Page 5 of The Carter Girls


  CHAPTER V.

  LEWIS SOMERVILLE.

  "Lewis! What on earth can be the matter with him?" chorused the girls.

  "Matter enough! He has been shipped!"

  "Shipped? Oh, Cousin Lizzie, you can't mean it!" exclaimed Douglas,drying her eyes as she began to realize that she was not the onlymiserable person in the world whose ambitions had gone awry.

  "I am sure if he has been fired, it is from no fault of his own,"declared Nan, who was a loyal soul and always insisted that her friendsand relatives were in the right until absolute proof to the contrary wasestablished.

  "Well, whether it was his fault or not, I am not prepared to say. 'Wherethere is so much smoke there must be some fire.'"

  The girls had to smile at this, as there was never a time when CousinLizzie did not have a proverb ready to suit the occasion.

  "Yes, but the fire might not have been of his kindling," insisted Nan.

  "Please tell us what the trouble is, Cousin Lizzie, if you don't mindtalking about it," begged Douglas. "Has Lewis really left West Point forgood? I can't believe it."

  "The trouble is: 'Evil communications corrupt good manners.' If Lewishad not been with the companions that he has chosen, he would not havegotten into this trouble. Surely Solomon was wise indeed when he said:'Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son, but he that is a companion ofriotous men shameth his father.' I am glad my poor brother is dead andnot here to witness his son's disgrace."

  "Cousin Lizzie, I do not believe that Lewis has done anythingdisgraceful," insisted Nan, speaking almost quickly for once.

  "Well, it is a disgrace in my mind for the son and grandson ofConfederate soldiers to be dismissed from a Yankee institution, whetherhe was in fault or not. 'As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so isa man that wandereth from his place.' A Somerville's place is in theSouth and it was always against my wishes that Lewis went to WestPoint."

  "Please tell us what the trouble is, what Lewis did or didn't do at WestPoint," said Helen in the determined voice that usually made CousinLizzie stop her proverbs long enough to give the information required.

  "'Hazing a plebe,' is what he said. What a plebe is or what hazing is Ido not know, but whatever it is, Lewis says he was not mixed up in it,but he, with eight other second classmen, were let out. The words arehis, not mine. All I know is that he was discharged and is at my housenow in a state of dejection bordering on insanity."

  "Poor boy! We are so sorry for him. What is he going to do now?" askedDouglas.

  Here was another disappointment for Douglas. Her cousin, LewisSomerville, was one of the dearest friends she had in the world. He wastwo years her senior and had made it his business since they were tinytots to protect her and look after her on all occasions. They had had aplan for the following year that now, of course, had fallen through. Shewas to have come to West Point from Bryn Mawr to the finals. He wouldthen have been a third classman and able to make her have a rip-roaringtime, as he had expressed it.

  Lewis in a state of dejection bordering on insanity! That wasunbelievable. If there ever was a gayer, happier person than Lewis, shehad never seen him.

  "Do? Goodness knows!"

  "Well, all I can say," put in Nan, "is that Uncle Sam is a fool not toknow that Lewis is a born soldier, and if he wants to prepare himself todefend his country, he should be allowed to do so. Oh, I don't care whathe has done--I just know he hasn't done it!"

  "I'm going to 'phone him this minute and tell him to come around here!"and Helen jumped up from her seat, thereby waking Lucy, who had droppedasleep on her shoulder, worn out with the stress of emotion.

  "If you are, so am I--whatever it is," declared Lucy, rubbing her eyes,as determined as ever to keep up with Helen or die in the attempt.

  "Hello! is this you, Lewis?" as the connection was quickly made.

  "Well," in a tired, dreary voice. "What is it?"

  "This is me, Lewis, Helen Carter! We are all sitting up here dressed inour best waiting for you to come to see us. Douglas says if you don'thurry she, for one, is going to bed."

  "What's that?" in a little brisker tone.

  "Say, Lewis, we are in an awful lot of trouble. You know Father is illand has had to go away and we don't know what is to become of us. Weneed your advice terribly----"

  "Be 'round in a jiffy," and so he was.

  "That was very tactful of you, Helen," said Cousin Lizzie lugubriously."You know 'Misery loves company.'" But a peal from the front door bellinterrupted further quotations and Lewis Somerville came tearing intothe house in answer to Helen's S. O. S.

  He did look as dejected as one of his make-up could. It is hard to bedejected very long when one is just twenty, in perfect health, withnaturally high spirits and the strength to remove mountains tingling inthe veins. A jury of women could not have shipped the young would-besoldier, and it must have taken very hard-hearted men, very determinedon maintaining discipline, deliberately to have cut this young fellow'scareer in two. Our army must be full of very fine young men if they canso lightly give up such a specimen as this Lewis Somerville. Imagine ayoung giant of noble proportions, as erect as an ash sapling that hashad all the needed room in which to grow, a head like Antinous and frankblue eyes that could no more have harbored a lie than that well-cut,honest mouth could have spoken one.

  "I didn't do it and just to let me know that you don't believe I did,you have got to kiss me all around."

  "Nonsense, Lewis! Helen and I are too old to kiss you even if you are acousin," and Douglas got behind Cousin Lizzie.

  "Quite right, Douglas, 'The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge.'Lewis is not such very close kin, besides."

  "Why, Aunt Lizzie, I did not expect you to desert me."

  "'It is not good to eat much honey, so for men to search their own gloryis not glory.'"

  "Well, Nan and Lucy will kiss me, anyhow. They believe I did not do it."

  "We are sure you are telling the truth," said Douglas gravely. "We donot know yet what they say you did."

  "They say I helped a lot of fellows tie a plebe to a tree and drop icedown his back, making out it was red hot pennies, until the fellowfainted from his fancied injuries. I never did it, but if I had, itwouldn't have been a patching on the things the second classmen did tome last year when I was a plebe, and wild horses would not have draggeda complaint from me. It was done by some men who are my chums, but Ideclare I was not with the crowd."

  "We know it! we know it!" from all the girls.

  "But I don't want to talk about myself--I am so anxious to hear what isthe matter with Cousin Robert. Let's let up on me and talk about yourtrouble, and if I can help, please command me."

  "Father is very ill," said Douglas soberly. "He has been working toohard for a long time and now his nerves have just given way and he hashad to stop and go on a trip. Dr. Wright assures us that he has stoppedin time and a sea trip and a year's rest will completely restore him. Ithas come on us so suddenly that we have not had time to catch our breatheven."

  "And who is this Dr. Wright?" asked Cousin Lizzie. "I thought Dr. Daviswas your family physician. Some Yankee, I'll be bound, with all kinds ofnew notions."

  "He is from Washington recently, but I believe he came originally fromNew York State."

  "Do you mean that you let a perfect stranger pick up your parents andsend them off on a journey without consulting a soul?"

  "But it was important to avoid all confusion and discussion. Dr. Wrighthas been lovely about it all. He even got a notary public so I could begiven power of attorney to attend to any business that might come up. Itso happened, though, that my being under age was a drawback and Fathergave him power of attorney instead."

  "Douglas Carter! Do you mean to say that a strange young Yankee doctorthat has only been living in Richmond a little while has the full powerto sell your father out and do anything he chooses with his estate?Preposterous!"

  "But there isn't any estate," objected Douglas, and Helen could not helpa little gleam of satisfac
tion creeping into her eyes. She was not theonly person who felt that Dr. Wright had been, to say the least,presumptuous.

  "No estate! Why I thought Robert Carter was very well off. What has hedone with his money, please?"

  "We have just lived on it. We didn't know," sadly from Douglas.

  "I never heard of such extravagance. 'A fool and his money are soonparted.'"

  "We have got just exactly eighty-three dollars and fifty-nine cents inthe bank. Father owns this house and a side of a mountain in Albemarle,and that is all."

  "Mercy, child! I can't believe it."

  "We have got to live somehow, and I believe we all feel that it would bevery bad for Father to come back and find debts to be paid off. He hassuch a horror of debt that he has always paid the bills each month. Whatdo you think we could do--something to make money, I mean? Father was insuch a nervous state we could not consult him, and Mother, poor littleMother, of course she does not understand business at all."

  "Humph! I should say not! And what do you chits of girls know about it,either? Are you meaning to stay alone, all un-chaperoned, until thisYankee doctor thinks it is time to let your parents return? Just as likeas not there is nothing the matter with your father but a touch ofmalaria."

  "We had not thought of a chaperone, as we have been so miserable aboutFather we could not think of ourselves. If we are going to make aliving, we won't need chaperones, anyhow."

  "Make a living, indeed! You are to stay right here in your home and Iwill come stay with you, and you can curtail your expenses somewhat bydismissing one servant and giving up your car. Robert Carter is not thekind of man who would want his eighteen-year-old daughter and otherseven younger to go out into the world to make a living. He would ratherdie than have such a thing happen."

  "But we are not going to have him die," broke in Helen. "I thought justas you do, Cousin Lizzie, until I saw him this afternoon and realizedhow worried he has been. We are going to do something and there are tobe no debts awaiting him, either. What do you think of boarders? Do youthink we could get any?"

  "Who on earth would board with us, here in Richmond? Everybody knowswhat a trifling lot we are. If we have boarders, it will have to be onthe side of the mountain in Albemarle," said Nan, and as usual every onestopped to hear what she had to say. "Besides, a boarding house insummer shuts up shop in cities. Country board is the thing. Let's rentour house furnished for a year and go to the mountains."

  "But there are nothing but trees and rocks on the side of the mountainin Albemarle," objected Douglas; "not a piece of a house except a logcabin near the top built by the sick Englishman who used to live there."

  "No room for boarders in that, I know, as Father pointed it out to meonce from the train when we were on our way to Wytheville. It had oneroom and maybe two. It must command a wonderful view. You could see itfor miles and miles and when you get up there, there is no telling whatyou can see. It would make a great camp--Girls! Girls! Cousin Lizzie!Lewis! All of you! I've got a scheme! It just came to me!" and Helenjumped up and ran around and hugged everybody, even the cousin she andDouglas had grown too big to kiss.

  "Well, cough it up! We are just as anxious as can be to share your idea,or is it so big it got stuck on the way," laughed Lewis, accepting thecaress as it was meant.

  "Let's have a boarding camp, with Cousin Lizzie to chaperone us! I knowjust lots of girls who would simply die to go, and Albemarle is closeenough for week-enders to pour in on us."

  "Hurrah! Hurrah! And I bid to be man-of-all work! I know rafts offellows who would want to come."

  "Yes, and let's call it Week End Camp," said Nan. "Week to be spelledW-E-A-K. What do you think of the plan, Cousin Lizzie? If you are to bechaperone, it seems to me you should be consulted the first thing."

  "Don't ask me, child. Things are moving too rapidly for me. We must go alittle more slowly," and truly the old lady did look dazed indeed."'More haste, less speed,' is a very good adage."

  "Well, Cousin Lizzie, it does sound crazy in a way, but do you know, Ibelieve we could really do it and do it very well," said Douglas. "Iconsider Helen a genius to have thought of such a thing. I don't thinkthe outlay need be very great, and surely the living would be cheap whenonce we get there."

  "But, my dear, at my age I could not begin to eat out of doors. I havenot done such a thing since I can remember but once, and then I wentwith the United Daughters of the Confederacy on a picnic. The undertakerwent ahead with chairs and tables so everything was done in decency andorder."

  Nan's "Funeral baked meats!" made them all laugh, even Cousin Lizzie.

  "I am going to have a short khaki suit with leggins coming way up,"declared Helen, who could not contemplate anything without seeingherself dressed to suit the occasion.

  "Me, too," sleepily from Lucy, who was trying to keep awake long enoughto find out what it all meant.

  "Aunt Lizzie, I wish you would consent. It all depends on you. You couldeat in the cabin and sleep in the cabin and not camp out at all. I couldgo up right away and build the camp. I'd just love to have something todo. Bill Tinsley, from Charlottesville, got shipped with me and I'mpretty sure he'd join me. You'd like Bill, he's so quaint. We are bothof us great carpenters and could make a peach of a job of it. Do,please, Aunt Lizzie!"

  Could this be the young man who, only ten minutes ago, she had describedas being in a state of dejection bordering on insanity? Thisenthusiastic boy with his eyes dancing in joyful anticipation of manuallabor to be plunged into? If she consented to go to the mountains,thereby no doubt making herself very uncomfortable, she might save herbeloved nephew from doing the thing that she was dreading more than allothers, dreading it so much that she had been afraid to give voice toit: going to France to fight with the Allies.

  "Well, Lewis, if this plan means that you will find occupation andhappiness, I will consent. I can't bear to think of your being idle.'Satan finds some mischief still for idle hands to do.'"

  "Oh, Cousin Lizzie, I think you are just splendid!" exclaimed Helen.

  And, indeed, Miss Elizabeth Somerville was splendid in her way. She wasoffering herself on the altar of aunthood. It was a real sacrifice forher to consent to this wild plan of going to the mountains. She hatedsnakes, and while she did not confess that she hated Nature, shecertainly had no love for her. Her summer outings had meant, heretofore,comfortable hotels at the springs or seashore, where bridge was the ruleand Nature the exception. The promise of being allowed to sleep in thecabin and even eat in it was not any great inducement. A log cabin,built and lived in and finally, no doubt, died in, by a sick Englishmanwas not very pleasant to contemplate. Miss Lizzie was very old-fashionedin all her ideas with the exception of germs, and she was veryup-to-date as to them. No modern scientist knew more about them orbelieved in them more implicitly. Oh, well! She could take along plentyof C. N. and sulphur candles and crude carbolic. That would kill thegerms. She would find out the latest cure for snake bite, and with apack of cards for solitaire perhaps she could drag out an existenceuntil Robert Carter and Annette got home from this mad trip. All shehoped was that nobody would wake her up to see the sun rise and that shewould not be called on to admire the moon every time there was a moon.

  "I hope we can get the daily paper," she moaned feebly. "I hate to gotoo far from the daily paper."

  "We'll get it if I have to build a flying machine and fly to Richmondfor it," declared Lewis.

  "The place is not half a mile from the post office," said Helen. "Atleast, that is the way it looks from the train. When can we get started?I don't think it is worth while to go back to school any more. We canall of us just stop."

  "Oh, Helen, of course we can't! Douglas is going to graduate, and Lucyand I have our exams next week. What would Father say at our giving upright now? You can quiturate all you've a mind to, but I intend to go onand graduate and go to college like Douglas," said Nan.

  "I am afraid I'll have to give up college, but I am going to take myBryn Mawr examinations just the same b
ecause I want Father to know I canstand them." Douglas hoped sincerely that the tear she felt gatheringwould evaporate before it dropped.

  "Give up college! Why, Douglas Carter, I don't see what you mean. Youhave been full of it all winter," exclaimed Helen.

  "But Helen, you know perfectly well there is no more money."

  "Oh, I keep on forgetting!"

  "There is one thing that I have forgotten, too, and I feel awfully badabout it after all his kindness," said Douglas. "That is, we must makeno decided plans until we consult Dr. Wright."

  "Consult Dr. Wright, indeed! I'd like to know what's it to him," saidHelen wrathfully. "Can't we even go on a summer trip without asking hispermission?"

  "Well, I think inasmuch as he has power of attorney and we can't doanything without money that we shall have to consult him. He'll be hometo-morrow night and we can ask him immediately. I am pretty sure he willthink it a good thing, though."

  "Maybe, but for goodness' sake, don't tell him it was my ideaoriginally, as he hates me as much as I hate him, and if _he_ hadthought of it, I just know I'd never have consented or thought it a goodplan."

  "Well, I know one thing," said Miss Somerville, "I am dead tired andthis child here is asleep. We had better go to bed and get all the restwe can if we are going to camp out for the summer."

  How different the night was from what the Carters had looked forward to!Sleepless misery was what they had been sure would be their lot, andinstead, they went to their beds with their heads full of their week-endboarding camp. Father was to get well on his voyage and come back tojoin them in Albemarle. Instead of finding debts piled on debts, theircamp was to pay and he was to find his girls actually making a living.

  "Cotton stockings will be the appropriate things to wear at camp," wasthe last thought Helen had. "I don't see how I could spend the summer intown after the oath I have taken. I couldn't show my face, or rather myfeet, on the street."