CHAPTER IV
Having met Colonel Maslin in the hotel lobby, Mabel found herself ridinghome in the beautiful Maslin limousine. She sat exactly in the center ofthe softly cushioned seat and stared haughtily at the passersby. Sheinclined her head a trifle in condescending acknowledgment of thetraffic police who waved them on as they turned from Broadway into ThirdStreet. Mabel was sorry that he did not seem to notice her. He livedthree doors from Mabel on the side street and it seemed a pity not toimpress him, especially as he was forever bringing home the Brewster dogwhen he ran away without his tag.
But luck was with Mabel when the big car rolled noiselessly up to thecurb before her home, for her mother was standing at the window, and herbrother and three other boys were having a last confab before separatingfor the night. Mabel crossed the sidewalk and went up the steps in hermost stately manner. She did not notice the boys at all.
"Well," said her mother as she entered the house, "did you get a ridehome? How do you like the Maslin girl?
"She is a rare soul," said Mabel. Then descending to earth, "I wish youcould see the rooms they live in. You never _did_ see such lovelythings. And she has a maid, and a Chinese house-servant, and her fatheris a perfect dear and sent us up a big box of candy."
"A rare soul, is she?" said Mrs. Brewster. "How do you mean?"
"Oh, I can't explain," said Mabel. "She is so understanding, and weseemed to think and feel just alike on so many subjects. I expect to seea great deal of her. We have so much in common."
"Does she object to dusting and making beds and things of that sort?"asked Mrs. Brewster in a mild tone.
"I don't know," said Mabel, flushing.
"Ummm," said Mrs. Brewster. To Mabel the smile wasmaddening,--infuriating.
"I don't see why you take it like that," she burst out harshly. "Justbecause I have a mind above the average and want to live my own life andset my soul free! I am reading every little while about some girl whodoes it. But I never get a chance. Nothing for _me_ but school andpractice and that old dusting and helping around the house!"
Mrs. Brewster sat down and looked quizzically at her excited elderchild. She was in no hurry to break the silence, while Mabel stared outof the window and drummed on the pane with nervous finger tips. Finallyshe said gently, "Just what do you think you would like to do?"
"Oh, I want to break away, and have a chance to expand! I feel chokedthe way things go now. I read about one girl about my age who left homeand took an apartment and lived her own life. It was wonderful. She wentto work too, and made lots and lots of money."
"Lucky girl," said Mrs. Brewster. "What a help she must have been to herfamily! Oh, I forgot; the trick was that she _didn't_ help her family atall, did she? Was she a rare soul too?"
Mabel registered what she fondly hoped was a look of scorn. She did notspeak, and after a moment Mrs. Brewster continued:
"What was her chosen field of endeavor? In other words, what job did sheget?"
"She became a newspaper woman," said Mabel.
"But what did she do in the meantime? What did she do while she waslearning to do newspaper work? Didn't you say she was a girl about yourage?"
Mabel answered patiently.
"She became a newspaper writer at once," she said. "Don't you see,mamma, that is just the point? She went away from all the worries of herown home, where she never had time to think things out for herself, andit gave her a chance to _expand_. While she was at home her time was sobroken."
"I see," said Mrs. Brewster. "I suppose her cruel parents expected herto dust and wash dishes and mend her clothes and practice, and allthat. It was a great pity. I suppose there are a great many parentslike that--so thoughtless."
"Indeed there are!" said Mabel with feeling. For the moment, hearing hermother agree with her, she forgot to whom she was talking. "If mothersand fathers only could understand that girls want to be _free_, thatthey want to expand and be themselves, everything would be different."
"I don't doubt it at all," said Mrs. Brewster. She left the room andMabel continued the train of pleasant thought. She made no move to helpabout supper, and Mrs. Brewster did not call her. Remembering that thegirl she had read about was accustomed to sit at her piano and composemost beautiful melodies whenever she was disturbed or wanted to sootheherself, Mabel went to the piano and, putting a firm foot on theforbidden loud pedal, broke into what she fondly told herself werecrashing chords palpitating with the suppressed passion of her breakingheart. The sounds thrilled her, and she continued until interrupted by aroar from Frank who was doing his algebra at the kitchen table.
"Aw, Mabe, have a heart and quit that noise, will you?" he begged.
His rudeness broke the spell. Mabel rose and started to sweep haughtilytoward the stairs. She would retire to the sanctuary of her own room andbrood! But before she reached the door she heard her mother call,"Supper is ready!"
Mabel did not hesitate. She remembered the Parker House rolls andhurried into the dining-room. The rolls were there, and it was wellworth postponing a "brood" for them. Mrs. Brewster was unusually silentand Frank watched her anxiously until, catching her eye, she nodded andflashed a quick look toward her abstracted daughter. At the close of themeal Mabel said with what sounded to Frank perilously like kindly meantcondescension, "That was a delicious little supper, mamma," andreceiving a meek but fervent, "Thank you so much, dear," from her motherMabel went straightway to her own room and closed the door betweenherself and her unappreciative family.
The sound of that door was a signal for Frank to explode.
But Mrs. Brewster laid a soft hand over his rebellious mouth.
"Softly, softly, dear!" she begged. "I want you to be as patient as youcan. If _you_ were on the wrong path somehow or other, you would be gladto be turned back where there was safer going, wouldn't you? Well, Mabelmust work this thing out for her own good. You and I cannot tell how shewill come out of it, because after all her soul is her own, and sheknows it better than we do. But we have faith in her, sonny dear, don'tforget that, and we believe she is a dear daughter and sister, whoreally loves us with all her heart."
"Yah, she acts it!" scoffed Frank, the unbeliever.
"Give her time, dear," said Mrs. Brewster. "Please be patient. I amgoing to do some telephoning now, and if you hurry with your algebra andfinish that history lesson, we will go to the movies. There is a goodplay at the Strand tonight."
"I can do that all right," said Frank, and after his mother had gone tothe telephone he rushed the dishes out into the kitchen, stacked themneatly, and was buried in his book when his mother returned, a look ofamusement rather mixed with worry on her pleasant, wholesome face.
The result of the telephone talk was an astounding offer from Mrs.Brewster to meet Mabel when that young lady left school next day. Mrs.Brewster was waiting for her daughter at the door of the High School,and as they started slowly down the street, Mrs. Brewster said, "Youknow the girl you were telling me about last night? I mean the one whobroke away and lived by herself and freed her soul and all that?"
Mabel nodded. Was her mother going to lecture her?
"I don't want to stand in your light, Mabel, and some day suffer allkinds of remorse when I remember that I was the one who held you backjust because I am old-fashioned and happen to think that home is theplace for a young girl to grow up in, a place where she can have hermother's care and guidance and all that. No, I just can't do it! I wantto give you a good start if you still feel that you want to take it.Something came up today that looked exactly like what you wanted, and Isnatched at the chance. At least until you decide. Of course I could notdecide for you."
"What is it?" asked Mabel cautiously.
"It seems quite wonderful," said Mrs. Brewster. "You know that duckylittle apartment the Kents have right under Grandmother Brewster's? Theyare going away for the next six months, and want someone to live thereand take care of it."
"And we are going to live there?" cried Mabel delightedly. "Oh, I am soglad! I
am so sick of our house, it is so out of date, mamma, and onsuch a side street! What will you do--shut it up or rent it?"
"Don't go so fast, Mabel. You say yourself you can't expand your soulwhen Frank and I are around. I should think not! We will live just wherewe are, and if you like _you_ can have the flat all to yourself. I wasthere this morning. There is the sweetest kitchenette, with everythingin it, and the dearest living-room and dining-room combined and, Mabel,_wait_ until you see the bed-room! It will be a lot to keep clean. Icertainly was lucky this morning. Just as I was coming home I met MarianGere, who does society for the _Times-Leader_, and she is looking for anassistant, and simply snapped at the chance of having your help. I saidyou could help her after school hours until the end of this term, andafter that you could give all your time, because I did not feel that Icould ask any girl to stay in school who was as talented as you feel youare. And she said I was very sensible to let you try your wings. _Tryyour wings._ Don't you think that a sweet expression? I remembered itbecause I thought perhaps you could use it in your writing some time."Mrs. Brewster paused for breath.
Mabel was looking rather wild-eyed. Things seemed to be happening ratherrapidly. Was it possible that all her cherished dreams were to berealized, and at once?
Her mother had the key to the little playhouse apartment, the ownerhaving departed, and Mabel looked it over and over with actual coldchills of delight coursing down her spine.
"I wouldn't tell Grandmother Brewster for a while about being here,"suggested Mrs. Brewster. "She might think you needed looking after," andMabel agreed.
"When will you come over?"
"Oh, today!" cried Mabel. "And I think I will go down right now and seeMiss Gere."
"Very well, and I will go home and pack a few things for you. I think Iwould just take a hand-bag now, and later you will know exactly what youwill need. There is not much closet space in the apartment. And ofcourse Frank and I will hope to see you occasionally. But we willunderstand if you don't come home often, because you will be workingpretty hard to earn your living, even with such a good start. It islucky that you can get this lovely place to live in rent free. Later Isuppose you will not care what you have to pay, but now it will be ahelp. And you will find that groceries are pretty high."
Mrs. Brewster nodded a gay good-bye as the car approached, and leftMabel walking down Third Street on her way to the _Times-Leader_. A fewblocks on her way she overtook Jane and Estella arm in arm as usual.Mabel gave her braid a flirt and unconsciously puffed out her chest.
"Where away, Mabel?" chirruped little Estella, twinkling. In a rush ofwords Mabel told her tale while the girls listened in speechlessamazement.
"You don't mean to say that you have really _left home_?" demandedEstella. There was no chirp in her voice now, no twinkle in her face.She looked absolutely shocked.
"I leave tonight," said Mabel, "soon as I settle my salary with MissGere. I am _wild_ to be free! It is going to be wonderful, perfectlywonderful! I expect to write something grand. Just think, no one todisturb me; no housework, no practicing! Oh, how my mind will soar!"
"Are you going to keep a maid?" asked Jane feebly. "You said nohousework."
"Well, it won't be like the housework at home," declared Mabel. "Thatis the dustiest old place! It won't take me a minute to put everythingin order at my apartment."
"But your mother!" almost wailed Estella. "How can you leave yourmother? I can't bear to leave mine for all day even."
"Mothers are different," said Mabel sadly. "Mamma is sweet, of course,but she does not understand me. We are better apart; I feel it."
"Well, of all things!" said Jane slowly. "I am glad _my_ soul doesn'thave to have things done for it. I don't remember much of the time thatI have one, and you couldn't _hire_ me to leave home."
"You don't understand," said Mabel loftily. "One must do what seemsright to one's own self. I am doing that, and I shall be rewarded. Comeand see me sometimes, girls. I shall be very busy, but never too busy toreceive my old Girl Scout friends."
She nodded, and struck into a quicker pace which carried her ahead ofthe two girls.
"Well, I think that is perfectly awful, don't you, Jane?" demandedlittle Estella, looking at the broad, retreating back.
"Simply dreadful!" murmured Jane, shocked and wondering.
"What do you suppose has got into Mabel? Do you suppose it is possiblethat her mother is actually letting her do it, or is she running away orsomething awful?"
"Oh, Jane, do you remember what the Captain told her to do at the lastmeeting? Oh, oh, what _will_ the Captain say when she hears about this?She will feel awfully. Why, she never, never meant Mabel to actuallyleave her mother and go off and do dreadful things! I don't see howMabel can bear it! And it will make our little Captain feel awfully!"
"Says she is going to live all alone, and work on the newspaper. Justlike being an orphan. Get her own meals and everything. I couldn't standit," said Jane.
They stared after the distant figure. They did not approve.
"But, of course," said Estella suddenly, "we must not be too hard onMabel. You know she writes real poetry. Perhaps that is what ails her.We mustn't forget that."
"No," said Jane pityingly, "we mustn't forget _that_."
The Girl Scout's Triumph; or, Rosanna's Sacrifice Page 4