"This is assuredly a land of peace and plenty," observed Miss Campbell,
somewhat sleepily, as she leaned back in the seat and half closed her
eyes.
"Meaning 'too much of a muchness,' Cousin Helen," teased Billie. "Are
you beginning to yearn already for something to happen?"
"My dear, how can you suggest such things?" cried her relative opening
her blue eyes wide in an innocent protest of such an accusation. "An
aged spinster like me craving excitement! What an idea!"
"But Iowa is not thrilling," admitted Elinor. "These endless cornfields
are like a sea without ship and what could be duller than a sail-less
ocean?"
"But there are farm houses," put in Mary.
"Just stupid wooden buildings," answered Elinor scornfully.
The truth is our five tourists still felt the inevitable homesickness
which rarely fails to come during the first few days of a long journey
before one is settled into the groove of traveling. The hard beds and
uninteresting food of the small hotels of the Middle West had not helped
to dispel their vision of West Haven seated on its bluff looking out
across the bay. Its hilly streets and comfortable old houses mellowing
each year into a softer, deeper gray came back to them now with a pang.
Nancy yearned infinitely to be sitting at that moment before the
driftwood fire in their sitting room while her father smoked an old
black pipe and blinked at the crackling flames and her mother hummed
softly to herself over her mending basket. Even Americus, her teasing
brother, would have gladdened her eyes just then.
Mary was thinking of her pretty mother standing at the door of the Tea
Cup Inn in a trim gray chambray dress with its white muslin fichu.
Elinor was too proud to admit even in the secret chambers of her mind
the voice from home which kept calling to her across the spaces. As for
Miss Helen Campbell she could not efface from her mind a dainty little
vignette of herself seated at her own breakfast table; on her head was
her favorite lace breakfast cap trimmed with knots of blue ribbon and
separating her from her beloved Billie across the table was the steaming
silver coffee urn. This enticing picture persisted in passing before her
mental vision, perhaps because breakfast that morning had been
unspeakable.
Billie also was silent. She was trying to explain to herself why this
wave of homesickness had come over them. Was it the flatness and
monotony of highly cultivated farm lands which they ought to admire and
be proud of seeing since this vast territory had once been the home of
the buffalo and the prairie dog?
"I know what's the matter with us," she cried suddenly, breaking the
long silence which had fallen on the company.
"There's nothing in the world the matter with me, child," interrupted
Miss Campbell guiltily.
"I'm sure there is, dearest cousin. You know you can't hide anything
from your most intimate relative. We are all of us in the dumps and have
been for more than a day. We are desperately homesick! Aren't we now, as
man to man?"
"Yes," admitted the others in a gloomy chorus.
"On this the third day of our voyage, while we are still in shallow
water, as papa would say, there is not one of us who would not be glad
to turn back again to the next railroad station, ship the Comet home by
freight and take the first train to West Haven. Isn't it the truth?"
This frank declaration was greeted in silence.
"Oh, it's not quite as bad as that, dear," said Miss Campbell at last.
"But almost," added Nancy.
"Think of what we've got before us. Think of the splendid great
West--think of the broad plains----"
"Plains," interrupted Elinor in a tone of weariness.
"Yes, plains," went on Billie, summoning all the eloquence she could
command, "not like this, but marvelous great stretches of country filled
with beautiful color; think of the ranches we wanted so much to see----"
"And the cowboys," suggested Nancy.
"Yes, and the Indians, and the forests and--and the Rocky Mountains, and
last of all, California!"
Billie paused for breath.
"Well, I'm thinking of them," observed Miss Campbell.
"And doesn't the prospect please you, Cousin Helen?"
Billie had slowed down the car and now turned to look at her cousin's
face.
"Don't you think it will be thrilling, exciting, wonderful to have the
Comet take us across all of this interesting country?"
The corners of Miss Campbell's lips drooped and she gave a pathetic
smile.
"It would, dearest Billie, I am sure it would appear to me in all its
true glory if I wasn't so--so very hungry."
Hungry! Here was a solution of this great depression. They were all of
them famished with hunger. Not a decent meal had they eaten for two
days. It was hunger gnawing at their vitals that had plunged them into
the very depths of homesickness.
In the automobile was a complete outfit for cooking, a little alcohol
stove and various dainty little utensils made of aluminum, all a rather
costly present from their old friend, Mr. Ignatius Donahue, which he had
sent, on being informed of the great journey of the Motor Maids across
the continent.
"Have a piece of chocolate and a graham cracker, Miss Campbell?" Mary
was asking in a tone of sympathy.
"Heavens, no, child," replied the little lady as near to being cross as
she had ever been in her life. "Don't offer me such rubbish, as a
substitute for good beefsteak and coffee that's really coffee?"
"Let's set up housekeeping," cried Billie, "and start in ten minutes by
stopping at the next farm house for supplies!"
"Why not?" echoed her disciple, Nancy. "We've got the alcohol stove with
two burners and Elinor's tea basket and some china besides."
"That's a very sensible idea," said Miss Campbell, her spirits rising at
the suggestion. "I feel, if I could get something tasteful to eat, I
might be able to support existence across the plains and the mountains
and through the forests, but just at present, I--well, I assure you, I
am quite empty."
"We have some things, remember," put in Mary. "Mr. Donahue's box had
bacon in it and lots of jam and potted cheese----"
"I think some fresh eggs would be acceptable," observed Miss Campbell.
Billie turned the Comet in at a patent gate which could be operated from
the vehicle. Giving a rope which dangled from the horizontal pole a jerk
the gate swung back on its groove. They rolled onto a macadamized
driveway leading up to the farm buildings.
"One farm's as good as another," announced Billie, as she gave the rope
on the other side of the gate a vigorous pull. But something had got
twisted and it refused to return to its natural position. Billie and
Nancy jumped out and tried to push the gate, but their united efforts
were unavailing. They swung on the rope together, when suddenly, snap,
it broke and they both tumbled backward in a laughing heap. They were
still giggling and brushing the dust from their clothes when a strange
looking vehicle came into the avenue and stopped beside them. It seemed
to be composed chiefly of a seat, two rubber tired wheels and a shaft
with no place particularly to rest the feet. Hitched to this peculiar
conveyance was a beautiful high-stepping thoroughbred horse, and on the
rather precarious seat very near to the horse's tail sat a sunburned
young farmer dressed in a brown corduroy suit and leather leggings. He
had a ruddy face, humorous blue eyes and close-cropped hair.
"Anything I can do for you, ladies?" he asked, holding the prancing
horse with a tight rein.
"I--I'm afraid we have broken your gate," answered Billie. "We are
sorry, but you see we aren't used to gates like this, and I think it
went back too suddenly."
The young man smiled good naturedly.
"It's only slipped its trolley," he said. "If one of you could hold
Pocohontas for me, I'll fix it in a second."
Billie stood at Pocohontas' head, rather proud of the office, such a
beautiful mare was this thoroughbred with her quivering nostrils and
arched neck, while the farmer lifted the gate into its groove.
"You are driving up to the house?" he asked politely.
"Yes," replied Miss Campbell. "We wondered if we could make a few
purchases there?"
"Of horses or cattle?"
"Oh, dear me, no," she answered, her pink cheeks deepening to a rosier
hue. "Only food. Fresh eggs and cream and fresh butter, and perhaps a
young chicken, if you have any tender ones, and fresh bread, too."
Her appetite was growing as she recounted her desires in the way of
food.
The young man smiled most delightfully.
"We have all those things, I believe," he replied, "for use at the
house. Do you live near here?"
"No, no. We live some thousand and more miles away from here. We are
taking a motor trip across the continent, but since we left Chicago,
we--we have suffered a little from hunger----"
Miss Campbell's voice was slightly tremulous.
There was a pause, and then the four girls burst out laughing. The young
farmer joined in heartily.
"In fact, sir," went on Miss Campbell, smiling sweetly on the young man,
"we are _very_ hungry."
"That is really too bad," he exclaimed, making an effort to compose his
face. "These country hotels are dreadful, I know from experience. If you
had only visited private houses, I am sure you would have been well fed.
But, if you will just go up to the house, I will follow and we'll see
what can be done in the way of provisions."
It was evident that Pocohontas did not care for the Comet. She curvetted
and circled around and stood on her hind legs in a most alarming manner.
Suddenly, with a wild neigh, she made for the open field at one side of
the road. Her driver, taken by surprise, was thrown backward. It was an
easy fall on soft turf, and no harm would have been done if his foot had
not got caught in a loop on the reins and, to their horror, they saw him
dragged after the sulky, in danger of being killed at any moment.
Giving the motor car a sharp turn, Billie put on all speed and followed
the runaway. In another instant they had covered the width of the field,
some distance above Pocohontas' mad course. With a bound, Billie leaped
to the ground, and as the mare came tearing up, the young girl jumped at
her bridle, caught it with one hand, was dragged a few feet, then seized
it with the other, and held on with all her might. Pocohontas was a
small horse, and not difficult to curb, once her reins were in a good
grip. She stopped, reared back, and then stood perfectly still,
quivering all over in a state of palsied excitement.
Miss Campbell had shrieked and covered her face with her hands to shut
out the dreadful sight of Billie being trampled to death. But Billie had
a cool head and a brave heart, and such excellent qualities make a
wonderful combination. The other girls jumped out of the car and
hastened to the farmer, while across the fields farm hands came running
from every direction.
The young man had only lost consciousness for a moment, and when his
foot was disentangled from that diabolical loop, he was able to stagger
to his feet.
"Are you much hurt, Mr. Moore," demanded two of the men supporting him
on either side, while two others relieved Billie of the excitable
Pocohontas.
"Only a sprain," he answered. "This brave young lady has saved my life."
"I'm afraid our motor car caused all the trouble," exclaimed Billie. She
never said "my motor car." Her friends often noticed this. But she had
been brought up by a very genuine and fine man, and was as modest and
simple as her father himself.
"You had better get into the car and let us take you home," said Miss
Campbell who had recovered from her fright.
For the second time since they left Chicago, they now found themselves
giving a lift to a strange young man. In another five minutes the Comet
drew up at the front door of a big frame farmhouse painted white, with
green shutters. Everything about it was exceedingly neat, although there
was a certain emptiness in the prospect, perhaps because there were no
flower beds in the yard and also no curtains at any of the windows which
stared down at them like so many eyeless sockets. However, they were
rather surprised when the front door was opened by a Japanese butler in
a white linen suit. A second Japanese servant followed and they assisted
their master out of the motor car.
"Ladies," said Mr. Moore, his face twitching with the pain of his
sprained leg, "may I ask you into my home. It will be a great pleasure
and honor, I am sure. My name is Daniel Moore. I am a lonely bachelor
farmer, and I shall take it as a particular compliment if you will join
me at lunch."
"But I am afraid you are in great pain, Mr. Moore," protested Miss
Campbell.
"Not in the least, I assure you, madam. My leg is only a little twisted.
I shall be walking on it in an hour. You just now confessed that you
were hungry. So am I. Takamini, luncheon for six."
Miss Campbell, at the mention of lunch, stepped nimbly down from the car
and followed him into the house with the girls.
Would it not have been exceedingly foolish to have declined an
invitation for a good square meal? And they hoped it would be good and
square.