The Camp Fire Girls Amid the Snows

by Margaret Vandercook

  CHAPTER XX The Explanation

  However, it only turned out to be Rose Dyer, looking unusually flushedand excited, who kissed Betty rather tremulously and then sat down asthough she were out of breath. "I was afraid I would be late," was herexplanation.

  An instant later there was another ring at the bell and on this secondoccasion Miss McMurtry and Herr Crippen entered together.

  Betty considered that Miss McMurtry looked a little bit agitated, but notremarkably so, just enough if she were really about to announce herengagement. But Herr Crippen, unhappy man, was this the way that loveaffected the emotional German temperament? His face, which was ordinarilypale enough, was to-day like chalk, his red hair was moist upon his highforehead and his big hands cold as he shook hands with his hostess.

  Then the little company arranged themselves in chairs before the glowingfire and remained perfectly silent. Why on earth didn't some one speak?It was her own home, and Betty felt that upon herself devolved the dutiesof a hostess and yet so plainly in the present instance did it seem to beher place to say nothing until her older guests offered some explanationfor their presence.

  "Where is Esther?" Miss McMurtry finally asked, and feeling grateful athaving something to do which permitted even an instant's escape from thefrozen stillness of the room, Betty jumped up, announcing hurriedly:

  "I will get her myself; Esther isn't feeling very well or she would havebeen down before. She is upstairs in her own room."

  Then before she could get away there was an unmistakable sound of someone approaching and the next moment Esther Clark joined her friends.

  She had washed her face and smoothed her hair, but there were still plaintraces of recent tears about her and yet no one of the company appearedsurprised.

  When Betty had taken her place before the fire again Esther sat down on astool near her and, not seeming to care in the least about the nearpresence of other people, took one of Betty's hands in hers as though shewere clinging to it for encouragement and support.

  "Will you please tell the whole story as slowly and as clearly as youcan, Herr Crippen?" Esther then asked. "Miss McMurtry and Miss Dyer bothunderstand about it in a measure, but it will be an entire surprise toMiss Ashton."

  In utter amazement Betty, entirely forgetting her manners, now proceededto stare from one face to the other of her guests. Was this the way toannounce a betrothal, and besides what could Esther know of the relationbetween her music teacher and their first Camp Fire guardian; had she notbeen as much mystified as the rest of them?

  Herr Crippen, clearing his throat, jumped up from his chair and beganstriding rapidly up and down the length of the great room, talking sorapidly and under the pressure of such great excitement that Betty hadalmost to strain her ears to catch the real drift of what he was saying.

  "I haf told you before, I haf lived one oder time in Woodford, fourteen,fifteen year ago, but I haf not said for how long I am here nor why Iwent away," he began hastily. "I haf a very beautiful wife, an Americanwoman. She was not well and we came here to your Crystal Hill countrywith our babies that she might recover. But she recovered not; insteadshe was ill so long a time until at last she was _todt_, dead," hecorrected himself, wiping the moisture from his brow with a big pockethandkerchief. "Then I am poor, very poor; I haf spent so much timenursing her and I haf two babies left who must be looked after. I trythen to get music pupils, but I haf not much heart, besides are not thebabies always there to be kept out of mischief, so where is the time Ican work? I must go away, there is noding else and how can I carry thelittle ones, one under each arm? No, I must leave my children behind."

  Esther's blue eyes were gazing steadfastly down at the oriental rug ather feet, but Betty's cheeks were burning with interest and her gray eyesfollowed the speaker as eagerly as her ears heard him.

  "There is a great house here for little ones I am told, an orphans' home,they call it. Are not my babies orphans, with no mother and a father thathas not even food to give them?"

  In a flash Betty's arms were about Esther's neck and she was drawing hertoward her with an affectionate understanding she had rarely ever beforeshown her.

  "You need not explain any more, Herr Crippen, if the others alreadyknow," Betty Ashton interrupted, "for I think I understand what you areintending to tell me. You left your children at our Woodford orphanasylum and Esther is your daughter, so after all these years have passedyou come back to find her. It is very, very strange, I can't quiterealize it all yet and here is Esther not looking in the least like aGerman but inheriting your musical talent, although with her it has takenthe form of a wonderful voice." And Betty stopped talking at last to gazeinto the fire, too overcome with the surprising mysteries of life to sayanything more for the present.

  An apparent relief showed itself in the faces of everybody present. HerrCrippen sat down again and Esther left her place for a chair next his.

  "Aren't we going to have some tea, Betty dear, now our surprise party isover?" Rose Dyer inquired, so that Betty came back to herself with astart and crossing the room rang the bell.

  The next instant she paused in front of Esther and her father. It was oddthat no one had ever thought of it, but there was a kind of likenessbetween the man and girl, the same red hair and paleness, the samenervous manner, although Esther was far more attractive looking and hadlearned a great deal more self-control. This afternoon there was an addeddignity about Esther, even a nobility, which showed itself in the quietpoise of her head, in the firm lines about her always handsome mouth.

  Looking at her friend, Betty Ashton's eyes filled suddenly with tears,for in this moment she was feeling a deeper, a sincerer affection for herthan at any time since their acquaintance.

  "But you won't be taking Esther away from me, Herr Crippen?" Bettysuddenly pleaded. "She has been a kind of foster sister to me for almosta year and I should be so dreadfully lonely here in this big housewithout her after the closing of our camp. She has already taught me sucha number of things, I don't suppose she can even dream how many! Can'tyou just let her live on with me and come and see her whenever you like?"Which question showed that Betty Ashton did not realize thatcircumstances ever could seriously interfere with her dearest wishes.

  But the German violinist, while he held his daughter's hand clasped tightin his, slowly shook his head. "For a little while, yes," he agreed, "butafter that my Esther she must go away from Woodford. She hast _eingrosser_ talent than you her friends who do not understand music canknow. She must study much, she must do all that I haf failed to do. I hafa little money, it is enough for the start, after that----"

  "But I shall not wish ever to leave Betty or you," Esther hereinterrupted quietly. "I am not ambitious; I can learn all I shall need toknow to earn my living here in Woodford."

  It was hardly the time for argument, as each member of the little companyrealized, and fortunately at this moment the tea tray made its arrival sothat Betty and Esther were both busy in supplying the wants of their fewguests. However, when Betty had secured her own cup of tea she brought upa tiny table and placed it between the German professor and herself.There had not been much time for thought, but in a vague way Betty feltthat she wanted to make reparation both to her friend and Herr Crippenfor any foolish joking which she had done at the man's expense. Really hewas not so bad, now one realized how many misfortunes he had passedthrough, although he could not have had much strength of character or hewould never have let anything persuade him to desert his children.

  "You will go with Esther when she has to leave Woodford?" Betty inquiredsoftly, not wishing that any one else should overhear. "Of course whenthe time comes it wouldn't be fair for me to stand in her way no matterhow much we care for one another, but Esther would be far too timid to goalone."

  Herr Crippen shook his head violently. "I cannot leaf this neighborhood,nothing can make me until I haf accomplished all my purpose, noobjectings, no arguments." He spoke with such ang
er that Betty stared ina complete state of mystification. Herr Crippen's voice was not lowered;he gazed with apparent fierceness at Miss McMurtry, whom Betty hadsupposed until very recently to be the object of his ardent affections.

  "I tell you I leaf behind two childrens," he went on, "the one I haffound, the other the superintendent at the asylum, my friends, no onewill tell me where mine oder child is. Adopted they tell me, taken awayfrom here, I haf no more a legal right, I should only make unhappinessshould I demand my little baby back again."

  "You promised me you would not talk of this, father," Esther began in apleading tone, "you promised me that if I would forget all your pastneglect you would find your happiness in me."

  But Betty had risen to her feet and stood frowning with unconsciousearnestness at the tall man.

  "If your son has been adopted by people who love him and whom he lovesand thinks are his parents, then I don't think you have the least rightto interfere, Herr Crippen. You went away and left him when he was alittle baby to almost any kind of fate. Now you expect him to give upeverything and everybody and come back to you, a perfect stranger. I amsure if I were in his place, I should love my adopted parents whom I hadalways believed to be my own far better than I could ever care for you."

  The big German dropped his head on his chest. Rose and Miss McMurtry gotup quickly,

  "Come, girls, we must be getting back home to the cabin or the othergirls will believe we are lost. Run away, Betty, you and Esther, and getyour coats and hats."

  But when the five people were leaving the big house together, Bettywaited behind for a moment. "I hope I didn't hurt your feelings aboutyour son, Herr Professor," she apologized. "I--I didn't intend to berude, and I should think just finding a wonderful daughter like Esthermight make one happy enough."

  Herr Crippen opened his mouth intending to say something but evidentlychanged his mind as to what it should be. "You are very good, littlelady, whom I haf heard your friends call Princess, and I haf no doubtthat what you before said to me is most true."