Blue Robin, the Girl Pioneer Part 39

Nathalie, with an unconscious sigh, turned away. O dear, it did seem mean to have to give up that walk. It had been hard enough to win the first battle over the temptation to go, but this second one had seemed even harder. But immediately seeing that she was a great baby to let a little disappointment mar the pleasure of the beautiful day, she turned with smiling eyes to the princess, and suggested that they have a nice little row to one of the tiny islands in the center of the Lake.

This, Nita was very glad to do, and so with notebooks and pencils, and with the remark that they could have a nice little salmagundi hike all by their lone selves, they started for the boat-house.

And indeed, Nathalie and her little friend spent a most enjoyable afternoon, for, as she afterwards declared to Helen, "It was lovely and cool down on that little island with the green trees and shady coves.

And do you know," she continued, "I was so surprised, for Nita is a most observant little person. Why, she knows the names of many of the gra.s.ses and wood flowers, and the birds-she knows their names, can tell what birds are nesting in August and any number of interesting things about nature. I am sure she will make a most wonderful little Pioneer, after she becomes acquainted with the girls."

Of course Helen had many things to tell about the salmagundi hike, and the different objects they had seen and noted on their tramp. She had taken notes and Nathalie was invited to take a peep at them some time, Helen suggesting that she might find them of some help later on. The scouts, she said, had been most kind and had told them lots of interesting things, particularly about tracking the footprints of animals.

"Well," declared Nathalie as Helen finished telling of the good times they had had, "I have had two good times, instead of your one, for I had a fine time with Nita, and then I have had the coziest of chats with you, which has proved almost as good as if I had been with you on the hike."

CHAPTER XXIII-MISS CAMPHELIA

A week had pa.s.sed, and although the novelty of many of the activities and pleasures of this life in the open had dulled, every moment proved one of joy. Drills, contests, sports, hikes, and various entertainments had merged so evenly, one into the other, that tasks had lost their irksomeness and play had received an added zest.

To be sure, some unfortunate accidents had happened; Grace had cut her hand when opening a can of tomatoes, Carol had been stung by some mysterious insect so severely that even the doctor was puzzled, and one of the Orioles had sprained her ankle. But these mishaps had been received with true camp fort.i.tude-the Pioneer spirit, Helen called it-and had only served as object lessons in the First Aid to the Injured talks given by Dr. Morrow, thus giving Helen and Kitty a chance to display their expertness in the triangular, the four-tailed, and many other kinds of bandages.

Hammers, saws, and hatchets were in great demand one morning-the girls all busy making stilts, some to show their scout friends that they could handle men's tools, while others were qualifying for first-cla.s.s Pioneers-when Lillie appeared. With woebegone face she reported to Nathalie, who was serving as her a.s.sistant on the Grub committee, that there was no milk.

"No milk?" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the girl. "Why, wasn't the milkman here this morning?"

"Sure," nodded Lillie, "but that Oriole girl-Nannie Plummer-dropped some swill into the milk can. She mistook it for the garbage pail-" Lillie's eyes glinted humorously-"she was so busy expressing her admiration for that Will Hopper, you know the scout with the languishing eyes, as Helen calls them."

Nathalie's face expressed dismay. "Oh, what shall we do?" she almost wailed; "we have got to have milk for that pudding, and-"

"To be sure," laconically returned Lillie, "and you will have to go and get some."

"Get some?" echoed Nathalie faintly; "where?"

"At the farm-house, you know the place-with the red barn-on the road to Boonton."

"But there isn't time for me to walk there and back before dinner,"

protested the girl somewhat wrathfully, "on this hot day, too!"

"No, but you can take Edith's bicycle, and go and get back in no time."

"Oh, but it is hot!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Nathalie, some fifteen minutes later, as with reddened, perspiring face she slowed up her wheel, and spying a mossy bank overlooking a brook meandering beneath a group of willows, jumped to the ground. As she was standing her wheel against a tree, a woman with a reddish handkerchief tied over her head came up the bank.

She started when she saw Nathalie, but instantly averting her eyes hurried on down the road in the direction of the farm-house where Nathalie was to get the milk.

The girl had thrown herself on the gra.s.sy slope and was fanning vigorously with her hat, when her eyes were arrested by something white lying under an overhanging bush near the brook. Perhaps she would not have stared so intently if she had not thought that she saw it move.

Just at that moment a low wailing cry came to her ears.

a.s.sured beyond doubt that the cry came from the bundle, she hurried down the slope, and a moment later was bending over a baby, who, on seeing the wondering face, looked up with innocent appeal in its wide blue eyes.

"Why, you dear," cooed the girl, "how did you come here?" She looked up expecting to see some one to whom the baby belonged, but as there was no one in sight and she saw the little lip quiver pathetically, she gathered it up in her arms and chucking the dimpled chin began to jabber to it in baby language.

"Whom do you belong to, baby?" she questioned aloud, silently wondering if that tramp woman who had come up the bank could have been its mother.

But that could hardly be, she pondered, for she looked like an Italian, while the baby was fair with tiny wisps of golden hair straying from beneath its neat white cap.

Reminded finally that the camp's need of milk was urgent, she laid the baby down and ran along the bank first in one direction, and then the other, shouting and calling until her voice was hoa.r.s.e. O dear, what should she do? She could not leave that dear thing there alone! Ah, she would take it with her to the farm-house, perhaps Mrs. Hansen might know something about it.

Carrying her find with one arm and trundling her wheel with the other hand, she arrived in a short s.p.a.ce at her destination. But alas, she met with no satisfaction. Mrs. Hansen declared that in all probability the woman was a gypsy, as there was a settlement of them some miles beyond the town and that she had purposely deserted the baby. She also informed the girl in a most emphatic manner that she could not leave the child there as she had enough of her own to look after.

"But this is a white baby," persisted Nathalie, "see, it is very fair!"

showing the little puckered face, for by this time it had begun to whimper quite loudly.

"Poor waif!" exclaimed the farmer's wife, "it is hungry!" Hastily getting a cup of milk she put it to the mouth of the little one, whose fingers closed on it tightly as it drank greedily.

But feeding the baby did not soften Mrs. Hansen's heart, and Nathalie was forced to see that there was nothing else to do but to carry the deserted one to camp with her. But how could she trundle a wheel, carry a five-quart can of milk, and the baby all at the same time? Poor Nathalie! she was in deep waters!

Mrs. Hansen, however, who was not unkindly, seeing the girl's dilemma called her boy Joe, and giving him the milk and wheel told him to hurry with it to the camp, so that Nathalie would have her arms free to carry her charge.

Some time after the dinner hour Nathalie, tired, hot, hungry, and every muscle aching from weariness, arrived at the camp. She was immediately surrounded by the girls, who besieged her with questions as to the why and wherefore of her tardy appearance. But when their eyes lighted on the blue-eyed cherub, who had been blissfully sleeping the greater part of the girl's three-mile tramp on a sunny road, they went wild with excitement.

Mrs. Morrow presently arrived on the scene and promptly driving Nathalie's tormentors away, handed the infant to Ellen and Nita. Then she made the girl lie down in the hammock to cool off, while Helen and Grace rushed off to get her dinner.

As the girl, between bites, told of her strange adventure, she saw that it was not to prove as disastrous as she feared, for the little stranger had already captivated every member of the camp, even down to Peter, also Rosy, Mrs. Van Vorst's black cook. Indeed, it was petted, hugged, and kissed so many times that Mrs. Morrow, fearing it would be brought to evil by so many caressing hands, then and there made rules as to how each girl should care for it.

They all declared that Nathalie's finding that baby was providential, for one of the Pioneers that very morning had expressed the wish that they could find a baby in one of the farm-houses. They wanted to practice bathing and dressing it, as these were some of the qualifications necessary for a first-cla.s.s Pioneer.

Although notices were posted in the post-offices of the towns, and also sent to several newspapers, advertising the fact that a baby had been found and was at Camp Laff-a-Lot, no one claimed it. The girls were delighted as they were enamored of their new toy, each one secretly hoping it could remain with them.

The girls had even begun to discuss the project of calling it the Girl Pioneer baby, and were deep in plans to raise money so they could have it taken care of and educated as such, when Mrs. Van Vorst avowed that if no mother appeared to claim it she would adopt it as her own.

This of course took away the girls' hopes of having the little one for their own, as who could deny Mrs. Van Vorst and Nita what they so eagerly desired and what they were so able to do? In the meantime, Miss Camphelia-for so she had been christened-cooed, gurgled, and dimpled with delight at each new mother who bathed and dressed her in silent adoration of the tyrant of the camp.

Nathalie stirred restlessly, jumbled up her pillow, and then flopped over with a sigh. O dear, why couldn't she go to sleep? It was not near time to get up!

"Nathalie Page, what ails you?" came in exasperated tone from the other bed. "You have been wiggling, bouncing, jumping, and sighing like a porpoise for half the night. For pity's sake do go to sleep!"

Nathalie made no reply, a.s.sured that if she did she would betray what a baby she was.

"What does ail you anyway?" persisted Helen in a softer tone. "Have you been doing the green-apple act like Carol, and-"

"Oh, it's just Nita," replied the girl dolefully. "You see it is this way, Helen. I told Mrs. Van Vorst that if Nita could mingle with girls about her own age it would do her a world of good." Nathalie sat up in bed and began to hug her knees. "So, you see, I feel responsible in a measure to see that she gets a good time, but dear me, she is just having a horrible time!"

"How do you know?" questioned Helen, "she-"

"Oh, the poor little thing mopes and cries all the time. She won't admit it, but she doesn't want me out of her sight. Really, Helen, I know it is selfish when she is so afflicted-" Nathalie's voice quavered, "but I do want a bit of fun myself sometimes."

"Well, I should say!" was Helen's e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n. "But I wouldn't worry over it. She's selfish, that's all, and shouldn't be encouraged. I have noticed that she is terribly offish with the girls, and they are half afraid to be pleasant with her."

"Oh, she does not mean to be offish, as you say," answered Nathalie quickly, "she is shy, and sensitive. I think she imagines the girls do not care for her because she is a humpback. If there was only some way by which she could become better acquainted with the girls, and give them a chance to know her better! She's an awfully bright little thing, and I know she would be a prime favorite, for there's lots of fun in her. She's just pining-well-for love."