Lucile Triumphant Part 13

"If dancing will do it," she decided, on her way to the kitchen, "we'll dance from here to Jericho," and the firm lines of her mouth showed that she meant it.

At half past four Phil put on his hat and announced his intention of going round for the girls.

"You needn't stop for Jessie," Lucile called after him; "nor for Evelyn either, for that matter. All their folks are coming along to see us off."

"I'm going anyway," he replied, briefly, and Lucile called gaily after him, "There's a reason," and shut the door before he could retort.

Mrs. Payton met her in the hall.

"Better get your hat and coat on, Lucy. It's almost time to start."

As Lucile ran lightly up the stairs and into her room, her heart beat fast and her face flamed with excitement.

"We're going, we're going!" she sang, as she slipped into her coat and pulled her hat--a perky little affair with a blue bow at the side, that held in place a black wing set at an aggravating angle--down over one eye and then surveyed herself critically.

"Guess I'm all right," she said, pushing a stray lock into place with experienced fingers. "Now for my gloves and bag and I'll be ready.

Coming, Mother!" This last to an impatient command from the lower regions. "Will you ask Dad if he took my Gladstone bag downstairs?"

Mr. Payton replied in person that he had, and Lucile stepped out in the hall and closed the door softly. She paused at the head of the stairs to still the tumultuous beating of her heart, for it seemed to her that it could be heard a mile away. It was all so new and strange and wonderful--and now that their great dream was to be realized so soon, she felt more than ever that it must be a dream and nothing more. She wondered if Jessie and Evelyn were feeling that way, too, and then she heard the clamor of voices on the porch and knew that they had come.

Then a sort of panic seized her, as she realized that Jack Turnbull would be with them. She knew he would, for that had been the last thing he had said to her last night--oh, how very far away it seemed! Half unconsciously, she straightened her little hat and ran downstairs, just in time to answer Phil's urgent, "Where's Lucy?" with a merry, "Here, Phil; bag and baggage!"

Everybody turned to greet the radiant little figure, and Lucile included them all in her bright, "How's everybody?"

"Rather shaky," Evelyn answered, in an awe-struck voice, and everybody laughed good-naturedly.

"Well, what do you say if we start?" suggested Mr. Payton. "We are all here and we might as well have plenty of time. We don't want to have to hurry."

They all agreed, and so, with a great deal of noise and laughter, the party started out. Lucile ran back to say a word of good-by to Mary and Jane, who, good souls, were weeping heartily at the thought of parting with the family for so long. With difficulty she managed to break away from them, and on her way back came face to face with--Jack!

"Oh," she stammered, "I thought they--everybody--had gone!"

"So they have, but I came back to get you and--tell you to hurry," he replied, with a laugh. It was a very frank, nice laugh, Lucile decided, and she was very glad he had come back, so she answered him gaily and they started out to overtake the others.

At least, Lucile did, but, after covering a half-block at a fast walk, that was almost a run, Jack protested.

"What's your awful hurry?" he queried, reproachfully. "You have an hour to catch the train, so why rush?"

Lucile opened her eyes wide in feigned astonishment.

"Why, I'm only following instructions," she teased. "You told me to hurry, and so I'm trying to."

"With great success," he added, with a smile of understanding. "Just the same, you know I didn't mean it that way. I had to see you and I needed some excuse. I won't have a chance to see you for a long, long time, you know."

Lucile looked up quickly, this time in real surprise.

"But I thought you were going back to New York to-day, anyway," she said.

"So I am, but there isn't the width of the Atlantic between New York and Burleigh," he answered meaningly.

Just then Evelyn turned around and, making a megaphone of her hand, shouted, "Better hurry up; we'll miss the train."

"Plenty of time," Jack threw back, pleasantly. "Got half an hour yet."

"Aw, there's something wrong with your watch," Phil retorted. "Next time you buy an Ingersoll, see that you get your money's worth."

"Thanks!" drawled Jack, but Lucile looked anxious.

"Perhaps we would better catch up with the rest of them," she suggested.

"The front ranks have quite a start on us, and we don't want to keep them waiting."

"Oh, all right," agreed Jack cheerfully. "Give me your hand and we'll do a hundred-yard dash in record time."

Lucile took the proffered hand and away they went like two happy children, reaching the rest of the party a moment later, out of breath but triumphant.

"Didn't I tell you we'd break the record?" laughed Jack, forgetting for the moment to release her hand. "You're some little runner, too," he added, admiringly.

"Speak for yourself," she threw back gaily. "That was a good run, though.

I guess we won't miss the train now."

"Not an unmixed blessing," Jack grumbled, at which they all laughed with such infectious mirth that more than one pa.s.ser-by turned to smile after them.

They arrived at the station in plenty of time, after all, for it was fully fifteen minutes before a distant toot announced the coming of the train that was to carry them to New York. It had been Mr. Payton's intention in the first place to take pa.s.sage on one of the smaller steamers, but the girls had been so evidently disappointed, although, to do them credit, they had tried their very best not to let him see it, that he had changed his plans at the last minute and had decided to take pa.s.sage from New York on the great steamer "Mauretania."

In talking things over, the girls' parents and one or two of their relatives had decided to take the trip with them as far as New York, and from there give them a glorious send-off.

The girls' desire and curiosity to see the great metropolis had been heightened by their guardian's vivid recitals of her experiences, and they were on edge with expectancy.

"I wish we were going to spend some time in New York," Phil was saying.

"We just shoot in and then right out again."

"You ungrateful heathen!" Lucile chided. "What do you expect? I'd like to spend a year in New York, too, but we can't do everything at once."

What Jack might have replied will never be known for just then they heard the whistle of the train. The journey had begun.

CHAPTER X

WHIRLED THROUGH THE NIGHT

Mile after mile, the long train rumbled on over shining rails that fell away behind and merged in the far-distant sky-line. The first rays of the morning sun struck on the brilliant metal and gathered up the dazzled sunbeams to scatter them broadcast over hills and fields and flying houses. Now and then the hoa.r.s.e whistle of the engine broke the early morning quiet, only to be flung back on itself by wood and cave and mountainside in a scornful shout of mockery.

And still the girls slept on in the dreamless, heavy sleep of tired girlhood. Of course, not one of the three had had the least intention of doing anything so commonplace as going to sleep; in fact, the very idea had been vaguely irritating. Had they not looked forward to this very thing for months--at least, so it seemed to them--and it was almost impossible for them to have patience with the idiocy of any one who could calmly suggest slumber at such a time. And Phil--for it was at him that this Parthian shot had been aimed--had evinced remarkable self-control, in that he had refused to argue, but had continued to smile in an aggravatingly superior manner, which had said more plainly than words: "You think you mean it, no doubt, but I, who am wise, know what simpletons you are."

Of course, Phil was right, as they had known in their hearts he would be, in spite of all their resolution, and it was not until the sun struck through the little window and dashed upon Lucile's sleeping face in a golden shower that she stirred impatiently and brushed her hand across her eyes.