children.
"You will go with Esther when she has to leave Woodford?" Betty inquired
softly, not wishing that any one else should overhear. "Of course when
the time comes it wouldn't be fair for me to stand in her way no matter
how much we care for one another, but Esther would be far too timid to go
alone."
Herr Crippen shook his head violently. "I cannot leaf this neighborhood,
nothing can make me until I haf accomplished all my purpose, no
objectings, no arguments." He spoke with such anger that Betty stared in
a complete state of mystification. Herr Crippen's voice was not lowered;
he gazed with apparent fierceness at Miss McMurtry, whom Betty had
supposed until very recently to be the object of his ardent affections.
"I tell you I leaf behind two childrens," he went on, "the one I haf
found, the other the superintendent at the asylum, my friends, no one
will tell me where mine oder child is. Adopted they tell me, taken away
from here, I haf no more a legal right, I should only make unhappiness
should I demand my little baby back again."
"You promised me you would not talk of this, father," Esther began in a
pleading tone, "you promised me that if I would forget all your past
neglect you would find your happiness in me."
But Betty had risen to her feet and stood frowning with unconscious
earnestness at the tall man.
"If your son has been adopted by people who love him and whom he loves
and thinks are his parents, then I don't think you have the least right
to interfere, Herr Crippen. You went away and left him when he was a
little baby to almost any kind of fate. Now you expect him to give up
everything and everybody and come back to you, a perfect stranger. I am
sure if I were in his place, I should love my adopted parents whom I had
always believed to be my own far better than I could ever care for you."
The big German dropped his head on his chest. Rose and Miss McMurtry got
up quickly,
"Come, girls, we must be getting back home to the cabin or the other
girls will believe we are lost. Run away, Betty, you and Esther, and get
your coats and hats."
But when the five people were leaving the big house together, Betty
waited behind for a moment. "I hope I didn't hurt your feelings about
your son, Herr Professor," she apologized. "I--I didn't intend to be
rude, and I should think just finding a wonderful daughter like Esther
might make one happy enough."
Herr Crippen opened his mouth intending to say something but evidently
changed his mind as to what it should be. "You are very good, little
lady, whom I haf heard your friends call Princess, and I haf no doubt
that what you before said to me is most true."