Dorothy at Oak Knowe Part 17

"Bless your bonny face, no, indeed. No, Miss Betty the second, I have no fault to find with you. Rather I am greatly delighted by all your reports. Just look out of window a minute--what do you see?"

Dorothy still wondered why she had been summoned, but looked out as she had been bidden.

"Why, it's snowing! My, how fast, and how all of a sudden! When we were out for exercise the sun was shining bright."

"The sun is always shining, dear child, even though clouds of trouble often obscure it. Always remember that, little Dorothy, no matter what happens."

Then he dropped what the schoolgirls called his "preachy manner" and asked:

"How do you like tobogganing?"

"Why--why, of course I don't know. I've never even seen a toboggan, except in pictures. They looked lovely."

"Lovely? I should say, but the real thing far lovelier. Miss Tross-Kingdon, here, knows my opinion of tobogganing. The finest sport there is and one that you unfortunate southerners cannot enjoy in your native land. Up here we have everything delightful, ha, ha! But you'll have to be equipped for the fun right away. Will you see to it, Miss Muriel, that Dorothy has a toboggan rig provided? For Michael will have the slides ready, you may be sure. He was born a deal further north even than this and snow-and-ice is his native element. Why, the honest old fellow can show several prizes he won, in his younger days, for skating, ice-boating, tobogganing, and the like. I always feel safe when Michael is on hand at the slide to look after his 'young leddies.'

"Now, I must go. I have a service in town, to-night, and if I don't hurry I'll be caught in this blizzard. You run along, 'Betty' and spread the news of the grand times coming."

With a gentle pat of the little hand he held he thus dismissed her, and inspired by his talk of the--to her--novel sport, she ran happily away, forgetful already of anything more serious.

"Oh! girls! the Bishop says we'll soon have tobogganing!" she cried, joining a group gathered about a great wood fire in the library.

"Oh! goody! I was looking at my new suit this very morning. Mother's had such a pretty one made for me, a blanket suit of baby blue with everything to match--mittens and cap and all! I'm just wild to wear it!" answered f.a.n.n.y Dimock, running to the window to peer out.

"To-morrow's half-holiday. Let's all go help Michael to get the slides ready!"

"Of course--if the storm will let us out! Oh glorious!" said Ernesta Smith flying to f.a.n.n.y's side, and trying to see through the great flakes, fast packing against the pane and hiding the view without.

But this only increased the gayety within. Electric lights flashed out, girl after girl ran to fetch her own coasting suit and to spread it before the eyes of her mates.

"Oh! aren't they the sweetest things!" exclaimed the delighted Dorothy; "the very prettiest clothes I ever saw!"

Indeed they did make a fine show of color, heaped here and there, their soft, thick texture a.s.suring perfect protection from cold. Reds and greens, pinks and blues, and snowy white; some fresh from the makers' hands, some showing the hard wear of former winters; yet all made after the Oak Knowe pattern. A roomy pair of pantaloons, to draw over the ordinary clothing from the waist down, ended in stocking-shaped feet, fitted for warm wool overshoes. The tunic fell below the knees and ended above in a pointed hood, and mittens were made fast to the sleeves.

"Lovely, but isn't it terribly clumsy?" asked Dorothy, more closely examining one costume.

"Let's show her! Let's have an Indian dance! Hurry up, everybody, and dress!"

In a jiffy every girl who owned a costume got into it and the place was transformed. For somebody flew to the piano and struck up a lively waltz, and away went the girls, catching one another for partner--no matter who--whirling and circling, twisting bodies about, arms overhead, as in a regular calisthenic figure--till Dorothy was amazed.

For what looked so thick and clumsy was too soft and yielding to hinder grace.

In the midst of the mirth, the portieres were lifted and Gwendolyn came in. It was unfortunate that just then the music ended with a crash and that the whirling circles paused. For it looked as if her coming had stopped the fun, though this was far from true.

Ever since that day of her open confession her schoolmates had regarded her with greater respect than ever before. Most of them realized how hard that confession had been for so haughty a girl, and except for her own manner, many would have shown her marked affection.

When she had ceased speaking on that day an awkward silence followed.

If she had expected hand-claps or applause she failed to get either.

The listeners were too surprised to know what to do, and there was just as much pride in the young "Peer's" bearing as of old. After a moment of waiting she had stalked away and all chance for applause was gone.

But she had returned to her regular cla.s.ses the next morning and mixed with the girls at recreation more familiarly than she had formerly done; yet still that stiffness remained.

For half-minute, Gwendolyn hesitated just within the entrance, then forced herself to advance toward the fireplace and stand there warming herself.

"It's getting very cold," she remarked by way of breaking the unpleasant silence.

"Yes, isn't it!" returned Winifred; adding under her breath: "Inside this room, anyway."

"We're warm enough, dressed up like this," said Marjorie, pleasantly.

"Dorothy says that the Bishop thinks we'll have tobogganing in a day or two, if the snow holds. She's never seen a toboggan nor how we dress for the sport, and we brought in our togs to show her. She thinks they look too clumsy for words, so we've just been showing her that we can move as easily in them as without them. But--my! It's made us so warm!"

Gwendolyn turned toward Dorothy with a smile intended to be cordial, and asked:

"Is that so, indeed? Then I suppose you'll have to get a rig like ours if you want to try the slide."

"Yes, I suppose so. The Bishop asked the Lady Princ.i.p.al to get me one, but I don't suppose she can right away. n.o.body could go shopping in such weather, and I suppose they have to be bought in town."

"The blankets are bought there, but usually the suits are made at home before we come; or else by the matron and some of the maids here. I--"

A look of keener interest had come into her face, but she said nothing further and a moment later went out again.

As the portieres fell together behind her, Winifred threw up her hands in comic despair.

"Whatever is the matter with that girl? or with _me_--or _you_--or _you_!" pointing to one and another around her. "She wants to be friendly--and so do we! But there's something wrong and I don't know what."

"I do," said a sweet-faced "Seventher," who had been quietly studying during all this noise. "Poor Gwendolyn is sorry but isn't one bit humble. She's absolutely just and has done what she believed right.

But it hasn't helped her much. She's fully as proud as she ever was, and the only way we can help her is by loving her. We've _got_ to love her or she'll grow harder than ever."

"You can't make love as you'd make a--a pin-cushion!" returned Florita Sheraton, holding up, to ill.u.s.trate, a Christmas gift she was embroidering.

Dorothy listened to this talk, her own heart upbraiding her for her failure to "love" Gwen. She liked her greatly and admired her courage more.

"Win, let's you and me try and see if that is true, what Florita says. Maybe love can be 'made' after all;" she whispered to her friend.

"Huh! That'll be a harder job than algebra! I shall fail in both."

"I reckon I shall, too, but we can try--all the same. That won't hurt either one of us and I'm awfully sorry for her, she must be so lonesome."

"'Pity is akin to love!' You've taken the first step in your climb toward Gwen's top-lofty heart!" quoted Winifred. "Climb away and I'll boost you as well as I can. I--"

"Miss Dorothy Calvert, the Lady Princ.i.p.al would like to see you in her own parlor;" said a maid, appearing at the door.

"What now? You seem to be greatly in demand, to-day, by the powers that be, I hope it isn't a lecture the Bishop pa.s.sed on to her to deliver," said Florita as Dorothy rose to obey.

But whatever fear Dolly felt of any such matter was banished by her first glance into her teacher's face. Miss Muriel had never looked kinder nor better pleased than then, as, holding up a pair of beautiful white blankets she said:

"How will these do for the toboggan suit the Bishop wished me to get for you?"

"Oh! Miss Muriel! Are those for me and so soon? Why, it's only an hour ago, or not much more, since he spoke of it, and how could anybody go to town and back in that little while, in such a storm?"

"That wasn't necessary. These were in the house. Do you like them?"