by Lilian Garis
CHAPTER XI
TOO MUCH TEASING
Swept off her foolish feet of fancy and landed safely on the morepractical ground of girls' life, Nora presently found herself in thecanvas tent, actually donning a Scout uniform.
No ivory dressing comb nor shell-back mirror, instead a wooden box for adressing table, and a bowl of cool, clear water fresh from thevelvet-rimmed pool, and a glass--the piece that fell from a wagon andwas splintered up so no one would touch its "bad luck," so Pell rescuedit and painted a four-leaf clover on its jagged edge! That was a Scoutmirror.
It was a revelation to the pampered child. And like so many others whoare blamed for their circumstances, Nora was fascinated with the glimpsegiven of a real world. Here girls lived as human beings privileged toinvent their own tools which would be used in modelling the skilled gameof a happy life.
"Of course," explained Pell, "we go through quite some formality beforewe really become Scouts, but necessity knows no law, and this isnecessity."
"It's just wonderful," admitted the stranger, all the while fightingdown a sense of guilt that she should ever have disliked the Scouts andtheir standards.
"Now we want you to meet Alma," announced Wyn. "She's one of our littleTenderfoots, and so romantic? She will be sure to want to adopt you, forjust wait until you see if Betta doesn't say we found you in the lake!"she predicted.
Alma came from the leader's tent. She had been studying--those testswere soon to be held.
"Just see our little pond-lily," began Thistle, while Nora, now somewhataccustomed to the girls' jokes, managed not to blush too furiously.
"Oh!" began Alma, then she stopped.
Nora felt in that moment she was discovered and that the prince wouldsoon cease to be a mystery.
"Well, Alma, this is Nora--Nora----"
"Blair," added Nora, realizing her full name had not been given thegirls before.
"Oh, how do you do?" faltered Alma. "I thought at first I had met youbefore."
"No. Nora is the visitor at the Mantons," explained Wyn, "and we all hada ducking--we initiated Nora and had a lovely time. You missed it, Al."
"Sorry," said Alma, still eyeing Nora.
"But we spoiled our uniforms," rattled on Wyn. "That wretch, JimmieFreckles, dumped us right out into the lake."
"And I was brought back to your camp to be redressed," Nora managed tosay. She felt if she did not say something the girl with the lovely,glossy, brown hair, who was staring at her, would penetrate her secret.
"Alma has visions," went on Wyn. "She saw a real prince in your woodsone day; didn't you, Alma?"
"I saw a little boy in a velvet suit----"
"And he had curls."
"And he had dimples."
"And he had lovely gold buckles on his slippers."
"And he had----"
But Alma turned on her heel and left the girls to finish theirdescription without her aid.
Nora was greatly relieved when she left.
"Honestly," explained Thistle, "Alma insists she did see a little boy inyour woods. Did you ever come across such a child?"
"Never," replied Nora, then, "I really must hurry home, I am afraid I amlate for lunch now."
"Won't you stay? We are to have----"
"Thank you, Pell, but Cousin Ted and Cousin Jerry will be so anxious tohear all the news----"
"But you must keep secrets--make secrets if you haven't any to keep,"advised Betta, who had taken a fancy to Nora. In fact all the girlsshowed unusual interest in the little visitor.
"Oh, I know how to do that," Nora replied truthfully.
Then, with many invitations and a number of suggestions as to spendingsome days and even a few evenings, Nora finally managed to race offtoward the Nest, after Betta walked with her out of the camp grounds andwatched while she hurried down the road. It was a very short distance toWildwoods, and before Betta turned back to Camp Chickadee she had seenfaithful Cap run out to meet Nora.
"Now, are you satisfied, Alma?" asked Wyn. "You would insist the visitorwas a boy."
"It may be her brother," replied the brown-haired one, "but honestly,girls, and no joking, he had curls just like hers," said Alma.
"But isn't she sweet?" asked Wyn.
"Princes aside, I like her most as well as Alma's vision," declaredThistle. "And did you notice how matter-of-fact she donned Bluebird'soutfit? What are we going to say to her if she happens back tonight?"
"Gone to the tailor's to be pressed," suggested Pell, glibly. "Therecome the others. Now for a lecture."
But instead, Miss Beckwith, the leader, came up smiling. "We heard allabout it, girls," she began. "Met that precious James Jimmie Jimsby ofyours, and he said it was in no way your fault."
"Bless the boy!" murmured Pell. "We shall certainly have to adopt thelist of Jays. First we capsize his boat and then he pleads for us. Nowisn't that gallant?"
"But Becky," began Thistle, sidling up to the popular leader, "we havehad such a wonderful experience. We have converted a real rebel."
"Rebel!" exclaimed Wyn. "How do you know Nora was anything like that?"
"Well, Mrs. Ted Manton said as much, didn't she?"
"She didn't," replied Pell crisply. "She merely said that Nora had verylittle experience in girls' sports."
"I know," interrupted the leader. "Mrs. Manton has mentioned her to me,and I am very glad you have succeeded in interesting her. I fancy she isa very capable child, with too much time on her hands."
"Oh," sighed Betta. "If we had only known it we could have borrowedsome. What ever shall we do to get in a day's work now?"
"Lunch first and then do double quick duty," suggested the young leader."It has been rather a lost day, counting by the usual results, but then,we have to figure in the new friend."
"You're a love, Becky," declared Treble. "I am sure you are going tohelp me with my basket. It has to be done tomorrow, if I am to get fullcredit for it."
"Where's Alma?" asked Miss Beckwith, suddenly.
"Pouting," replied Wyn. "You are not to know it, of course, but Alma'sin love!"
A shout corroborated the statement. "She may be hanging up wet clothes,"suggested Pell. "When they're in love they do foolish things like that,I've heard tell."
"Girls! Didn't you hang up your wet things yet?" Miss Beckwith asked inreal surprise.
A rush to the back of the tent, where the garments had been hastilyheaped, gave response. Presently there was a contest being held to seewho could hang up the most material in the smallest space and with thefewest clothes pins; at least that appeared to be the attempt the happyfour were making; but when the lunch bell sounded, each and all wereready for the fresh corn, new potatoes, string beans and macaroni--amenu especially designed for culprits who fall in lakes and forget tohang up their uniforms to dry.
Everyone talked of the little stranger, and also everyone praised herbeauty. She was so cute, so sweet, so adorable, and Pell even went sofar as to whisper to Thistle that she was "peachy," although all slangwas taboo at the table.
"And Alma," confided Wyn, "we were so sorry not to be able to locateyour prince----"
"Girls," Alma exclaimed. "If you say prince to me again I'll scream."
"You did this time," said Betta, "and we don't mind it at all. Youscream really prettily."
"Hush," spoke Doro. She was down at the far end of the table and had notbeen with the girls on their eventful trip. "I think we have teasedenough, really. Let the poor little prince rest."
"Good idea," chimed another who also had missed the expedition. "We havea new plan to propose, and with all that prince stuff we can't get yourattention. Becky is going to take us to the Glen tomorrow morning, andwe want volunteers to make up the lunch baskets."
"Call that a new plan?" mocked Wyn. "Why, that's as old as the Scouts.First thing I ever did was to volunteer to make up a basket for my bigsister, and she picked it up and walked off with it."
"Didn't even thank you?" asked Miss Beckwith, who always took part
inthe girls' fun.
"Well, she may have," replied Wyn, "but that didn't impress me. It wasthose sandwiches and those cakes----"
"You didn't make those, Wynnie?" demanded Treble. "If you did we won'task for volunteers. We'll wish the job on you."
Alma was quiet during all the merry chatting, but Thistle, who could notresist one more thrust, said next:
"Thinking of him, dearie?" she asked. "And his little velvet coat----"
But the joke had a most astonishing effect. Alma sniffed, breathed inquick little gasps, and the next moment asked to be excused from thetable.
"She's crying!" declared Betta.
"Horrid girls!" murmured Doro. "I told you she had had enough ofprinces."
"But to cry! Alma isn't like that," said Wyn in real surprise.
Miss Beckwith, who had reached the end of her lunch and was waiting forthe others to finish, slipped away after Alma.
This left the girls to wonder, and they did that in all the ways knownto girlhood.
Then it was definitely decided the first girl who mentioned the wordprince should be made to pay a heavy fine.
All felt truly sorry for little Alma, but it was the wise andunderstanding Janet Beckwith who gathered the sobbing girl into her armsand soothed the sighs, tears, and protestations.
"Just teasing, dear," she insisted. "You must not mind their nonsense.They, every one, love you dearly."
"But I did see a real prince, Becky. And--and they won't believe me,"sobbed out Alma.
Miss Beckwith wondered. "A real prince?" she repeated.
"Yes. I was near enough to see all his pretty--things," Alma paused inher sobbing to relate. "He had all velvet clothes, and such a prettyblack cap. Oh Becky!" she sobbed afresh, "can you ever imagine what itis to have the--girls--all making fun of you?"
"Now, Alma dear," again soothed the leader, "I am really surprised thatyou should take this so seriously. You know the girls are not making funof you----"
"They--said I had--a vision," she sobbed as heavily as ever. "And I amdetermined to find out who that was--and prove it to them."
Miss Beckwith was sorely puzzled. Naturally she supposed the girl wasromancing. But why should she take it so seriously?
"Come, now, dear," she urged. "We have talked it all out and the onlything that worries you is that the girls do not believe you, isn't it?
"Yes, that's the worst of it."
"Then, let's sleep over it and see what the morrow will bring in theway--of light." Becky scarcely knew just what to propose so she threwthe responsibility on the "morrow."
Alma was over her "spell" presently. But the prince had, by no means,lost his real personal identity to the sensitive little Scout.