The Camp Fire Girls Behind the Lines

by Margaret Vandercook

  CHAPTER XVI

  Gerry's Opportunity

  The next day, weary from the long strain of the rehearsals and the finalproduction of their play, and feeling a comfortable sense of relaxationfollowing a labor well accomplished, the Sunrise Camp Fire members spentan unusually quiet day.

  Mrs. Burton remained in her little house resting and reading.

  After accomplishing the necessary domestic tasks, Mrs. Webster and thegirls sat about in little groups, knitting and talking over theunexpectedly brilliant success of their play.

  Of the Camp Fire girls, Gerry Williams alone kept apart from the othersfor the greater part of the day. Now and then she would appear with herknitting and dropping down beside some one would remain for perhaps halfan hour, but seldom longer. By the end of that time she seemed to growrestless and would start off on walks by herself, but never a greatdistance from camp. Once disappearing inside her sleeping tent, whichwas unoccupied, she stayed there alone for several hours.

  No one paid any particular attention to Gerry or realized that she wasin an unusual frame of mind. The Camp Fire girls had spent so manymonths together that they did not take one another's moods seriously;besides, Gerry was not an especial favorite or intimate with any one ofthe girls except Sally Ashton. And Sally frequently considered Gerry fartoo addicted to moods, which were disturbing to her own comfortableplacidity.

  Indeed, Gerry's only real friend in the Sunrise Camp Fire, the onlyperson who in any way understood her temperament and the circumstancesof her past sufficiently well to offer her real sympathy and affection,was Mrs. Burton.

  On this same day it chanced that Dan Webster was away looking after asmall business matter.

  Billy was engaged with his labors at the war camp. But now that the playwas over Mrs. Webster was beginning to concern herself more seriouslywith the behavior of her erratic son. Billy had taken advantage of theabsorption of his family and friends to continue to pursue his own wayin an even more determined and secretive fashion.

  If Mrs. Burton had not spent the day inside her house, whether or notshe would have observed Gerry's restlessness, her troubled expression,her moments of pallor and the swift flush succeeding them, no one cansay.

  Certainly all that day never for long did Gerry have Mrs. Burton out ofher mind. First she would think of Felipe and what he had asked of herand then immediately after of Mrs. Burton's friendship and kindness.

  The facts of Gerry's life were commonplace enough, but for that reasonthey seemed to Gerry the harder to endure.

  Her mother and father had married when they were young and clerkingtogether in a small village store. After Gerry's birth they conceivedthe idea of becoming traveling sales people.

  When Gerry was a tiny child they tried taking her about with them, oftenleaving her alone for long, lonely hours in strange hotel rooms. Aftershe grew older, arrangements were made for her to board in Chicago, thecity her parents visited oftener than any other. But when Gerry wasfourteen her father died and a year later her mother married a littletown store keeper.

  It was at this time Gerry Williams realized she would be forced to facethe future for herself. It is true her mother and stepfather offered hera home with them and the opportunity to work in their shop. But Gerryhad never cared for her mother and now hated her stepfather, while thethought of the little town store was abhorrent. Yet there was noparticular reason for this attitude save that Gerry had always beenantagonistic to her environment for as long as she could remember.

  She was so utterly unlike her own people both in appearance, manner andnature that she was a puzzle to all of them. No one of them could havetold from whom she inherited her delicate prettiness, her love of luxuryand refinement.

  One day, learning of Mrs. Burton's presence in Chicago, suddenly Gerryconceived the idea of going to her and applying for the position ofmaid. If she must work she thought that she would like better than mostthings to live with a famous woman and perhaps travel with her and seesomething of the world.

  At the moment of Gerry's arrival it chanced that by accident Mrs. Burtonwas at home and free from other engagements, so she decided to see andtalk to her. Naturally Gerry was too young and untrained for theposition she desired; moreover, Mrs. Burton had no need for the servicesof a maid, since Marie had been living with her a number of years. Butshe grew interested in her pretty guest, and feeling the need ofsympathy, Gerry was glad to pour forth her story.

  Ever after this visit, although no member of her family aside from herhusband had been informed of the fact, Mrs. Burton had been payingGerry's board in Chicago during the winters, only urging her to try toeducate herself for some work in the future. For several summers, as weknow, Gerry had been invited to be a member of the Sunrise Camp Firegroup.

  Therefore in a measure Gerry realized how poor a return she would beoffering should she slip away with Felipe without confessing herintention to Mrs. Burton.

  Not once, but perhaps a dozen times, her mind was almost made up to findMrs. Burton and tell her everything. For Gerry believed that by somemethod she could induce her friend to understand how deeply she caredfor Felipe. There would be the argument of youth against their immediatemarriage; but youth is not always _only_ a question of the number ofyears one has lived, and Gerry felt convinced that she suddenly hadgrown old.

  Nevertheless there was always this stumbling block. How could sheacknowledge her own intention and Felipe's without betraying Felipe'ssecret? To divulge the fact that he was planning to escape militaryservice by crossing over the border into Mexico and hiding there was outof the question.

  Undoubtedly Gerry should have more fully appreciated the enormity ofFelipe's purpose, his selfishness and disloyalty. Strange that sheshould expect to find happiness with a man who wished to begin theirlife together by an act of deception and cowardice! Nevertheless, bythis time one must have learned to understand Gerry's dispositionsufficiently well to accept the fact that she did not _fully_understand, so completely was she under Felipe's influence. Yet Felipemust not be allowed to bear the entire burden of their wrong doing.Certainly Gerry was not marrying Felipe for his sake only, but also forthe happiness and the ease which she believed the future would insureher.

  Notwithstanding this, since life is seldom guided by one clear motive,but by many mixed ones, Gerry was also ardently and sincerely in love.

  Her failure to grasp the extent of the danger she and Felipe were facingand the possible injury to her own reputation was due to three causes.The first of these was sheer stupidity, the second an actual lack ofeducation and the third Gerry's conviction that this was her solitarychance for saving Felipe from the difficulties and dangers of asoldier's life and at the same time securing him for herself.

  In the end, as one might have guessed, Gerry Williams made noconfession.

  Instead, in the hours when she had remained alone in her sleeping tent,she had packed a few possessions in her satchel, hiding the bag underher bed and wondering at the same time how she would ever manage to getit away the next day without exciting comment.

  The next day Fortune appeared to favor Gerry, as the fickle Dame doesnow and then, when one had best be thwarted.

  Immediately after their luncheon the Camp Fire girls decided to go upona long walk. So much time had been given to the rehearsals of "As YouLike It" that they had been exercising far less than usual in the pastweeks.

  The wool for knitting and materials for making bandages having recentlygiven out, Mrs. Webster offered to go into town with Dan to buy whateverwas required.

  So, through a combination of quite ordinary circumstances, Sunrise campwas deserted except by Mrs. Burton, Marie and Gerry.

  Mrs. Burton did not feel equal to the long hike and Gerry simplydeclined without giving a reason.

  Since her farewell to Felipe about thirty hours before, she had receivedno word from him and yet this afternoon Gerry knew he would appear. Nowand then she even hoped he would not come, at least not until the nextday, or even the one after
that.

  Soon after the other girls departed, Mrs. Burton asked Gerry to sitbeside her and talk while she rested in the sunshine.

  A small fire was always kept burning at Sunrise camp, no matter how warmthe day, for the small amount of heat made no appreciable difference andthe fire was always being needed for cooking.

  So Marie arranged an Indian blanket upon the ground away from thewindward side of the fire and then went into her tent to write letters.

  Afterwards Mrs. Burton lay down in such a position that she could lookclosely at Gerry.

  In the few minutes they had been together without the others, she hadnoticed that Gerry looked pale and depressed.

  "You are not worrying over anything, Gerry?" Mrs. Burton asked.

  Gerry shook her head. "Certainly not. What have I to worry about--excepteverything?"

  Perhaps it was unfortunate that Mrs. Burton chose this time to talk toGerry about her future, although, since her mind really was made up,probably nothing would have altered her decision.

  "I don't want to worry you, or to have you worry, dear," Mrs. Burtonbegan, "but I do wish it were possible for you to find some occupationthat would interest you. It would make you ever so much happier! Forgiveme if I have seen that you are more restless, less content than theother Camp Fire girls. And whatever work you wish to do, I do not wishyou to go into it unprepared, a woman needs more training these days tomake a success than a man. It has meant so much to me to give my timeand energy to the art I love. I want you to have the same luck, Gerry."

  Then Mrs. Burton reached out her hand, but her companion did not seem toobserve it.

  "I am sorry, I know I am a disappointment," she answered. "But thetrouble with me is that I am stupid and no work of any characterinterests me. I might as well tell you the truth."

  For a moment Mrs. Burton did not reply. Gerry's answer had made herimpatient, and for this reason she felt it best not to argue.

  "Very well, perhaps the interest will come later. You are young enoughto wait, Gerry, and please do not think I am not more than anxious tohelp you. You know it is only on your account I worry. I so wish thecircumstances of your life were happier, my dear. I hate your beinglonely."

  Then as Gerry's eyes were filling with tears and when she was having astruggle not to break down entirely and make her confession, she andMrs. Burton both heard at the same instant a gay voice singing as itapproached nearer to them:

  "It was a lover and his lass, With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino."

  "Here comes _Touchstone_, Gerry! What a charming voice Felipe has! Iknow you must feel relieved to be released from such a prosy talk as wewere having."

  If Felipe had not been a particularly successful actor at the productionof their play, Gerry was amazed by his present acting.

  He had suggested that they were either to motor or to drive away fromSunrise camp. Now he appeared on foot in the most casual fashion withhis guitar swung over his shoulder.

  After bowing politely to Gerry, he immediately dropped down upon theground beside Mrs. Burton and finished his song:

  "And therefore take the present time, With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino; For love is crowned with the prime In springtime...."

  Nor did Felipe rise, or ask that Gerry be allowed to walk with him afterhis song was concluded. He merely continued talking in a casual fashionwith Mrs. Burton.

  In half an hour, having finished their errands unexpectedly early, Mrs.Webster and Dan returned to camp. Dan went away immediately to put upthe car and Mrs. Burton arose to go indoors with her sister.

  Not until then did Felipe ask that Gerry be allowed to walk with him. Hemade the request with apparent indifference.

  Mrs. Burton hesitated.

  "Gerry thought she was too tired to walk with the girls! But never mind.If you won't go very far or stay too long, I suppose I must pay myactors in some fashion for their services, and I have had no opportunityto thank you."

  Then, as she moved away, she called back:

  "Don't forget to take your coat or a sweater with you, Gerry; it mayturn unexpectedly cool."

  So Gerry, feeling that her face was flushing crimson and her handsbecoming like ice, was able to disappear inside her tent at the momentshe desired.

  When she came out with her satchel the coat was hanging over it;besides, there was no one in sight to observe her own and Felipe'sdeparture.

  But the moment they started Felipe said quickly:

  "Don't be worried, Gerry darling. I have a motor waiting for us about amile away and my old nurse is there to take care of you. Her husband iswith her and they are perfectly respectable and devoted to me. They willcome back as soon as we are safely married and let Mrs. Burton andfather know. They can't tell them _where_ we have gone, of course. Theycan simply say we have gone on a honeymoon. It will be all right. Lotsof people run away and are married; it saves such a lot of fuss for onething. Later on, if you like, we can write where we are, because neitherMrs. Burton nor father would betray us. I want, if possible, to crossover the border into Mexico tonight at dusk."

  The rest of the afternoon passed like a strange and not a happy dream toGerry.

  But whatever arrangements were necessary, whatever the law required ofthem, Felipe seemed to have managed all the formalities. As they drovefrom one place to another Gerry sat in the back of the automobile nextto Felipe's old nurse, not even making an effort to talk to her andsaying nothing to Felipe. Now and then Felipe made little anxiousinquiries to find out if she were all right and Gerry only nodded herhead in reply.

  In the house of a clergyman in a small town not many miles away theceremony was finally performed. Gerry declared that her parents hadgiven their consent, knowing well enough they would be delighted to hearof her marriage. Felipe Morris was of course several years more than thelegal age. Besides Felipe's nurse and her husband the wife and daughterof the clergyman also appeared as witnesses.

  But when the moment came for parting with their companions, Gerry beggedthat she be allowed to write a note to Mrs. Burton. The note was veryshort; Gerry scarcely understood what she was writing, nevertheless itsaid a great deal:

  "DEAR MRS. BURTON:

  "You will never be able to forgive me and I know I do not deserve that you should. Only pray I may be happy, because now the wedding ceremony is over and Felipe Morris and I are married, I am dreadfully frightened.

  "Yours with all love,

  "GERRY."

  The rest of the late afternoon was even more like a strange dream.

  At the border between Mexico and the United States Felipe managedsuccessfully to deceive the guard. He had changed his costume and wore aMexican one, he spoke Spanish and gave a name which was not his own.Gerry, who was wearing a veil tied closely about her head, the guardscarcely noticed.

  Felipe explained that he and his wife had driven over into Californiaearlier in the day and were now on their way back to their home inMexico. By a stroke of good fortune the guard had only been on duty afew hours, having changed places with another soldier. Therefore he hadno way of disproving Felipe's story; moreover, he happened to be new tohis work.

  Never so long as she lived was Gerry to forget her first sight of thestrange desert land of Mexico, which she saw when dusk was falling.

  The earth was a sea of sand with funny little hut-like houses sprinkledhere and there, hung with gay signs written in a language Gerry did notcomprehend. Beyond them was a fringe of high bare hills, now purple inthe evening shadows.

  Suddenly she realized her own and Felipe's exile. They were without homeor country; worse, they were deserters.

  For fear he was suffering an even deeper regret and remorse than hadlaid hold upon her, Gerry dared not look or speak to Felipe as their carcarried them further and further away from their friends.