CHAPTER XIV--OVERCOMES
The girls gazed in wide-eyed surprise at their prostrate companion, andthen, as they saw that she was not hurt, their sense of humor brokebounds, and they burst into merry peals of laughter, for she did look socomical sitting there with that "Where--am--I?" sort of look on her face.
But the Sport was too excited to mind bumps or laughter as she jumped upand peered above her head. "The rope has broken!" she exclaimedirritably. "Oh, if I could only get hold of that broken end up there,"her eyes leaped quickly around the barn, "I could ring the bell again.Oh, there's a ladder!" With an alert spring she had grabbed it and thenbegan to drag it under the tower.
The girls by this time had recovered from their unwonted merriment, and,feeling somewhat ashamed of leaving the Sport to work unaided, rushed toher assistance. They soon had the ladder resting against a broad beamthat ran across the barn directly under the tower where the broken pieceof rope still swung.
Up the ladder climbed Edith, high to the top, but alas, she was just afew inches short of touching the swaying rope, which she now perceivedwas fastened to a chain that hung from the bell.
"Oh, what will you do?" cried Helen, as the two girls stretched theirnecks almost off their shoulders to see if there was not some way out ofthe difficulty.
"I know what I will do," exclaimed the Sport suddenly. "I will climb upon the beam, walk a few steps, and then I can reach it."
"You will fall!" exclaimed Nathalie in nervous fear.
"Oh, no, she won't," called out Helen hastily. "You don't know Edith;that's an easy feat for her, for she's a regular acrobat. But, Edith, becareful!" she finished, with sudden anxiety, as she saw the girl climbup on the beam and then lift herself upright.
Nathalie, with her breath held, watched Edith for a moment, and then asshe saw her reach out to catch the dangling rope, she closed her eyes,thrilled in every nerve with silent terror for fear she would miss herfooting.
But she didn't, for when Nathalie opened her eyes just for a hurriedpeep, she saw Edith with the rope in her hand. The next instant she hadbent to her task and a loud "Clang! Clang!" rang sharply out.
"One, two, three!" a moment's pause, then, "One, two, three!" Twice thiswas repeated as the girls stood waiting below with their eyes fixed onthe ringer's every movement; Helen, fearful that she would becomereckless and reach too far, while Nathalie obeyed an impulse she couldnot define and just watched in nervous tension.
Ah, she had dropped her arms and was looking down at the girls. "Whatare you standing there for, ninnies?" she emphasized with a stamp of herfoot that sent a shiver of horror through Nathalie's wildly beatingheart. "Why don't you go and get the engine out?"
"Oh, so we can," rejoined Helen quickly. "I never thought! Come, youhelp me!" catching Nathalie by the arm.
Nathalie turned and followed Helen, who had swiftly run to thefire-engine, a newly painted affair, a box on wheels, standing in therear of the fire-house. With an alert spring she was close at Helen'sheels, and in a moment more had grabbed one of the two ropes tied to thefront axle. Helen, who stood with the other rope in her hand, now cried,"Quick, let's run it out to the road!"
It rolled easily, and the two girls were just about to wheel it throughthe open door, when a man in a red shirt, leather hat, and his trouserstucked into his rubber boots dashed hurriedly up to them.
"Where's the fire?" he panted. With heated face and eyes bulgingexcitement he seized the rope from Nathalie's hand, and the next minute,with Helen's help, had run the engine out into the road.
"The Methodist church is on fire!" yelled the Sport from her high perchon the beam, but there was no need to say more, for several other menhad arrived, all in red shirts and firemen's helmets, while others wereseen racing from all directions towards the fire-house. In a fewmoments' time a crowd had collected, each one bent in lending a hand,and all shouting with full vocal power as if they thought--so it seemedto Nathalie--their shouts would put out the fire.
In the midst of this clamorous din, another rubber-booted individualappeared, not only in fireman's regalia, but with a big brass trumpet.On this he blew a mighty blast, and then with much gesticulationbellowed his orders to the men.
A final order from the chief, as the man with the trumpet proved to be,and the six or eight men holding the ropes of the engine started atbreakneck speed down the hill. They were followed by a crowd of shoutingmen, women, hooting boys, and crying children, each one frenzied withexcitement and with the avowed purpose of being first at the fire.
The girls, for by this time Edith had descended from her perilous perch,stood silent and watched the engine whiz down the slope leading to thetown, the red-shirted firemen in front of it shouting angrily in theirendeavors to stop the rear men from pushing it down on their heels toorapidly.
But Edith, who was never still two minutes if there was anything goingon, with a wild, "Hoopla, I'm going to see the fire!" started in thewake of the hooting mob, running at a speed that soon made her one ofthe rank and file that went plunging down the hill.
Helen's eyes followed the flying figure, and then, with a "Come on,don't let the Sport outdo us!" she was racing after her. Nathalie,bewildered by this strange and novel experience that had leaped into herlife, stood still, uncertain what to do. She felt a sudden abhorrence ofmingling with the fire-crazed crowd that surged before her. Brought upto keep away from these spectacular affairs of the city, she felt shewould be transgressing all laws of decorum if she followed her friends.But the impulse to do as the other Pioneers did spurred her on, and witha quick leap forward she cast all conventionalities to the wind, andstarted on a dead run to catch up with Helen.
The girls were too quick for her and she arrived in front of the churchonly to make one more of a densely packed crowd of fire-seekers standingopposite the burning building, wild-eyed and weirdly pale from thereflection of the flaming tongues of red, which darted upward with alicking greediness that made the wooden building crack and snap undertheir devouring greed.
Spying Edith a few feet away, she hastily pushed through the jam ofpeople to her side, only to hear her scream frantically, "Look out,Nathalie!" But the warning came too late, for a shower of water hadalready struck her in the back with terrific force, almost bowling herover. Ugh! it was running down her back with such icy spray that shescreamed aloud, and then shrank back as jeering laughter from thosestanding by greeted her mishap.
But their merriment was short-lived, as the water deluge came again andNathalie saw the contortions that shot from face to face of herneighbors as with shrill cries they tried to dodge to one side in theirfrantic endeavors to escape. In the midst of the confusion some onesuddenly bellowed, "Run for your lives, the hose has burst!"
There were more shouts of dismay from the crowd of struggling, fightingfigures, and then they had scattered. Edith by this time had grabbedNathalie by the hand and in a moment or so she was safe on a neighboringporch.
"O dear, what will they do?" lamented Edith. "That hose is the only onein town!" For a few moments it looked as if not only the church but theparsonage and the adjacent buildings were to fall victims to the blazingflames that swept upward and outward with shooting jets between tallcolumns of black rolling smoke.
"They are going to form a bucket brigade!" shouted Edith suddenly intoNathalie's ear. The words had barely passed her lips when she droppedher companion's cold fingers, and was racing with a crowd of men, women,and boys towards a pond a short distance away.
Nathalie stood still and gazed with suppressed excitement at this newdevelopment of the fire-crazed people. It seemed to her as if every onein Westport must have owned a bucket from the number of people thatsped--as if magic swept--towards the pond, where a long line of humanbeings, with a deftness and quickness that amazed her, were alreadypassing buckets from one to the other and then on to the firemen whoformed a line across the road in front of the church.
Each fireman would grab a bucket, pass it on to his mate, who in turnpassed it on
to the next one, and so on, until its contents had beensplashed on the seething flames. Then just as quickly it was shoved byway of another line back to the pond to be filled again and once morehurried on its journey of rescue.
"Come, get busy!" some one suddenly yelled at this crisis. "They areforming another line at the pump!" Nathalie swung about to see FredTyson holding out to her an empty bucket. The unexpectedness of this newdemand upon her overwrought nerves tempted her to scurry to partsunknown, as she backed away from Fred with the startled exclamation, "Odear, no!"
Fred, realizing how she felt, looked down at her with a reassuring smileas he answered, "Come, you must help; you are a Pioneer--it will be afine experience for you!" Nathalie, without a word, grabbed the bucketand in another second was running swiftly by the side of this new friendas he guided her to the pump.
An hour later Nathalie appeared at the corner of the street leading toher home. Weary, bedraggled, sooted from head to foot, and with gleamingbeads of perspiration running over her face, she was still jubilant. Shehad been to a real fire, and, what is more, had helped to put it out.For the buckets had done their work, and although the church stood aframework of glowing embers, the parsonage and other buildings had beensaved.
She was so glad when she saw she was nearing her home, that, as sheinformed Fred, who had accompanied her, she felt like dancing a jig onher head from sheer joy, although she was not only tired to the verge ofdistraction, but faint from hunger.
"Oh, and there's Mother! I guess she's been almost worried to death,"she exclaimed as she spied her mother standing on the veranda anxiouslypeering down the path.
"Well, I guess she has been almost worried to death!" exclaimed a voice,as a white-robed figure stepped out from the shadows of the trees on thelawn.
It was Lucille. "If it hadn't been for me, Nathalie Page," sheemphasized with upheld finger, "your mother would have been down to thefire herself. She was sure you were the first one burned to death. Why,you ought to be ashamed of yourself, Nathalie Page!" she averredindignantly.
But there was no need to lecture Nathalie further, for her heart hadbeen thumping violently in nervous dread all the way home, and she wasalready scurrying up the walk to the stoop. "Oh, Mother," she panted,"did you think something dreadful had happened to me?"
"Well, I was quite nervous about you for a time," replied her motherrather cheerily for one who had been almost worried to death, as she puther arm around the tired girl. "Lucille obligingly started to look foryou, and met Dr. Homer, who said you were all right, helping put thefire out as a bucket maiden. But, my dear, you are all wet, and hungry,too, I'll warrant."
"You just believe I am," cried Nathalie. "But, oh, Mother, I have hadsuch an adventurous day! Do let me have something to eat, for I'm justabout starved, but, O dear, where's Fred Tyson; he came home with me?"
Fred was all right, having the cosiest of chats with Lucille--whom allmen adored from youth to old age--as they walked up the path to theveranda. Would he come in and have supper? Why, he guessed he would, forhe hadn't had a mouthful since noon.
"By the Lord Harry, is that you, Blue Robin?" spoke a voice from thecouch as Nathalie ushered Fred into the hall. "Gee, but you are as blackas a colored 'pusson,'" quoth Dick, as he rose from the couch andhobbled towards her.
It was a most exciting supper, eagerly devoured by Fred and Nathalie, asbetween bites, with glowing eyes, each one told of her or hisexperience. Nathalie told of the ringing of the fire bell, the exploitsof the Sport, and how she did duty at the pump.
"Oh, Mother, it has just been a regular red-letter day!" she cried atlength, "and I'm never again going to despise Edith Whiton for beingsporty, for if it hadn't been for her, I just believe the whole townwould have burned down!"
The second day after the fire was a Pioneer Rally day, a Camp Fund dayit had been called, for it was at this meeting that the Pioneers were todecide upon the entertainments they proposed having in order to raisethe money to pay the cost of two or three weeks at camp that summer. Oneor two affairs had been held during the winter and spring, so that asmall nucleus had been banked, but if this was not increased the heartsof the Pioneers would be "wrung with woe," as the Sport had put it.
After the usual formalities of the Rally were over, Mrs. Morrow calledthe names of those who for some meritorious act or word were to receivebadges of merit. To Nathalie's astonishment her name was called, and ata shove from Helen the dazed girl went forward, and received three whitestars, one for suggesting the search-party and sticking to her colors inthe face of discouragement, another for telling stories to Rosy, and thelast for planning and getting up the Story Club. She received the stars,Mrs. Morrow explained, as badges of merit were not given until a Pioneerhad passed all tests and was a member of the first order.
The Sport received two badges--being a first class Pioneer--one forwinning a contest in wigwagging, and another for ringing the bell forthe church fire. Helen was also the recipient of a badge for herplanning and excellent supervision of the Flower hike, while the Scribereceived one for her skill in editing the "Pioneer," which had come tobe a journal not only of news, but of information.
"And now," cried their Director, as she finished distributing thebadges, "I am going to talk about the Camping Fund. As you all know, wemust have one or two entertainments to raise money for that purpose.Several ideas have been submitted in compliance with my request forsuggestions from the girls, but unfortunately, while a number are verygood, only a few will suit our purpose. There is one, however, that isboth patriotic and colonial, but it would require a large lawn and I amat a loss what to say about it. I think you all understand that thePioneer who suggests the best entertainment, although her name is to bekept secret until the end of the season, is to receive some kind of areward."
"Could we not ask Mrs. Van Vorst again if she would let us have hergrounds?" ventured Louise Gaynor somewhat timidly, realizing that thelady in question was not in favor with the Pioneers because of herrather eccentric ways.
"Well, I should say not!" broke in Edith. "She has refused two or threetimes already, and if there is an insane person there--" She stoppedabruptly, rebuked by a warning look from Mrs. Morrow.
"No, I do not think I would bother Mrs. Van Vorst again," said thatlady. "But suppose I name a committee to see if they cannot scour thetown and find a lawn." Helen, Louise, and Nathalie were then named toperform this duty.
During this discussion Nathalie's eyes had sparkled with suppressedemotion as she remembered her visit to the gray house, accompanied by anoverwhelming desire to tell what she knew. Oh, wouldn't it create asensation? But she had given her word, and like the Spartan boy,although desire was gnawing at her vitals, she kept still and smiled inevident ease.
"There is another entertainment that has been suggested," continued theDirector. "It is an excellent idea for it will put you all to workthinking. It is to be called Pioneer Stunts, which means that each oneof you is to be responsible for a recitation, a tableau, a song, aplaylet, in fact anything that is colonial or pioneer in character. EachPioneer is to work out her own idea, and all ideas are to be kept secretuntil after the performance, when a vote will be taken as to the beststunt--that is, the best idea, and the stunt acted the best--and then thename of the author will be revealed."
The girls received this notice with applause, and each one immediatelybegan to suggest one thing and another until warned by Mrs. Morrow againthat the ideas were to remain secrets. After some further discussion itwas decided to have the Pioneer Stunts the first part of June, at SetonHall, Mrs. Morrow suggesting that the girls make it a Rose party andserve ice-cream and strawberries on the lawn.
Nathalie came home very enthusiastic about the Pioneer Stuntentertainment, and immediately set to work to jot down the idea that hadcome to her at the Rally. In the midst of writing her mother joined herand sat down to sew.
"Oh, Mother," exclaimed the girl happily, "I'm awfully busy."
"And working very hard, I see," interpose
d Mrs. Page, smiling at herdaughter's animated face, as she patted the sunburned arm resting on thetable.
"Yes," replied Nathalie, "I have an awful lot to do." And then she toldabout the entertainment, and what she was planning. With a long drawnsigh she cried, "Oh, Mumsie, I'm learning a terrible lot of usefulthings."
"I see you are," assented her mother, "and I am proud of you."
"Oh, but they have not been a bit easy!" The girl's face grew grave."Sometimes I have thought I would have to give right up, but I haven't,"she added with an emphatic little nod. And then for the first time shetold her mother about the motto, "I Can," and what a great help she hadfound it.
"Yes, Daughter, every little thing Miss I Can has helped you to do hasbeen an overcome."
"Indeed they have been overcomes," assented the girl with anotheremphatic shake of her brown head. "Washing dishes--oh, how I used to hatethat job--now I don't mind it so much; cooking, telling stories to Rosy,going to the fire, yes, and even getting up the Story Club. I have justbraced up, and then the first thing I knew, presto! the job was done!
"Yes, they have all been overcomes," repeated Nathalie, "but it will beall right if I only manage to earn--" She paused abruptly, suddenlyremembering, as she saw the lines of worry about her mother's mouth,that she and Dick had pledged themselves not to talk about hisoperation, or to hint that they were trying to save in any way for it.They had both been troubled when they realized that when an anxiety wasmentioned her mother's face lost its happy look and she became sad andworried.
"Yes," added Mrs. Page, not noticing Nathalie's sudden pause, "I havebeen watching you for some time grappling with these try-outs that havecome into your life, but I have said nothing, for I wanted to see if youor they would conquer."
"Oh, you dear Mumsie," cried Nathalie joyously, jumping up and givingher mother a good hug. "Do you know, I felt dreadfully the other day tothink you had not said one word of praise; not that I want to be praisedall the time, but still a word now and then comes in handy, you know;makes one feel so goody-goody." This was said laughingly.
Nathalie could not help feeling encouraged after this comforting talkwith her mother; she felt as if she had conquered the whole world, thatthere was nothing she could not overcome. But the next morning such abig overcome, or try-out, as her mother had expressed it, appeared, thatit sufficed to lessen the glory of her former victories.
Lucille was ill; she had retired to her bed with a fit of indigestion,and the planning for the Pioneer Stunt, the survey work that Nathalieand her committee were to do, all had to be laid aside as she wasinstituted head nurse in her cousin's room.
"Oh, Mother," she moaned dolefully, as she kissed her mother good-night,"Lucille has been dreadfully cross; nothing pleases her. It has been,'Oh, Nathalie, don't let that wind blow on me! Didn't I tell you I don'tlike rice pudding! Oh, you're the slowest poke!' Oh, Mother--" there wasa lump in the girl's throat, "if I hadn't felt so humiliated at beingspoken to in that way, I just believe I would have given her a goodshaking."
"Never mind, Nathalie," replied Mrs. Page consolingly, "just remember itis another overcome and have patience. She will soon be herself again,you know she has been terribly upset, as she expected to spend a fewdays with her friend and she is disappointed."
"Of course, no one ever had a disappointment but Lucille!" exclaimedNathalie irritably.
"Nathalie!" reproved her mother, with a quick glance at the girl.
"Oh, well, it's so, Mumsie," replied her daughter with the tears verynear the surface, and then with another kiss she hurried to her bed.
"Have you got your Stunt written?" inquired Helen a few days later fromher window as Nathalie sat writing on the veranda. She held her hand upand flourished a couple of typewritten pages as she spoke.
"No, I'm discouraged," Nathalie lowered her voice. "Lucille has beenill, and I have been kept awfully busy waiting on her. Then when Ifinally managed to get time to go to the library to get some dates, Ilost the whole thing."
"What--the idea?"
"Yes, the idea, and everything. I had been in the library some time andhad just finished. I did not discover my loss until I was almost home,so I hurried back, but the librarian knew nothing about it. I hunteduntil I was distracted, and then I came home; so that is the end ofthat. This morning I am trying to think up another one."
"Couldn't you remember it?" questioned Helen concernedly.
"No, I tried to, but I've been so busy it has just flown away."
"Well, you are a lucky girl to have brains enough to have more than oneidea in your head to write up. You should have seen the Sport; she wasover here last night, the picture of unadulterated woe, for she couldnot even scare up one idea. She hung around trying to get somesuggestions from me, but I just told her she would have to do her ownwork. She's the best ever when it comes to anything in the way ofsports, or any activity, but she will not use her brains. She has a few,at least."
"If she would spend more time reading instead of--" Nathalie stopped withslightly reddened face, for here was another overcome to win. She wasthoughtless at times, never having been disciplined, and so, withoutmeaning any harm, she was apt to express her opinion too freely aboutthe people around her. "Oh, well," she ended lamely, "she is a goodSport; if it hadn't been for her the other night the town would haveburned down."
"That's true," laughed Helen good-naturedly, and then with a wave of hertypewritten pages she disappeared from the window, as Nathalie turnedand with a dimpling face greeted Dr. Morrow, who had just driven up tovisit Lucille.
"You haven't come to see me this time," she suggested archly.
"Oh, it's half and half this time, Blue Robin, for I have come toask--oh, it is a message from the princess." The doctor lowered his voicecautiously as he noted Dick at the other end of the veranda. "She wantsto know if you will make her another visit."
Nathalie's bright face sobered and an embarrassed silence followed asshe vainly tried to think of something that would excuse her from theunpleasantness of having her eyes blindfolded again.
"Why, yes, I would like to go, only you see I am very busy just now,helping Mother and doing Pioneer work, and--"
"Yes, I see," interrupted the doctor somewhat coldly, with a keen glanceat Nathalie's downcast face. "Then I will tell her you are busy."
"Oh, don't say that," cried the girl in desperation. "Itsounds--well--tell her I will come some time later." She felt the bloodrush to her face.
"Oh, I'll manage to make her understand somehow," answered the doctor.Nathalie sensed a note of disappointment in his voice, and then withoutfurther parley he hurried up the stairs to Lucille.
"Mother," questioned Nathalie a few minutes later, for she had confidedto her all about the adventure at the gray house, "do you think I oughtto visit the princess again?" She then told what had transpired betweenher and the doctor.
"You must be your own judge, Nathalie," replied Mrs. Page slowly. "Iagree with you that it is a foolish thing for the child's mother to askyou to visit her in this way, but perhaps she may be induced to changeher mind. But, after all, Nathalie, it is a small thing toovercome"--Mrs. Page emphasized the word--"when you can give the littlegirl so much pleasure by going."
"O dear!" thought Nathalie, as she stood waiting for the doctor to comedown-stairs a moment or so later, "it does seem that since I have becomea Pioneer I am just overcoming things all the time. Funny, but thesethings never troubled me before." "Oh, Doctor," she exclaimed eagerly,as that gentleman's genial face appeared in the doorway, "I have changedmy mind, and if you like I will go with you to see the princess."
An hour later Nathalie was greeted with a cry of delight from her newfriend, who clapped her hands and called, "Oh, Mother, she has come!"Nathalie, imprisoned behind the muffler, rejoiced at heart to think shehad won another overcome.
"How do you do?" spoke Mrs. Van Vorst's low voice, and then the girl'shand was taken in a cordial clasp. "It is so good of you to come; oh, ifyou could only realize the joy y
ou have brought into my child's life,and mine, too!" she added quickly.
"I am very glad," replied Nathalie simply, as Mrs. Van Vorst led her toa seat by the couch.
"Here, sit by me--no, not on that chair," commanded her Royal Highness.Nathalie felt a tug at her skirt, she was jerked suddenly down, and thentwo arms were thrown around her neck. A hand touched her face, softly atfirst, and then with a loud, "There, you are not going to sit with thathorrid thing on your face again, I just hate it!" there came a suddenwrench, something gave way, the blinders were on the floor, and Nathaliewas looking at the face of the princess with free, untrammeled eyes!
Blue Robin, the Girl Pioneer Page 18
