Six Girls and the Tea Room

by Marion Ames Taggart

  CHAPTER XVI

  HAPPIE GRANTS AMNESTY

  ALL night long the wind blew furiously. As it came sweeping downfrom the higher mountain points there was nothing to allay its forceaccumulating down the stretch to Crestville. Such small objects aspresumptuously stood in its way--farmhouses and red barns--it buffeted,chastising them soundly for attempting to stay it, and sweeping on downto the Jersey plains which were to calm its wrath.

  The old Ark shook almost as though it had been a veritable ark out onstormy waters. Blinds rattled, and even the beds trembled, but "theArchaics" slept through the tumult. Coasting is an excellent sedative,especially when followed by a hearty supper and an evening before ablazing log fire.

  "It's rather like automobiling to spend the night in your frontbedroom, Miss Bradbury," said Robert Gaston at breakfast.

  "Funny you thought of that!" cried Happie. "Gretta said last night weought to have gone to bed in automobile veils and goggles."

  "What's the order of exercises this morning--for all day, in fact?"inquired Bob. "The wind has gone down, and I don't know how we couldsuggest an improvement in the sort of day we've got."

  He waved his hand towards the window. The sun was pouring into it, andbeyond the window the fields were shining, brilliantly white in the sunrays, blue white in the shadows; yellow stubble, where the grain hadbeen cut, showing in stretches on the upland slopes, black woods andimpressionistic purple mountains as a background to the picture.

  "And gittin' warmer yet!" chimed in Rosie. "You do what you want to doto-day, though. There's more snow comin'. 'Tain't fur off. It's sure tobe here by Monday, if 'tain't here to-morrow."

  "We thought we'd go skating, if you boys would come with us," saidLaura.

  "This morning you are all going for a straw-ride in the bottom ofJake's big blue sled," announced Miss Keren.

  "When in doubt play trumps," observed Bob. "That's a lead that takesall our tricks, Aunt Keren. I thought we might put off our skating tillMonday morning--we don't go down till nearly two o'clock--and thisafternoon return to our innocent childhood's ways. Mahlon says the pondis rough and the skating not much good anyway, because they've beencutting ice from it and it's made it uneven."

  "What ways of innocent childhood, Bob?" asked Margery.

  "Snow forts," replied Bob promptly. "And snowball assault of them."

  "Good for you!" cried Ralph. "That would beat skating to my mind. Inever had a chance to fight in a snow fort but once in my life, andthen I was too small to stand a chance, even though I had one. We oughtto have a rousing scrimmage here. Oh, what's the use of being young ina city, anyway!"

  "I suppose Mr. Gaston will command one side, as he's the oldest boy,"began Snigs, but Robert said at the same moment: "I'm the oldest boyhere, and what's more I've had the advantage of college athletics,football, for muscle training. I'll stand you three fellows, if you'lllet me have Gretta and Happie on my side, for they'll be the bestfighters among the girls I'm pretty certain, and I think that's fair."

  "That's all right. Margery and Laura would be best in the Red Crossdepartment," assented Bob. "So it will be you and the two girls againstus three boys, and we'll do you up, Mr. Robert Gaston. You'll want tosing 'Maryland, My Maryland' when we get through with you."

  "Cockadoodle do-o-o-o!" commented Happie, gently insinuating thatcrowing was not always prophetical.

  "Now you youngsters go and wrap up in everything you can find, and beready to start in half an hour. I laid a pile of robes and blankets,old coats, furs, all sorts of things, on the couch and table in thelibrary. Help yourselves, and please don't keep Jake waiting. He isgoing to take you up around the hotels on the mountains, where you willsee glorious views, but you will be as cold as Arctic explorers," saidMiss Keren rising.

  When the party came out ready for the sleigh ride they were such afunny lot, bundled in knit scarfs, shabby furs, handsome furs, andeverything else available, and carrying patchwork quilts and thickcomfortables on their arms, that Rosie Gruber laughed at the sight ofthem, as the Scollards had never seen her laugh before, and Mahlonswung his left arm and leg in delirious unison, laughing in preciselythe way he used to cry in his sorrowful time when they first knew him.

  "My days, you look like carpet rags come to life and walkin' round!"cried Rosie. "Penny, leave me carry you out, you can't walk, you poorlittle mamma you. You look just like those Egypt mammas I seen once insome of them books in the room."

  It was true that Penny looked mummified in her wrappings, and that herlittle legs had short play, swaddled like a papoose. But they bundledher into the straw, tucked her and Polly down between their elders,drew up the motley quilts and covered them decently with robes, andwere off, drawn by Don Dolor and a young horse from Jake's neighbor,Pete Kuntz.

  "How did you manage about your hauling mine props to-day, Jake?" askedBob from his seat of honor--and exposure--beside the driver.

  "Let it," said Jake promptly. "He'll have to git along without meto-day. I had to leave Aaron haul a while still. She'll pay me as muchfer driving you all as I git a day haulin', and it leaves my team workyet. I like to be obligin'."

  The Scollards laughed, Jake did not see why, but he was used to theirlaughing when the fun was invisible to him.

  "'A wand'ring minstrel I, a thing of shreds and patches,'" sang Robert,drawing his yellow and red quilt, lent by Rosie, around his shoulders.One of Robert's gifts was a very good voice.

  This started the choir and the party sang as the sled went briskly upthe gradual rise in the road to the mountains where the many largehotels made in themselves, and drew around them, a very differentsummer life from the indigenous life of the section.

  It was intensely cold, but there was no more wind, and the air was sodry that the blood flowed faster and off-set the lowly thermometer.People came out to look as the musical sled spun past, for it carriedan amateur choir of unusual ability; and the harmony sounded sobeautiful through the frosty air that many a listener wished the horseswould loiter before his door.

  It was unpleasantly cold coming home. "The wind is right up from theGap," said Gretta. "There's a storm coming."

  "This isn't much fun," remarked Penny, with stifled pathos, from thedepths of her eclipse under enveloping skirts, quilts, shawls androbes. "I wish I was home."

  "I don't," said Polly stoutly. "I think it's nice to be veryuncomfortable when you go out for fun--sometimes, I mean--so you'llknow how awful it is when it isn't fun." A shout of laughter greetedthis philosophical seeker after experience.

  "We'd better sing, 'In the Good Old Summer-time,' and see if we can'tmind-cure ourselves into warmth," said Bob with a shiver.

  "What's the matter with, 'A Hot Time in the Old Town To-night'?" askedRalph.

  "We'll have that in our forts before night," said Robert.

  The sled turned into the Ark driveway an hour before dinner, with itsload loudly singing: "Ching-a-ling-a-lu," which was so pretty, with itschromatic effects given in harmony, Margery's sweet voice sustained byLaura as another soprano--for with Robert there Laura was not obligedto sing tenor as she usually did--Happie and Gretta's alto, Ralph andBob and Snigs humming baritone and bass, and Robert singing fine tenor,that Miss Keren dashed out to hear it as well as to welcome her merrycrowd. "You don't know how well that sounded," she cried.

  "Don't we!" cried Happie. "Aunt Keren, we have warbled our way up thehillsides and back, and plaudits are echoing still on our track, wethink that as singers there's nothing we lack, but, oh, you can'tguess how our dinner will smack!"

  Happie jumped out over the side of the sled as she uttered thisremarkable inspiration, and the companions she thus left sitting amongthe straw burst into applause that actually made Don Dolor plunge andthreaten to get up on his hind legs.

  "You ridiculous child!" cried Miss Keren. "Rosie has enough to satisfyyou, and it is almost ready, so get yourselves ready, and don't tell meanything about the drive until we are at the table."r />
  Dinner was a rapid, but not a slender meal, that day. The snow fortswere as interesting as though the boys were not almost grown up andRobert Gaston had not cast his first presidential vote for PresidentRoosevelt.

  Margery and Laura were non-combatants. They were to mold the bullets,which meant that, one on each side, they were to make snowballs fortheir warriors.

  The forts went up quickly, the object being to make them resistant, butnot too much so. The boys wanted one or the other of them to fall atthe end of the scrimmage. Still, when the walls were up they did poura few pails of water over them to stiffen them, for there was not muchdoubt that it would freeze.

  It was bitterly cold, but the garrison of the two forts, equal innumbers if not in prowess, marched into them--Robert, with his twoamazons, Gretta and Happie; Bob, Ralph and Snigs to oppose them.

  The balls flew hot and heavy. Miss Keren had improvised a flag for thefront of each fort, and the object of the fighters was to down theopposite flag first of all.

  "Where did you learn to throw, Happie?" asked Robert, as Happie senther snowballs true. "I don't wonder so much at Gretta, but you throwwell for a city girl."

  "Bob," replied Happie, too out of breath for details.

  "I hate to hit 'em," murmured Ralph on the other side, sending a balljust past Happie's ear as she put up her head to do her own throwing.

  "You let Happie catch on to your sparing her because she's a girl, andI pity you, Ralph," replied Bob. "She won't stand fooling. If she playswith us, she doesn't want favor. You found that out last summer."

  "Well she's got to take 'em soft then," grumbled Ralph. It may havebeen that his chivalry weakened his strong right arm; for some reasonRalph did not fight with the zest of his adversaries and comrades.It was Gretta who came up and held her place while snowballs whizzedaround her, and sent a big, icy ball that carried off the flag andsnapped the flagstaff on the fort of her foes.

  A cheer and the Harvard yell from Robert was answered by a defianthowl and the "yell of the Ark," which these same young people hadcompiled during the summer:

  "Hark, hark! keep it dark. Keren-happuchs in the Ark. Weather-tight, we're all right. Gretta, Gretta, glad we met her, Zintz, blintz, Bittenbender!"

  "Flag's down! Now for the sortie, girls!" cried Robert, his faceflushed with his enthusiastic efforts to carry the opposing fort.

  It had been agreed that if either flag fell the combatants fromthe other fort were to be allowed to rush out and try to carry theadversaries' fort by assault. Robert tore out of his fort, followedclosely by Happie and Gretta. The foe was ready to receive them. Astorm of snowballs fell on them, but like a well-disciplined legionthe three attacking warriors wavered, but did not halt. Two ofthem--the amazonian wing of the army--bent down and came on somewhatlike jackknives, doubled over, but came on, nevertheless, presentingtheir backs to the foe in a sense that was not cowardice.

  If the defending garrison had had ammunition in supply equal to theirneed they might have held their fort against their foes, at least muchlonger. But Laura was a languid snowball maker at best, and was verytired of her task, so that one of the boys had to reinforce her whilethe other two fought, and with the garrison thus handicapped thevictory was quick and sure for the besiegers.

  Robert had been rolling snowballs as he advanced, and Happie, catchinghis idea, helped him. With her arms full of ammunition, and Robert'sleft arm laden, there was no delay between the shots which fell onthe devoted heads of the defenders of the fort every time one of thempopped up to fight off the assailants.

  "Surrender!" ordered Robert.

  "With honors?" stipulated Bob.

  "Certainly. March out with colors flying, gallant garrison--providedyou can find your colors, which my amazonian general knocked tosmithereens," returned Robert. Bob and Ralph had provided themselvesagainst defeat. Three combs were the main part of their provision,supplemented by tissue paper--the instruments of a military band. Bobpicked up the broken flagstaff with its flag still pendant. Shoulderingit, he placed himself at the head of his men, Ralph, Snigs, Laura,the ammunition maker. These three played "Down Went Maginty," in theslowest possible time, with immense expression--it sounded like a dirge.

  "We shall proceed to raze your fort, under the terms of the surrender,"announced Robert. Strictly speaking there had been no terms stipulatedin the surrender, but before the siege began it had been agreed thatthe defeated fort should be destroyed. "I feel like Marius," Robertadded.

  "Suppose we take a hand," suggested Bob.

  "Take a foot," corrected Ralph, setting the example by kicking a holein the wall he had just been defending. "The sooner it's over thesooner to eat."

  It did not take long to knock down the walls. "Now, this cruel war isover," announced Robert. "What time do we sup to-night?"

  "It's really dreadful!" cried Margery. "If I were Aunt Keren I wouldnever have a house party of young people again in winter."

  The storm did not set in on Sunday until night. A cloudy, gray morningshowed new beauties of a country winter. The air was less cold; it wasstill and significant, as if the atmosphere hung low with its weathersecrets reluctantly concealed. "No matter how they have treated me, I'mgoing to see Eunice and Reba," announced Gretta. "They never wantedto let me live with them, but they did give me what home I had when Iwas small, and they are my cousins. It isn't right not to try to do mypart."

  "They may be civil now that you own the farm and have friends, Gretta.But you'll see there's no use in trying--still, you are right enough totry. I am going to stay with Aunt Keren this morning, no matter whatshe says, or the others do," said Happie positively.

  "The boys are going over to the Shales', partly to see them and partlyto bring back nuts which they are going to take to New York to-morrow,because we are going skating in the morning and there won't be time toget them then," said Gretta. "And Mr. Gaston is going to take Don Dolorand the sleigh, and Margery is to show him Eden Valley."

  Happie sighed. "He thinks she shows him Eden no matter where she is. Isuppose they will take the children? There are two seats," she said.

  "Now, Happie! I don't suppose any such thing!" Gretta laughed aloud."The second seat can be taken out."

  "It wouldn't be proper for Margery to drive unchaperoned in town, but Isuppose it doesn't matter here," said Happie gloomily.

  "There weren't any chaperons in the Garden of Eden, and there won'tbe one in the Valley of Eden," said Gretta, buttoning her coat, andpulling on her gloves. "Miss Bradbury knows, Happie. Now I'm goingdown to Eunice's, and I'd just as lief go to a dentist, with a jumpingnerve."

  Gretta walked away with such stiff resolution that Happie knew shedared not let herself hesitate. When she had gone Happie went in questof Miss Bradbury. She found her alone before the log fire, Laura beingat the piano, the two least girls out in the kitchen with Rosie, theboys gone after their nuts and character study at Jake Shale's, andMargery and Robert departed to find Eden Valley.

  Miss Keren was not inclined to talk. She sat looking into the fire,and Happie imagined a gently pensive mood upon her usually abrupt namedonor.

  That day the noon dinner was to be done away with in favor of amid-afternoon meal, and a tea served in the library shortly beforebedtime.

  Gretta came back with slow step, and clouded face.

  "Never mind, Gretta dear, I knew you could not make anything of thatmaterial," whispered Happie, passing her on the stairs.

  Gretta shook her head. "I thought I knew them but I didn't realize whatthey were when I was seeing them every day," she said.

  Happie went off for a solitary walk, to renew alone and under winterconditions her acquaintance with some of her favorite nooks. The brook,especially, she wanted to see, as one can see a brook only by standingon its bank with the greenness of its summer setting replaced by snowand ice pushed high on either side and its waters flowing black in thecontrast.

  She was gone some time and came back peacefully happy. She stoppedat yesterday'
s fort, and glanced in. There was Robert Gaston gropingabout the floor of the fort. He looked up, and sprang to his feet as herecognized her.

  "Ah, dear little Happie!" he cried, to Happie's amazement. "I had afountain pen yesterday, which has disappeared. I thought I might havedropped it here. But it doesn't matter. Happie, I have seen Bob since Icame in, and he has made me welcome in my new role. I wanted to speakto you myself, for I'm afraid you aren't going to live fully up to yournickname. Will you take me for your brother, and love me a wee bit, asMargery's dearest sister should?"

  "Already? Now?" gasped Happie, looking up at him with horrified eyes.

  "Dear Happie, Margery took me to Eden this morning," said Robert."Before we came up here--the night of our theatre party--I asked yourmother if I might ask Margery to--well, might ask her if some day shewould be my wife. Your mother said yes, and now, this morning, Margeryhas said yes also. I am so happy, little Happie, that there is noway to describe my happiness. I'm afraid it is hard for you to shareMargery with me, but will you try to be generous? And the best way toget at it is to be fond of me, if you can. Oh, Happie, don't, my dear!"

  For Happie, as the full realization of what had taken place, and thather fears were fulfilled so much sooner than she had expected, and asRobert's caressing voice touched her emotionally, sat down on the snowfloor of the fort and burying her face in her hands cried and cried.

  "Is it I--no, I'm sure that you don't dislike me, Happie. We werefriends at our very first meeting. Don't cry like this, Happie. It isdreadful. And don't sit on that cold snow----"

  Robert had endured Happie's tears as long as he could, pacing the fortand looking desperately at her as she cried. To his surprise sheinterrupted him, sobbing out: "There--isn't anything but--cold snowhere to sit on."

  He stared at her an instant, and then he laughed with great relief.

  "Nothing like a sense of nonsense to tide one over hard places,Happiness! Come, get up then. If there is nothing but cold snow to siton, then sit on nothing! Happie, you're much too big-hearted a girl togrudge Margery her happiness, and she's happy to-day, as happy as Iam! And please God I'll make her happy all her life--our pretty, sweetMargery!"

  Happie liked that. She essayed to dry her eyes, and accepted the handwhich Robert held out to raise her. "Oh, I won't be silly--if I canhelp it," she sighed. "I won't be mean and selfish, anyway, whetherI can help it or not. It's only that Margery was waiting to be thedearest sister in the world when I was born, and I worship her, and Ican't breathe without her. But if she has to marry I'm glad it's you;I'll say that. I meant to live with her always. I planned the dearestlittle house! If you're going to take her to Baltimore----"

  Happie paused, her eyes tragic under the new apprehension.

  "I'm not. I am going to enter a New York law office, and you shallnever be separated from Margery," promised Robert. "Your hand, littlesister, and say, 'Robert, I'll forgive you, and by and by I'll likeyou--for Margery's sake.'"

  Happie's lips still quivered, and her voice quivered still more, butshe looked up with a pale smile making a supreme effort to acquitherself as Margery would have wished her to.

  She put both hands into her new, almost-brother's, and said, "Thereisn't anything to forgive, and I like you now for your own sake,Robert."

  "You dear little soul!" said Robert very sincerely. And he drewHappie's hand through his arm to take her to the house.

  "It was appropriate for you to grant amnesty in the fort, Happie," hesaid, as he left her at the library door.