The Camp Fire Girls at the End of the Trail

  CHAPTER XIV Facing the Music

  Early the next morning Ralph Marshall walked over to the Sunrise Camp.

  Without any comment or explanation Howard Brent had delivered, at thebreakfast table an hour before, the message entrusted to him.

  Except for a slight headache Ralph had entirely recovered from hisinjury, but he was fearful that Peggy had suffered more than she hadconfessed and, added to the fact that she had sent for him, was his owndesire to know how she was.

  For the time being the unfortunate conversation he had held with TerryBenton had entirely passed out of Ralph's mind. He did think of itoccasionally and he was ashamed of it. If Terry had ever reopened thesubject, Ralph intended cutting him short by saying that the discussionhad been a mistake, and that he had made a fool of himself. But, as Terrydid not speak, Ralph had preferred to let the affair drop, not havingsufficient courage to plunge boldly into the revival of what he wished toforget.

  This morning he was really only interested in finding out that Peggy wasall right, and he was deeply and profoundly grateful to her. It seemedalmost impossible that any girl could have shown so much nerve andstrength. If, in times past, he had liked girls better who were lessathletic, whose muscles were less hard, who were altogether more"feminine" according to his preconceived ideas, Ralph had humor enough torealize that his ideal should have changed since the day before.

  Peggy Webster had rested and was busy with her share of the morning CampFire work when Ralph came into camp. Her greeting of him was entirelycordial and friendly. There was nothing in her manner which mightindicate any difference in her attitude from the evening before. She wasinterested to know that he had slept soundly and that his head was nottroubling him. He had seen the hotel doctor who had advised him to pay nofurther attention to a slight wound which would quickly heal of itself.

  It was also Peggy who proposed that they take a walk together after shehad finished her tasks. Half an hour later they started off in apparentlyperfect accord.

  Peggy had insisted, both to her mother and aunt, as well as to RalphMarshall, that she had almost forgotten any discomfort she may havesuffered the previous evening and was certainly not too tired for a walk.Indeed, she believed that, getting away from camp and so much talk of adisaster that had almost happened, would be good for her.

  Therefore, Ralph Marshall was naturally unprepared for what inevitablyfollowed.

  It was not that Peggy was acting to deceive him or any one else. She hadalmost tragically little ability for playing any part that was notessentially straightforward and truthful. But, after she had gone to bed,in thinking over what Howard Brent had told her, Peggy had become moreconvinced than ever that he had in some way made a mistake. She simplydid not believe that Ralph Marshall could have made a wager in regard towinning her friendship. Whatever weaknesses of character he mightpossess, he had always been well bred.

  Perhaps Peggy had old-fashioned ideas. There was a kind of simplicityabout her which made her seem younger than she actually was. But she hadgotten some of these ideas from her father, who had the old-time courtesyand respect for women, in spite of the fact that he belonged to the newgeneration. Peggy knew that he felt a man should never talk of a womanwith other men in any way that would reflect upon her, however little hemight respect or like the woman.

  Just for a moment it flashed through Peggy's mind to reflect how angryher father would be, if he ever learned that two young men had actuallymade a bet concerning her--and one through which her dignity andself-respect must suffer. Then she put the thought away from her asunworthy of consideration.

  During the first part of their walk, Peggy made no reference to thereason she had had for having asked Ralph to come over to see her so soonafter their farewell the evening before. Indeed, she had almost forgottenthe reason herself, although always the consciousness of it was lurkingat the back of her brain.

  But she and Ralph enjoyed walking together. There never was a lovelierplace than among these tall pine forests with the trails cut between thetrees, and leading into unexpected and open vistas.

  Ralph had a charming voice and, when he and Peggy were walking in singlefile and not talking, he sang for her amusement. He seemed to have beento every light opera that had been produced in the last five years, andknew at least one or two songs from each of them. As Peggy lived in thecountry and had heard but few, she was greatly entertained.

  It was Ralph who finally suggested that they rest.

  But it was Peggy who chose the somewhat extraordinary place.

  There was a particularly large pine tree at the edge of an open space. Ithad long branches which swung out, like comfortable hammocks, not farabove the ground.

  Peggy climbed into one of them and sat with her feet curled up under herin an odd fashion, with her back resting against the trunk of the tree.

  Ralph sat nearer the end so that his weight bore the branch down almostto the ground.

  "Peggy, you look like a tree nymph, or an elf, or whatever wood spirit issupposed to inhabit a tree. I am not well up on tree-ology, or anythingelse," Ralph said good humoredly. "But you are so dark and your eyes andhair and skin are so brown. Besides somehow you have an altogether,outdoor look about you."

  Peggy laughed. "Do you mean that for a compliment, Ralph? Because, ofcourse, I understand that translated your speech simply means I am tanneduntil I look like an Indian, or something else not completely civilised."

  Then Peggy's expression changed and she actually flushed scarlet.

  "There is something I want to ask you, Ralph, though now that I have thechance I had much rather not. You see, I realize that it isn't true, butI owe it to you to be able to tell Howard Brent so. You didn't make a betwith Terry Benton about me, did you? You didn't say you would win myfriendship by being attentive to me, just for the sake of a wager? Myfriendship really isn't valuable enough, and in any case you could havehad it without taking that much trouble."

  Because Ralph did not answer at once, Peggy bent over toward him from herhigher place.

  "I'm sorry, Ralph; naturally you are angry with me; but I didn't believethe story for a minute."

  Ralph returned the girl's look steadily. The expression of his face hadnever been stronger. His old expression of laughing good nature andplastic content with himself and circumstances at least temporarilydisappeared.

  "It is true though, Peggy," he answered, "although I would give a gooddeal to be able to tell you it was not."

  In spite of his reply, Peggy continued to look puzzled.

  "But I can't understand any reason," she protested.

  Ralph shook his head. "Of course you can't, and there isn't any. In anidiotic moment I simply said a very stupid thing to Terry Benton withoutrealizing just how ugly and ill-mannered it was. Ever since I have beentrying my best to forget I ever said it. You are the one person in theworld whom I would rather not have brought into such a discussion, and tofind that out is a part of my punishment. I wonder if you can believe,Peggy, how sorry and ashamed I am, and have been ever since I made afoolish wager which I regretted the moment after I had gotten into it.You are such a clean, straightforward person, Peggy, I don't suppose youcan even imagine how a human being can do an ugly thing and yet not bealtogether horrid."

  Ralph was talking like a boy, forgetting that he was a number of yearsolder than his companion.

  But Peggy's eyes had changed their expression and were no longer puzzled.

  "I might, be willing to accept your point of view, Ralph, if, after youhad made the wager in which I was to be a victim to your vanity, you hadpaid no attention to me. But I can't forget that it was afterwards youbegan being agreeable to me, asking me to take walks and to dance withyou. If you did not care about winning your wager, why did you notcontinue to politely ignore me, as you had always done? Well you weresuccessful enough, because I did like you very much until now."

  Peggy's cheeks were scarlet and yet she could be nothi
ng but truthful.

  "I have a dreadful temper and I am so angry with you now, I feel as if Inever wish to see or speak to you again. Please let me go back to campalone."

  Ralph shook his head.

  "No, I won't do that," he answered quietly, "but I will not trouble youalong the way--not even by asking your forgiveness. Some day, perhaps, Imay be able to prove to you how truly sorry I am. Now I can't evenpretend that I have any more right to your friendship."