CHAPTER I
ON THE WAY
The time was almost noon of a warm September day. The place was StateStreet, Chicago. The persons were six, and four of them were seeingChicago for the first time. They walked two by two in a littleprocession. There were other persons in State Street too, probablysomewhere between a thousand and a million; but we don't need to worry agreat deal about those others, though of course if they hadn't beenthere there would have been more room for our friends.
This small procession was headed by a well-dressed, moderately stout,smooth-shaven gentleman with touches of white in his black hair and akindly, benevolent expression in his dark eyes and about his fine mouth.A handsome man and a good man, as any one could see.
His companion was a little girl of perhaps thirteen years of age. She,too, had big dark eyes with long lashes; and a nicely shaped mouth. Hercomplexion was just exactly right and her short hair curled crisplyabout the unusually pleasing countenance. Her name was Bettie and itseemed to be a very good fit.
The second couple followed close at the heels of the first, presenting acurious contrast. One of them, whose name was Jean, was instantlyattractive because of the serene loveliness of her expression. One knewat a glance that she was a person to be trusted. The girl beside her,all of two years younger, was very much smaller; a little sprite of agirl, with bright, gray eyes and quantities of fluffy golden hair. She,also, was a pretty child. Her small features were shapely and shelooked, as indeed she was, an unusually bright child. She was quick andgraceful in her movements and nothing in the shop windows escaped theeager, birdlike glance of little Marjory Vale.
The third couple was erratic in its movements. Sometimes it damaged theheels of Jean and Marjory by crowding too close. Sometimes it lagged sofar behind--the windows were _most_ attractive--that it had to run tocatch up. One of this couple, Mabel Bennett, was not built for running.Mabel was the youngest and the broadest of the sextette; but herundeniable plumpness did not detract from her looks. One couldn't helpliking her honest blue eyes, the wholesome red and white of her finecomplexion, her sturdy, childlike figure, her dependable legs and therich bronze of her abundant hair. It was braided this morning in athick, uneven braid; from which numerous tendrils that curled in large,loose, rather becoming rings escaped untidily. One guessed thatinexperienced Mabel had been her own decidedly unskilful hairdresserthat morning. Mabel's partner in the procession was a girl of aboutfifteen, so unusual in appearance that strangers turned to look at her.Dark as a gipsy, with glowing crimson cheeks, bright black eyes withcurling lashes, soft black hair that grew naturally in pleasing curlsneatly tied back with a broad black ribbon; a shapely, graceful figurepossessing to an unusual degree an atmosphere of style. The girls wereall well dressed, mostly in blue serge, but this fifth young person,Henrietta Bedford, wore _her_ clothes with a different air. One realizedthat the serge in her smartly cut frock was a degree finer than that inMabel's rumpled middy or in Marjory's very brief skirt. Also Henrietta'sscarlet silken tie was broader, more brilliant and of a heavier texturethan those of the other girls. One could easily see that there werewealth and generations of cultivation back of Henrietta--and adventuresahead of her.
One of the adventures was about to begin, but the kindly man who led theprocession was far from suspecting it. It was Mabel who started thisone.
"If I see another window just bursting with candy I'll _die_," saidMabel. "I never _saw_ such windows. I wish I hadn't left my money in mysuitcase."
"Mr. Black has mine," said Henrietta. "All but a dime that happened tobe loose in my pocket. But I tell you what. We'll dart into the nextcandy place and spend that--we can easily catch up. Here, come on inhere."
The clerk, not realizing that the two girls were in a hurry, finishedleisurely with another customer before attending to Henrietta who wasimpatiently tapping the counter with her dime.
"What's all the rush," drawled the young man, carefully weighing thepink and white buttercups that Henrietta had chosen. "Catching a train?"
"Yes," snapped Henrietta. "Don't bother to tie it up. Come on, Mabel, wemust run, now, to catch up. That horrid clerk was dreadfully slow."
They ran. They caught up with and passed a large number of persons butnot with Jean, nor Marjory of the yellow hair, nor Bettie with thebobbing curls nor Mr. Black, who had innocently imagined himselfperfectly capable of introducing Chicago to five small maidens from thewilds of Northern Michigan.
He had now lost two of them. He had missed them almost immediately andhad turned back to look for them, expecting to find them with theirnoses against some fascinating window. And now they were well ahead ofhim, screened from his view by hundreds of busy shoppers and runningwith might and main.
Girls of Highland Hall: Further Adventures of the Dandelion Cottagers Page 2
