CHAPTER XVII
A VISIT TO EUNICE
"O girls, I have had the most splendiferous time!" cried Bab, boundinginto the hotel sitting room. She wore Ruth's tan colored riding habit anda little brown derby. Her curls were drawn up in a knot at the back ofher head. Her brown eyes were sparkling. She pranced into the room, asthough she were still on horseback.
"Miss Sallie, I never knew what horseback riding could mean until to-day.Dorothy Morton has lent me a perfect dream of a horse. Its name isBeauty. It is black and slim and has a white star on its nose. My, don'tI wish it were mine! Well, Beauty and I took our hurdles to-day, at theAmbassador's farm, as though we had been jumping together all our lives.See, here!" Barbara vaulted lightly over a low stool, and stood in thecenter of the room, brandishing her riding crop.
"Barbara Thurston!" Mollie exclaimed.
"Good gracious!" protested Bab. "I didn't dream we had a visitor. I am sosorry! I have been practising for the hurdle jumping next week," Babended tamely.
A stout man, with iron gray hair and a kindly expression, smiled atBarbara.
"Oh, don't mind my presence," he said. "I have a daughter of my own whois fond of horseback riding."
"Barbara," explained Miss Stuart, "this is Doctor Lewis. He has been goodenough to come over from the hospital to tell us about Eunice."
Barbara noticed that Ruth, Grace and Mollie had been listening to thedoctor with absorbed attention.
"The Indian girl has asked for her friends several times in the last fewdays," the doctor continued, "but she has not been well enough to bepermitted to talk. The nurses tell me the child had been most patient.They are much attracted toward her. Now, I think it may do the littlegirl good to see you. Naki, your guide has explained to me thecircumstances of your finding of the child. It is most remarkable. But Iwonder if you are really interested in the girl, or whether you are beingkind to her, now, only because of her accident?"
"Why do you ask me, doctor?" Miss Stuart inquired quietly.
"Because," the doctor answered honestly, "I am much interested in thechild myself. I would like to know that she has friends. The grandmother,stupid and ignorant though she is, seems devoted to the child. As forEunice herself, she is an enigma. She is not in the least like thegrandmother. The old Indian woman is probably of mixed white and Indianblood, but the child has less Indian blood. Eunice must have had a whitemother or father. I have asked the child about her parents, but she knowsabsolutely nothing about them, and the Indian woman will not tell. Shetold me, very decidedly, that it was not my business to inquire; that Iwas to make Eunice well after which she and her grandchild would go backto their wigwam and live in peace. But that beautiful little girl oughtnot to grow up in entire ignorance. She should be educated, and given anopportunity to develop."
"I agree with you, doctor," Miss Sallie rejoined, "but the case willpresent difficulties. The old grandmother is the child's naturalguardian. She will never be persuaded to give her up."
"Doctor," declared Ruth shyly, "if it were possible I should love toeducate little Eunice. I could send her to school and do whatever is bestfor her. But I am afraid we have no right to do it for her."
"Well, I cannot recommend kidnapping the child, Miss Ruth," the doctorreplied, "but, perhaps, you girls can persuade the old Indian to be lessobstinate. Come and see my little charge when you can. She is quite wellenough to see you. I shall not have to keep her at the hospital a greatwhile longer. Her arm is still bandaged. She will soon be able to walkabout."
"Aunt Sallie," Ruth asked, as soon as the doctor left, "may I have Euniceup at the hotel with us, as soon as she is well enough to leave thehospital?"
Miss Sallie demurred. "I must see the child again first, Ruth, dear. Shecan come here for the day, but not longer. She will be best with Naki andCeally for a time. Now, Ruth, don't be so impetuous. You must not planimpossible schemes. Remember, this Indian child is entirely uneducated.She does not know the first principles of good manners. But I amperfectly willing that you should do what seems best for her."
"When shall we go to see Eunice?" Ruth asked, turning to the other threegirls.
"Oh, let us go this afternoon, please, Ruth," pleaded Mollie.
"But Mr. Latham has asked us to go driving with him," Barbara objected.
"Mr. Latham has only asked Aunt Sallie and one of us, Bab," Ruthrejoined. "Suppose you go with Aunt Sallie. Reginald Latham would ratherhave you along. And, to tell you the truth, Grace and Mollie and I wouldmuch rather go to see Eunice."
Mollie and Grace both nodded.
"But I don't want to be left out of the visit to Eunice, either," Babprotested. "Never mind," she went on, lowering her voice; "if ReginaldLatham has any connection with Eunice, see if I don't find it out thisafternoon."
"Never, Bab!" cried Grace.
"Well, just you wait and see!" ended Mistress Barbara.
"Mollie, you go into the room to see Eunice first," said Ruth as theyreached the hospital. "Grace and I will wait outside the door. You cancall us when you think we may come in. Eunice may be frightened."
But Ruth need not have feared.
As Mollie went into her room, Eunice was sitting up in bed. Her straightblack hair was neatly combed and hung over her shoulders in two heavybraids. The child had on a fresh white night gown. Already she lookedfairer from the short time spent indoors.
Eunice stretched out her slim brown hands to Mollie.
"My little fair one!" she cried rapturously.
"I feared never to see you again. My grandmother told me I must return tothe wigwam as soon as I am well; but I do not want to leave this prettybed. See how white and soft it is."
Mollie kissed Eunice.
The child looked at her curiously. "Why do you do such a strange thing tome?" asked Eunice.
Mollie was amazed. "Don't you know what a kiss is, Eunice? I kissed youbecause I am fond of you."
Eunice laughed gleefully. "Indians do not kiss," she declared. "But Ilike it."
"Shall I ask the other girls to come in?" Mollie inquired. "My twofriends, Ruth and Grace, are waiting in the hall. They wish to see you."
Eunice nodded. "I like to see you while grandmother is away," sheconfided. "Grandmother says it is not wise for me to talk so much. But itis hard to be all the time so silent as the Indians are. Some days I havetalked to the wild things in the woods."
Ruth dropped a bunch of red roses on Eunice's bed.
The child clutched them eagerly. "It is the red color that I love!" shecried in delight.
"Eunice," Ruth asked, "do you remember your father and mother?"
Eunice shook her head. "I remember no one," she replied. "Long ago, therewas an old Indian man. He made canoes for me out of birch bark. He was mygrandmother's man--husband, I think you call him in your language."
The three "Automobile Girls" were disappointed. Eunice could remember noassociations but Indian ones. There was nothing to prove that Eunice wasnot an Indian except the child's appearance.
Mollie decided to make another venture.
"Eunice," she asked, "do you still wear the gold chain around your neck?I saw it the day you were hurt. It is so pretty I should like you to showit to my friends."
The Indian girl looked frightened. "You will not tell my grandmother?"she pleaded. "She would be very angry if she knew I wore it. I found thepretty chain, one day, among some other gold things in an old box in thewigwam." Why! Eunice pointed in sudden excitement to the watch Ruth worefastened on the outside of her blouse--"there was a round shiny thinglike that in the box. The other golden ornaments are at the wigwam. Onlythis chain is Indian. So there seemed no wrong in my wearing it."
Eunice slipped her chain from under her gown. Ruth and Grace examined itclosely.
"Eunice," Grace exclaimed, "there are two English letters engraved on thependant of your chain. They are E. L., I am pretty sure."
"The same letters are on all the gold things," Eunice declared.
"Well, E. stands for
Eunice plainly enough," volunteered Ruth, "but Ican't guess what the L. means."
Mollie said nothing.
"You know, Ruth," protested Grace, "the initials may not be Eunice's. Thechild only found the chain at the wigwam. There is no telling where thejewelry she speaks of came from."
"Oh!" Ruth cried, in a disappointed tone, "I never thought of that!"
"Eunice, we must go now," announced Ruth, "but I want you to promise menot to go back to the wigwam with your grandmother until you have firstseen me. Tell your grandmother I wish to talk with her. I want you tocome to see where I live."
Eunice shook her head. "I should be afraid," she replied simply.
"But you are not afraid with me, Eunice," Mollie said. "If you willpromise to come to see us, when you are better, you shall stay right byme all the time. Will you promise?"
"I promise," agreed the child.
"Naki is to let me hear as soon as you are well enough to leave thehospital," said Ruth.
"O Ruth," whispered Mollie. "Eunice will have no clothes to wear up atthe hotel, even to spend the day. Shall I send her a dress of mine?"
"Eunice," Ruth asked, "do you know what a present is?"
"No," was the reply.
"Well, a present is something that comes in a box, and is soft and warmthis time," Ruth explained. "Eunice must wear the present when she isready to leave the hospital. When you are well enough to come to see us,I am coming to the hospital for you. I am going to take you flying to thehotel where we are staying, on the back of a big red bird."
"You make fun," said the Indian solemnly.
"You just wait until you see my motor car, Eunice!" cried Ruth. "It isthe biggest bird, and it flies as fast as any you have ever seen. So doplease hurry up and get well."
"I will, now. I did not wish to get well before," Eunice replied. "It iscold and lonely up on the hill in the snow time."