The Camp Fire Girls in After Years

by Margaret Vandercook

  CHAPTER XII

  THE WAY HOME

  NOT a long time afterward Bobbin must have changed her mind for somereason or other, for voluntarily she came to call on Miss O'Neill. Thatis, she appeared in the garden and threw a queer scarlet flower up tothe veranda. Then she waited without trying to escape when Polly camedown to talk to her. And evidently she must have felt, somewhere back inthe odd recesses of her mind, that she was to be considered a visitor,for she had washed her face and hands and even her hair. Indeed, thoughit hung perfectly straight, Polly thought that she had never seen moresplendid hair in her life, it held such strange bright colors from beingalways exposed to the sun and air; besides, it was long and heavy.

  Moreover, Bobbin wore an old red jacket, which some one recently hadgiven her, over the same pitiful calico dress.

  By and by, using all the tact she possessed, Polly persuaded her visitorout of the yard and up-stairs to her own rooms. Of course Marie, themaid, was shocked and displeased, but after all she was fairlyaccustomed to her mistress's eccentricities. Moreover, after a littlewhile she too became interested in Bobbin. The first thing Pollyundertook to do was to feed her visitor. She had an idea that Bobbinmight be hungry, but she did not dream how hungry. The girl ate like alittle wolf, ravenously, secretly if it had been possible. Only,fortunately, she had learned something of table manners from heroccasional training in institutions, so that she at least understood theuse of a knife and fork, and altogether her hostess was less horrifiedthan she had expected to be.

  Later on Bobbin and Polly undertook to have a conversation. This theymanaged by acquiring large sheets of paper and nicely sharpened pencils.But it was astonishing how easily Bobbin appeared to understand whateverher new friend said to her and how readily she seemed to be willing toaccept her suggestions.

  The truth is that the half savage little girl had conceived a sudden,unexplainable devotion to the strange lady whom she had discoveredasleep on the sands. Perhaps Bobbin too may have dreamed dreams andimagined quaint fairy tales, so that Polly's appearance answered somefancy of her own. But whatever it was, she had offered her faithfulallegiance to this possible fairy princess or just ordinary, humanwoman. Yet how Bobbin was to keep the faith it was well that neither shenor Polly knew at the present time.

  However, by the end of her visit the girl had promised to go back to thehome which the town had provided for her and to do her best to learn allshe could. As a reward for this she was to be allowed to make othervisits to Miss O'Neill. She was even to be allowed to eat from the sameblue and white china and drink tea from the same blue cup.

  Moreover, before Bobbin's final departure Marie persuaded her into thebathroom and half an hour later she came forth beautifully clean anddressed in a discarded costume of Polly's, which was too long for her,but otherwise served very well. It was merely a many times washed whitesilk shirt waist and blue serge walking skirt and coat. They made Bobbinappear rather absurd and old, so that Polly was not sure she had notliked her best in her rags. However, both Bobbin and Marie were toopleased for her to offer criticism; yet, notwithstanding, Polly made upher mind that she would try and purchase the girl more suitable clothesas soon as possible and that she would write and ask Betty Graham's andSylvia's advice in regard to her.

  For Richard Hunt had not come to see her since their accidental meetingand she could hope for no interest from him. Polly wished she had neverlaid eyes upon him, for their little talk had only served to start achain of memories she wished forgotten. Besides, of course, she feltlonelier than ever, since there is nothing so depressing as waiting fora friend who does not come.

  Soon after dinner that evening Polly undressed and put on a pretty kindof tea gown of dark red silk, the color she had always fancied eversince girlhood. She was idling about in her sitting room wondering whatshe could do to amuse herself when unexpectedly Mr. Hunt was announced.

  "Why, Polly," he began on entering, his manner changed from the coldnessof their first meeting, "do you know what that gown you are wearingbrings back to me? Our talk in the funny little boarding house in Bostonso many years ago, when you explained to me that you had run off andwere in hiding in order to try and learn to be an actress. I wish Icould tell you how proud I am of your success."

  But Polly did not wish to talk of her success tonight. So she onlyshrugged her shoulders. "Oh, I have always been doing foolish things forthe sake of my acting and yet I don't seem to amount to much."

  After this visit Richard Hunt returned half a dozen times. Polly did notunderstand whether he was acting in the West not far from ColoradoSprings or whether he too was taking a holiday. She asked the questiononce, but as her old friend did not answer her explicitly she let thematter drop.

  Nevertheless it was quite true that from the time his visits began shegrew steadily better. Finally, about ten days before Christmas, MissO'Neill's physician announced that she might return to the New Hampshirehills to complete her cure at her sister's home.

  Then came the hour of final decision in regard to Bobbin.

  Of course Polly could not adopt the girl in the conventional sense. Itwould have been impossible to have her travel about with her or to havekept her constantly with her. And even if it had been possible this wasnot what Bobbin needed. Fortunately for Polly, Richard Hunt's ideas onthe subject were far more sensible than her own. Between them it wasdecided that Bobbin should travel east with Miss O'Neill and her maidand spend Christmas at the big Webster farm. Mollie had written shewould be glad to have her. Then later Bobbin was to see Sylvia Whartonand be put into some school where she might learn to talk and perhapsacquire some useful occupation.

  There was no difficulty in persuading the town authorities to permit thelittle girl to follow her new friend. Indeed, the child had always beena tremendous problem and they were more than glad to be rid of theburden. She seemed completely changed by Miss O'Neill's influence. Shewas far quieter and more tractable and had not run away in severalweeks. Besides this she appeared to be learning all kinds of things inthe most extraordinary fashion. However, her teacher explained this toPolly by saying that Bobbin had always been unusually clever, but thatsome wild streak in her nature had kept her from making any real effortuntil now.

  Another peculiarity of the girl's which Polly remembered having seen anexample of on the morning of their first meeting was that she hadabsolutely no sensation of physical fear. Either nothing hurt her verymuch or else she was indifferent to pain. For this reason it had alwaysbeen impossible either to punish her or to make her aware of danger. Thethought interested Polly, since she considered herself something of acoward. She wondered if some day she and Bobbin might not change placesand the little girl be discovered taking care of her.

  However, when the three women finally started east there was nothingunusual in the appearance of any one of them. For by this time Polly'sprotege was dressed like any other girl of her age with her hair neatlybraided. There only remained her peculiar fashion of staring.

  Richard Hunt saw the little party off. He expected to be in New Yorklater in the winter and promised to write and inquire what had become ofBobbin. However, he did not promise to come to Woodford to see MissO'Neill, although Polly more than once invited him.