Friends That Were
Toward noon the next day the half dozen other guests arrived, leaving only Ralph Merritt to follow later. He was not expected until Christmas eve, so affording Peggy Webster a few days with her family and friends.
Immediately upon her arrival the Camp Fire girls formed a circle about her and as soon as possible bore her off to a room in one of the smaller cabins devoted exclusively to their use.
This room was known as “The Study”. Formerly it had been the living-room in the smaller house, but at present was lined with books and filled with Camp Fire trophies, baskets, embroidery, sofa cushions, odd pieces of weaving, and the Camp Fire photographs depicting their various experiences, which the girls always carried with them.
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After the midday dinner the older guests continued to sit about the big fire in the living-room. David Hale, Dan Webster and Philip Stead were invited to entertain themselves for a short time without their hostesses.
It was a little past two o’clock when Sally Ashton, who had been sitting curled up on a corner of a sofa, not talking so much as her companions, suddenly remarked:
“Don’t you think we might spare Peggy any more questions for this one afternoon? Whether she will confess to it or not, she is looking tired. Besides, I feel that we should pay more attention to our other visitors. I do not mean mother and father, I am thinking of——”
Greeted by an outburst of laughter, Sally appeared mystified.
“No, Sally dear, think not that we expect you to be interested in the entertainment of mere parents! The other visitors you refer to are masculine. Well, as they usually are attentive to you, after all there is no reason why you should not return the compliment.”
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“Neither is there any reason why you should be so tiresome, Alice. I was only going to propose that we go for a walk before tea-time. The afternoon is clear and there always is the possibility of a snow storm by to-morrow. Perhaps in spite of Alice’s sarcasm, father and Captain Burton may be induced to join us; the others won’t, I know.”
Peggy Webster, who had been sitting on a pile of Camp Fire sofa cushions, got up immediately.
“Sally, you always were the most sensible one of us and I should enjoy a walk. There were so many hours of sitting still on the train. Besides, I agree with you that we should no longer neglect Dan or Philip Stead or Mr. Hale. Ralph is not here, but I intend to help defend his sex.”
Peggy Webster, who was about nineteen years old, was dark and vivid with a brilliant color, full crimson lips, black hair and eyes which of late had grown gentler in their expression. Perhaps the most popular of the younger group of Sunrise Camp Fire girls, Peggy always had been singularly sincere and courageous, besides possessing the vitality which in itself is so magnetic.
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To-day, studying Peggy Webster closely, Mary Gilchrist felt a mingled sensation of admiration and envy. There were certain traits of character which she and Peggy held in common, and in a way Gill cherished the hope that she might fill Peggy’s place in their Camp Fire now that Peggy was so soon to marry and leave them. Yet there was also a fundamental difference between them that Gill knew ever must stand in her way, unless she were able to conquer it.
“I see no reason for wasting time in teasing Sally. I consider that she has made an extremely agreeable suggestion,” Gill protested.
Half an hour later, Peggy Webster, Bettina Graham, Mary Gilchrist, Marguerite Arnot, Sally and Alice Ashton and the small English girl, Chitty, who rarely left Bettina Graham’s side when it was possible to be with her, set out, leaving Vera Lagerloff to entertain Juliet Temple, the girl who had come to the cabin so unexpectedly, but concerning whose history and character they had no knowledge.
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To Mary Gilchrist’s annoyance Allan Drain had joined their three young men guests, but she need not have troubled. He attached himself to Bettina and Chitty after a polite greeting to her, as soon as they set out on their expedition.
In a walk composed of a large group of people, the arrangement in the beginning is apt to be haphazard, controlled more by chance than choice.
Personally Bettina was glad that Allan Drain seemed interested to walk beside her, since this left David Hale free to be with Marguerite Arnot. Otherwise his sense of duty might have impelled him to be attentive to her. He had come to the cabin at her mother’s invitation. Bettina was convinced that he would find more pleasure in Marguerite’s company and that they would be glad to talk over the past year in France.
The walk was not to be of great length, Mary Gilchrist having proposed that they go to a low, cleared hill about a mile away on the far side of Half Moon Lake for their first toboggan ride.
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One of Miss Patricia’s gifts, sent down from Canada, had been a toboggan capable of carrying eight persons. But to the Camp Fire girls’ chagrin Mrs. Burton had been unwilling to have them make use of it until they had a masculine escort. Absurd as her point of view appeared to several of the more independent members of her group of Camp Fire girls, no one had appealed from her decision.
This afternoon, moving swiftly ahead on snow shoes, Mary Gilchrist and Dan Webster dragged the great sleigh, leaving the others to follow as swiftly as possible. No one of the others had acquired Gill’s skill in the management of snow shoes save Dan Webster who had been brought up on a New Hampshire farm and was a trained athlete.
“Gill and Dan look very handsome together, don’t they?” Alice Ashton remarked. Tall and intellectual and not especially good looking, Alice Ashton was far from possessing her younger sister Sally’s popularity with men of all ages. But at present she and Sally were walking with their distant cousin, Philip Stead, between them and, as Sally was not making the faintest effort to entertain him, Alice felt compelled to assume the responsibility.
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What was the difficulty with Sally? The suggestion that they go for a walk had been her own, and yet at present she looked as uncomfortable an............