The Camp Fire Girls in After Years

by Margaret Vandercook

  CHAPTER XVIII

  THE STUPIDITY OF MEN

  "BUT, my dear, there isn't the least use of your denying it. The factthat you are unhappy is as plain as the nose on your face. Of course ifyou don't want to tell me the reason you need not, but don't expect meto be so stupid as not to see it," Polly concluded solemnly.

  Actually the two friends were in the time-honored old living room inSunrise Cabin. With their own hands they had brought in twigs and logsfrom outdoors and lighted an enormous fire in the big fireplace. ThenPolly had produced three candles from her handbag and had stuck theminto the tarnished brass candlesticks that were still ornamenting themantel, where they were now burning fitfully.

  With their coats off both of the old Camp Fire girls sat on ricketychairs before the fire, their chins resting in their hands and gazingnone too happily into the flames.

  "But I tell you, you are mistaken, Polly. There is nothing the matterwith me. Of course one can't expect to be happy when one grows older, asin our old irresponsible Camp Fire days. Maybe it is old age that istroubling me, for I am a most uninterestingly healthy person."

  In replying Betty tried to make her tones as light as possible;nevertheless her companion only frowned the more unbelievingly.

  "Our Camp Fire days were never irresponsible ones for me, Betty child,"Polly responded, gazing thoughtfully around the dear, dismantled room."Often I feel I never learned so much at any other time in my life as Idid then. But the fact remains that you are not happy as I want you tobe, and I wish with all my heart that you loved me enough to tell me thereason why. You see, Betty, I am rather a lonely, good-for-nothing oldmaid and I can't expect much for myself. But you have absolutelyeverything in the world any woman could wish. And I think it ispositively wicked of you not to be the same gay, sweet Betty."

  At this Polly got out a small handkerchief and began dabbing her Irishblue eyes, that were shedding tears partly from the smoke of the fireand partly from a general sense of discouragement.

  In return Betty stared back at her with equal severity. "What aperfectly absurd fashion for you to talk, Polly O'Neill!" she replied."You know perfectly well that if you had chosen to marry you might havehad what I have. Only you didn't want to marry; you wanted a career andto be famous and to make money instead. Well, haven't you succeeded? Isthat what you are crying about?"

  Polly nodded. "I expect there isn't any law about wanting everything, isthere, Betty Ashton Graham? So long as women are women, no matter whatthey may try to do or be, there will be times when they cry for nicehusbands and babies. But I wasn't crying about me, it was about you,"she continued ungrammatically and with her usual logic. "Here you aregrowing more beautiful every day you live. Everybody loves you; you havehundreds of friends, the two most fascinating children in the world,except Mollie's, and a husband who is about the best and cleverest manin the state, and who simply adores you, and yet you are wretched andcross and unlike yourself. I watched you yesterday, Betty, and you neversmiled a single time when you thought no one was looking and you neveronce spoke to Anthony. The poor fellow appeared dreadfully troubled too.Whatever is the matter, I am much sorrier for him than I am for you,"Polly concluded somewhat vindictively.

  "Oh!" Betty faltered and then was so silent that Polly humped her stoolnearer until her shoulder touched that of her friend.

  "That last remark wasn't true, of course, Betty," Polly apologized. "Forif Anthony is really a snake in the grass and treats you badly when helooks so noble and kind, why, I shall simply come to Concord and tellhim what I think of him right in the Governor's mansion. I don't carewhether he puts me into the state prison or not."

  Then, although she had been tremblingly near tears herself the momentbefore, Betty was compelled to laugh. Whoever could do anything else inPolly O'Neill's society? The thought of Anthony's thrusting a verynoisy and protesting Polly into prison was a picture to dispel almostany degree of gloom.

  Betty slipped her arm across her friend's shoulder. "No, dear, you mustnot think Anthony is unkind to me; it isn't that," she responded slowly."Only I don't believe he exactly 'adores' me as much as he used to.Sometimes men get tired of their wives."

  "Nonsense, goose! What put that notion in your head?" Polly returnedlightly, although she was a little frightened by her friend's reply.

  Really she had not believed that anything could have come betweenAnthony and Betty. Her suggestion had only been made in order to induceBetty to deny it. The next moment she leaned over and put several freshlogs on the fire.

  "Nothing and no one in this world could ever persuade me, Betty dearest,that Anthony does not adore you," Polly then continued with convincingearnestness. "You see, he began when you were sixteen years old and henever knew that any other girl lived in the world. He does not know itnow, for he never even glanced at a single one of us yesterday, if hecould help it. But you see Princess, dear, you are a good deal spoiled.You always have been ever since you were a baby, by your family and allyour friends. Even the Camp Fire Club used to look up to you and be moredevoted to you than any one else. Esther has always been your slave andnow your little French girl seems to feel about you just as Esther usedto do. Really, Betty, I expect you need discipline."

  Yet even as she spoke Betty's auburn hair glistened with such exquisitecolors in the firelight that Polly stroked it softly with her slenderfingers.

  The Governor's wife was thinking too deeply to notice her.

  "I wonder if things are my fault, Polly. I almost hope they are," sheanswered wistfully. "You see, it has seemed to me lately that Anthonyhas been dreadfully unreasonable. He won't do the things I ask him toand though he is too busy to be with me himself, he isn't willing for meto spend much time even with my oldest friends."

  "Oh, ho!" whistled Polly softly. "What friends, for instance, Princess?"

  "Oh, Meg Emmet and--John Everett. Isn't it absurd? But Anthony hasalways felt a prejudice against John ever since we were boys and girlstogether here in Woodford," Betty explained. "I don't care particularlyfor John now myself. He has grown kind of stupid and thinks too muchabout what he eats, but it would look utterly ridiculous of me to cuthim for no reason except that Anthony is absurd."

  Polly dug her chin deeper into the palm of her hand as she so often didin moments of abstraction.

  "Seems like a little enough thing to do if Anthony wishes it and youcould do it very gracefully you know, Princess dear," Polly replied."Besides, I am not so sure Anthony has no reason for his prejudice. Inever liked John Everett a cent myself when we were all young. He wasalways trying to lord it over the rest of us and pretend to be very richand grand and superior. Besides, Betty Graham, I don't believe I shouldcare to have a husband who would do every solitary thing I asked him todo. Somehow, I think I would like him to have a little judgment of hisown now and then. So you really wish Anthony to do exactly as he istold. I wonder if your children are as obedient? But come along, dear,it is getting so late Mollie will be having fits about us. Fortunatelyyou are a more sensible woman than I am. A perfectly obedient husband isabout the last thing in this world I require. To what dreadful end wouldI bring him!"

  But Betty did not stir from her stool even when her companion hadcrossed over the room and now stood holding out her long fur coat,waiting for her to put her arms inside it.

  "Dear, if there is one thing I am more sure of at this moment than ofanything else, it is that I am not _so_ sensible a woman as PollyO'Neill. Though goodness knows I never could have believed it!" Bettywhispered, laughing and yet profoundly in earnest. "It was a mostexcellent sermon and I mean to do my best to profit by it. Truly I havebeen behaving like a spoiled child for weeks. I know Anthony has a greatmany things that trouble him and I ought to have been more considerate.Somehow I expect this marriage is really more the girl's business thanthe man's. He has to make the living for the family in most cases andthe Camp Fire taught us that home making was a girl's highestprivilege."

  Then Betty got up and slipped on her beautiful long co
at and the twofriends started back toward Mollie's big farm together.

  In all their girlhood they had never felt more intimate or more devoted.Yet neither one of them talked much during the long walk, just anoccasional question now and then.

  The sun was going down, but there was an after-glow in the sky andbecause of the whiteness of the snow there was still sufficient light.At least Polly and Betty could see each other's faces with perfectdistinctness.

  They had nearly reached the farm-house when Betty suddenly stopped andput both hands on Polly's shoulders.

  "Look me directly in the eyes, Polly," she commanded.

  And Polly attempted doing as she was bid, but her lashes drooped untilthey touched her cheeks.

  "Have you fallen in love with some one recently, Polly? Is that why youtalked about yourself in such a discouraged fashion just now andlectured me so severely?" Betty inquired.

  Polly shook her head. "I don't know whether you would call it falling inlove recently, Betty, or whether I have been in love for the last tenyears. But I saw Richard Hunt again when I was in Colorado and he waseven nicer than he used to be. He don't care a single thing about me anymore, Betty. He hasn't even sent me a Christmas card! The letter I hadfrom him a few days ago was all about Bobbin. He wasn't even interestedenough to inquire if I was well."