*CHAPTER VIII*
*THE ENIGMA*
Half an hour after, seated at the tea table, Sally Ashton was presidingover the serving of tea. She had agreed to relieve the Sunrise CampFire guardian of the responsibility in order that she might be able totalk more freely.
A few feet away, surrounded by the other girls, Mrs. Burton wasoccasionally drinking her tea, but more frequently answering or askingquestions. Her custom was to devote one afternoon each week to theceremonial meeting of the Sunrise Camp Fire. Now and then her visitswere interrupted and until to-day she had not been present in severalweeks at one of the councils.
Dressed in exquisite taste in olive green, trimmed in an odd, orientalembroidery of green and gold, her dark hair simply dressed, her healthentirely restored, the Camp Fire guardian appeared not more than tenyears older than the oldest of her group of girls.
"I can't tell you how glad I am that you came directly to us, Gill,without even waiting to telegraph," she was saying at this instant,speaking to the third girl who had entered the little apartment with heronly a short time before. She was in deep mourning.
"You will stay on here with us at least until you can make somearrangement you like better," Bettina Graham added, slipping her handinside her companion's and looking at her with an expression of sympathyand affection.
For the first time in their acquaintance Mary Gilchrist's eyes filledwith tears.
"I knew no one else would be so kind, or give me such help, so, as soonafter my father's death as I could arrange my affairs I started east.But I did write and gave the letter to one of the men on the place tomail. We are several miles from a post-office and I wanted it to go atonce. He must have forgotten, so the letter will probably arrive later.
"I have scarcely any relatives. My father left the farm in Kansas tome. Some day I shall go back and try to become a successful farmer, butwhen that time arrives I hope to take all the Sunrise Camp Fire homewith me. At present I felt that I could not live on in the big emptyhouse alone, so I left one of our men in charge and came to you. I knowI failed to live up to the ideals of our Camp Fire when we were togetherlast winter at Half Moon Lake, yet I believe you realize I shall try notto fail again."
"My dear Gill," Sally announced from her place of honor at the teatable, "you have always taken the attitude that no one of us evercommitted a fault in our Camp Fire life together until you failed toconfess last winter to Allan Drain that accidentally you had thrown awaythe manuscripts of his poems. You did confess finally so why not forgetthe whole occurrence! Certainly you are to live here with us thiswinter and occupy the room with me; Vera and Alice are together andBettina and Elce, so I have been alone. Tante is so occupied with herwork you will be less lonely with us and Miss Patricia I know will bedelighted."
"Nevertheless, Sally, don't you think Gill had best be with me for a fewweeks, or a few months, until she has rested?" the Camp Fire guardianprotested glancing at the girl in whom the past few months had wroughtsuch changes.
Gill's former air of almost boyish strength and vigor had vanished. Hercheeks were sunken, her eyes had lost their gaiety, even thecharacteristic light sprinkling of freckles, due to her constant outdoorlife, were gone.
Many weeks Mary Gilchrist had nursed her father with a completeness ofdevotion that had left no opportunity for an hour away from him.
"No, certainly not, Tante; Gill will be a great deal better off herewith us. I am sure she would be lonely with you; you are so busy thesedays and have so many strange people calling on you. There would be noone with whom Gill could talk, or who would look after her as I shall.I believe she needs being taken care of for a time."
Mrs. Burton glanced toward Sally, frowning.
"You forget, Sally, Juliet Temple lives with me, and Gill would not haveto be alone when I cannot be with her. Juliet takes wonderfully goodcare of me and I am sure would enjoy transferring her services to someone who has a better right to them. I am afraid I am growing lazy withJuliet looking after my business affairs, writing my notes and seeingthat I am punctual for my engagements. In spite of my being a Camp Fireguardian and struggling to conquer all my faults of character in orderto be a proper example to you girls, I am afraid punctuality remains aneffort. But Gill of course must do what she likes. I only wish her torealize I want to have her, if she chooses to be with Juliet and me.Juliet is not a member of the Sunrise Camp Fire, but may be some day."
The grating of a key in the front door lock prevented furtherconversation at the moment.
Sally arose from the tea table.
"I wonder who that can be? No one has a key to our apartment except ourown family and no one is away from home!"
The instant later a familiar step was heard in the hall and then a tall,spare figure entered the sitting-room.
"Aunt Patricia Lord, who dreamed you were in New York and how glad weare to see you! Come and sit down and let me give you your tea at once,I know it is tea you always wish after a journey!" Sally exclaimed,putting her arms about the elderly spinster and embracing her.
"Sure and I do, my dear," Miss Patricia agreed, relaxing into a mildIrish brogue, which with her was always a sign of especial satisfaction."And glad I am to arrive at a Camp Fire meeting. Perhaps it was my dutyto have let you know of my coming, but of a sudden I grew so lonely Icould not wait to see what mischief you were up to at present. If mylittle room is occupied I'll go to a hotel to-night and come to see youto-morrow."
Her usual sternness relaxed, Miss Patricia looked from one member of thelittle group to the other. Suddenly her face stiffened and hardened.
The Camp Fire guardian had risen and was moving toward her with bothhands outstretched in a lovely, pleading gesture.
"Dear Aunt Patricia, surely you will speak to me? What have I done tooffend you so deeply? Do you realize that you have not replied to oneof my letters or allowed me to see you since we parted at Half MoonLake?"
"I realize it perfectly, Polly, and I refuse to speak to no one. How doyou do. You may give my love to your husband. Sally, if it is not toomuch trouble I prefer to go to my room and have my tea there. Gill, isthat you? Come and kiss me, I was sorry to hear of your loss."
Miss Patricia was turning away when the Camp Fire guardian spoke asecond time.
"Don't go, Aunt Patricia, on my account. I will leave at once. Our CampFire meeting is over and the girls will wish to talk with you. I wonderif you know how it hurts me for you to be unwilling to remain in thesame room with me? Once I thought you cared for me--a little."
Without replying the gaunt figure moved away, Sally following her.
Bettina Graham put her arm about the younger woman.
"You are not to go, Tante, we will not allow it. Aunt Patricia is tooabsurd and unkind! It would be difficult to forgive her, if one did notappreciate that she is suffering more than any one else. Besides, youpromised to recite for us before you left."
Mrs. Burton made a swift gesture
"Please release me from my promise, I don't feel that I can just now.Aunt Patricia's attitude toward me makes me more unhappy than any oneknows. Juliet, I prefer to go home alone and I wish to walk. Will youstay and talk to the girls about becoming a member of their Sunrise CampFire. If they are willing and you will conform to the Camp Firerequirements I should like it very much."
With Bettina's assistance putting on her hat and coat, Mrs. Burtonlingered a moment longer.
"Will you really be disappointed if I do not recite for you? I don'twish to be selfish and shall keep Aunt Patricia away from you only a fewmoments more.
"The other day I came across this poem written by an old friend of mine.I shall only repeat a part of it, I don't suppose if Aunt Patricia is inher room that I shall annoy her. I'll speak quietly."
If Mrs. Burton's tone was low, her voice held the quality that no onewho heard it ever forgot.
The little Camp Fire sitting-room was now in
shadow with only the lightof the dying fire and the flickering candles.
"Be with us, Beauty, through the toil of life, Through youth and through the everlasting years, That we may live unwearied by the strife Knowing the wisdom of laughter and tears.
"Be with us, Duty, while we seek the goal, Honor and fame, courage and high desire, Sister of Beauty, as the mortal soul Kindles the body with her sacred fire."
There was a moment of silence as Mrs. Burton ended. Then with a wave ofher hand and a few words of farewell, she went quickly away.
Immediately after Sally returned.
"I am sorry not to have been able to say good-by to Tante, but AuntPatricia kept me standing in the hall while she listened hungrily to herevery word. She then shut me out of her room. I never knew any one whowas behaving more foolishly, and I should tell her so, if I dared."
"Juliet Temple, now that we have an opportunity, would you care todiscuss becoming a member of our Camp Fire? We have never understoodwhether you really wished it."
At Sally's words the other girls resumed their positions on theirceremonial cushions, which left the one girl an outsider. She remainedstanding, facing them.
"Won't you please be seated," Bettina invited, acting as spokesman forher Camp Fire group which was her usual task.
"You know of course that our guardian desires you to become a member ofour Camp Fire and what her wish and influence mean, but the fact remainsthat you have never shown any interest in the organization or suggestedin any way that you would care to join us. After spending severalmonths with us at Half Moon Lake you know something of our requirementsand our ideals. Will you please be perfectly candid?"
At Bettina's request, Juliet Temple had not sat down.
Instead she stood looking down at the six girls as if slightly amused byBettina's speech.
Never at any time in her memory had she cared for intimate girl friends.Never had she cared less for one than at the present time. Among thegirls before her of varying tastes and temperaments not one attractedher.
"You are very kind and I am sure Mrs. Burton intends being equally soand yet I feel it best I should not become a member of your Sunrise CampFire. You know nothing of my history, little of my disposition andtastes and I might prove entirely uncongenial to you. I appreciate thatyou are inviting me, not on my account, but on Mrs. Burton's and yet Iam none the less grateful. There are certain obligations in the CampFire, certain promises I do not feel willing to make. I am going to askone favor. Please do not speak of this to Mrs. Burton; allow me toexplain my position to her. She may be disappointed and her friendshipmeans a great deal to me, more than any one of you can realize."
"Why can't we realize it? I think I do better than you imagine," SallyAshton returned, looking closely at the girl who had just finishedspeaking. "I don't mean to be unkind and naturally we don't wish you tojoin our Camp Fire circle unless it would give you a great deal ofpleasure and be a help to you as well. I do understand, however, thatyou wish to gain a great deal from your association with our Camp Fireguardian and to separate her from us as much as possible. We are notreally so stupid as you consider us. But there, I am extremely sorry tohave been rude to you, and Mrs. Burton would be angry," Sally confessed.
Alice Ashton rose and slipped her arm through the other girl's.
It was dark outside and twilight in the little room.
"Will you forgive Sally? No one of us agrees with her and come and seeus whenever you have time. Then we shall learn to understand oneanother better and you may change your mind about our Camp Fire."
"Sally, it was you who suggested that we invite Juliet Temple to joinour Camp Fire group. I cannot understand your behavior," Bettina Grahamsaid reproachfully when the unwelcome visitor had disappeared.
Sally looked uncommonly penitent.
"I wanted to ask her simply because I felt sure she would decline. Shehas some reason for not desiring any of us to know her too intimately.I am sure I regret being rude to her. Unexpectedly I seem to have lostmy temper."
"Undoubtedly you did, Sally, and she was our guest," Bettina protested.
She was interrupted by the re-entrance of Miss Patricia into the room.Vera switched on the electric light and Miss Patricia gave a sigh ofrelief.
"I am glad that girl has gone; I don't trust her for some reason. Butthere, I suppose I resent Polly's affection and dependence upon her. Itis very odd. At first she appeared to have no force of character, butshe is cleverer than I gave her credit for; I sometimes fear she iscleverer than any one of us. Without her being aware of it, from thefirst moment of their acquaintance she has flattered Polly, when Iemployed too much the other method. Well, I am glad she is apparently sodevoted to her interests. Polly no longer has any sense of affection orof duty toward me."
Bettina rose and placed her arm about the older woman, drawing her downinto the most comfortable chair.
"Nonsense, Aunt Patricia, nothing separates you from Tante save your ownobstinacy and self-will. Forgive me, but I must say it. Juliet Templeis only an excuse. Tante has no special affection for her. Juliet hasher own living to make and few friends, and Tante finds her fairlyuseful and wishes to be kind. But she is devoted to you and yourunkindness to her is her one sorrow in her happy and successful winter.Certainly she deserves her success, after so long a sacrifice of hertime and talent to us."
"We will not discuss my relation with Polly, Bettina. Girls, changeyour costumes and let us go out for dinner. It is too late to prepareanything at home."
The Camp Fire Girls by the Blue Lagoon Page 8
