CHAPTER II GOING HOME
"Did you ever see anything so dandy?" asked Tavia. "I think we girlsshould subscribe to the telegraph company. There is nothing like a quickcall to get us out of a scrape."
"Don't boast, we are not away yet," returned Dorothy.
"But I would like to see anything stop me now," argued Tavia. "There'sthe trunk and there's the grip. Now a railroad ticket to Dalton--dear oldDalton! Doro, I wish you were coming to see the snow on Lenty Lane. Itmakes the place look grand."
"Lenty Lane was always pretty," corrected Dorothy. "I have very pleasantremembrances of the place."
The girls were at the railroad station, waiting for the train that was totake them away from school for the holidays. There were laughter andmerry shouts, promises to write, to send cards, and to do no end of"remembering."
And, while this is going on, and while the girls are so occupied in thisthat they are not likely to do anything else, I will take just a fewmoments to tell my new readers something about the characters in thisstory.
The first book of this series was called "Dorothy Dale; A Girl ofTo-Day," and in that, Dorothy, of course, made her bow. She was thedaughter of Major Dale, of Dalton, and, though without a mother, she hadtwo loving brothers, Joe and Roger. Besides these she had a very dearfriend in Tavia Travers, and Tavia, when she was not doing or saying onething, was doing or saying another--in brief, Tavia was a character.
In the tale is told how Dorothy learned of the unlawful detention of apoor little girl, and how she and Tavia took Nellie away from a life ofmisery.
"Dorothy Dale at Glenwood School," my second volume, told how our heroinemade her appearance at boarding school, where she spent so many happydays, and where she still is when the present story opens. And as forTavia, she went, too, thanks to the good offices of some of her chum'sfriends.
Glenwood School was a peculiar place in many ways, and for a time Dorothywas not happy there, owing to the many cliques and mutual jealousies. Butthe good sense of Dorothy, and some of the madcap pranks of Tavia, workedout to a good end.
There is really a mystery in my third volume--that entitled "DorothyDale's Great Secret." It was almost more than Dorothy could bear, atfirst, especially as it concerned her friend Tavia. For Tavia acted veryrashly, to say the least. But Dorothy did not desert her, and how shesaved Tavia from herself is fully related.
When Dorothy got on the trail of the gypsies, in the fourth book of theseries, called "Dorothy Dale and Her Chums," she little dreamed where thematter would end. Startling, and almost weird, were her experiences whenshe met the strange "Queen," who seemed so sad, and yet who held suchpower over her wandering people. Here again Dorothy's good sense came toher aid, and she was able to find a way out of her trouble.
One naturally imagined holidays are times of gladness and joy, but in"Dorothy Dale's Queer Holidays," which is the fifth book of this line,her vacation was "queer" indeed. How she and her friends, the boys aswell as the girls, solved the mystery of the old "castle", and how theysaved an unfortunate man from danger and despair, is fully set forth.And, as a matter of fact, before the adventure in the "castle" came to anend, Dorothy and her friends themselves were very glad to be rescued.
Mistaken identity is the main theme of the sixth volume, called "DorothyDale's Camping Days." To be taken for a demented girl, forced to go to asanitarium, to escape, and to find the same girl for whom she wasmistaken, was part of what Dorothy endured.
And yet, with all her troubles, which were not small, Dorothy did notregret them at the end, for they were the means of bringing good to manypeople. The joyous conclusion, when the girl recovered her reason, morethan made up for all Dorothy suffered.
Certainly, after all she had gone through, our heroine might be expectedto be entitled to some rest. But events crowded thick and fast onDorothy. On her return to Glenwood, after a vacation, she found twofactions in the school.
Just who was on each side, and the part Dorothy played, may be learned byreading the seventh book of this series, called "Dorothy Dale's SchoolRivals." There was rivalry, none the less bitter because "sweet girlgraduates" were the personages involved. But, in the end, all came outwell, though at one time it looked as though there would be seriousdifficulties.
Of course many more characters than Dorothy and Tavia played their partsin the stories. There were Ned and Nat, the sons of Mrs. White, Dorothy'saunt, with whom, after some years spent in Dalton, Dorothy and her fatherand brothers went to live, in North Birchlands. Tavia was a frequentvisitor there, and Tavia and the good-looking boy cousins--well, perhapsyou had better find out that part for yourself.
Dorothy was always making friends, and, once she had made them she neverlost them. Not that Tavia did not do the same, but she was a girl so fondof doing the unexpected, so ready to cause a laugh, even if at herself,that many persons did not quite know how to take her.
With Dorothy it was different. Her sweet winsomeness was a charm neverabsent. Yet she could strike fire, too, when the occasion called for it.
And so now, in beginning this new book, we find our friends ready toleave the "Glen", as they called it; leave the school and the teachersunder whose charge they had been for some time.
Leaving Glenwood was, as Dorothy said, very different from going there.One week before Christmas the place was placed in the hands of thehouse-cleaners, and the pupils were scattered about over the earth.
Dorothy and Tavia were together in the chair car of the train; andDorothy, having gathered up her mail without opening it as she left thehall, now used her nail file to cut the envelopes, and then proceeded tosee what was the news.
"Oh, Tavia!" she exclaimed, as she looked at the lavender paper thatindicated a note from her Aunt Winnie, otherwise Mrs. White. "Listen tothis. Aunt Winnie has taken a city house. Of course it will be anapartment----" she looked keenly at the missive, "and it will be onRiverside Drive."
"Oh, the double-deckers!" exclaimed Tavia. "I can feel the air smart mycheeks," and she shifted about expectantly. "Let's take the auto bus--Ialways did love that word bus. It seems to mean a London night in a fog."
"Well, I am sure it will mean good times, and I assure you, Tavia, AuntWinnie has not forgotten you. You are to come."
"There is only one Aunt Winnie in the world," declared Tavia, "and she isthe Aunty Winnie of Dorothy Dale." Tavia was never demonstrative, butjust now she squeezed Dorothy's hand almost white. "How can I manage toget through with Dalton? I have to give home at least three snowstorms."
"We are getting them right now," said Dorothy. "I am afraid we will besnowbound when we reach the next stop."
Wheeling about in her chair, Tavia flattened her face against the windowas the train smoke tried to hide the snowflakes from her gaze. Dorothywas still occupied with her mail.
"It does come down," admitted Tavia, "but that will mean a ride for me inold Daddy Brennen's sleigh. He calls it a sleigh, but you remember, Doro,it is nothing more than the fence rails he took from Brady's, buckled onthe runners he got from Tim, the ragman. And you cannot have forgottenthe rubber boot he once used for a spring."
"It was a funny rig, sure enough," answered Dorothy, "but Daddy Brennenhas a famous reputation for economy."
"I hope he does not take it into his head to economize on my spinal cordby going over Evergreen Hill," replied Tavia. "I tried that once in hisrattletrap, and we had to walk over to Jordan, and from there I rode homeon a pair of milk cans. But Doro," she continued, "I cannot get over thesudden taking away of Mingle Dingle. Surely the gods sent that telegramto save me."
"I hope nothing serious has happened at her home," Dorothy mused. "Inever heard anything about her family."
"You don't suppose a little mouse of a thing, like that born musicteacher, has any family," replied Tavia irreverently. "I shall ever afterthis have a respect for the proverbial feather bed."
"Here is Stony Junction," Dorothy remarked, as the trainman
let in a gustof wind from the vestibuled door to shout out the name of that station."Madeline Maher gets off here. There, she is waving to us! We should havespoken to her."
"Never too late," declared Tavia, and she actually shouted a good-bye anda merry Christmas almost the full length of the car. Dorothy waved herhand and "blew" a kiss, to which the pretty girl who, with the porterclose at her heels, was leaving the train for her home, responded. Chairsswung around simultaneously to allow their occupants a glimpse of thegirl who had startled them with her shout. Some of the passengerssmiled--especially did one young man, whose bag showed the wear usuallygiven in college sports. He dropped his paper, and, not too rudely,smiled straight at Tavia.
"There!" exclaimed she. "See what a good turn does. Just for wishingMaddie a hilarious time I got that smile."
"Don't," cautioned Dorothy, to whom Tavia's recklessness was ever asource of anxiety. "We have many miles to go yet."
"'So much the better,' as the old Wolfie, in Little Red Riding Hood,said," Tavia retorted. "I think I shall require a drink of waterdirectly," and she straightened up as if to make her way to the end ofthe car, in order to pass the chair of the young man with thescratched-up suitcase.
Dorothy sighed, but at the same time she smiled. Tavia could not berepressed, and Dorothy had given up hope of keeping her subdued.
"Come to think of it," reflected Tavia, "I never had any permanent luckwith the drinking water trick. He looks so nice--I might try being sweetand refined," and she turned away, making the most absurd effort to lookthe part.
"Getting sense," commented Dorothy. "We may now expect a snowslide."
"And have my hero dig me out," added the irrepressible one. "Wouldn'tthat be delicious! There! Look at that! It is coming down in snowballs!"
"My!" exclaimed Dorothy, "it is awful! I hope the boys do not fail tomeet me."
"Oh, if they didn't, you would be all right," said Tavia. "They servecoffee and rolls at North Birchland Station on stormy nights."
"I declare!" exclaimed Dorothy, "that young man is a friend of Ned's! Imet him last Summer, now I remember."
"I knew I would have good luck when I played the sweet-girl part," saidTavia, with unhidden delight. "Go right over and claim him."
"Nonsense," replied Dorothy, while a slight blush crept up her foreheadinto her hair. "We must be more careful than ever. Boys may pretend tolike girls who want a good time, but my cousins would never tolerateanything like forwardness."
"Only where they are the forwarders," persisted Tavia. "Did not theselfsame Nat, brother to the aforesaid Ned----"
As if the young man in front had at the same time remembered Dorothy, heleft his seat and crossed the aisle to where the girls sat. His head wasuncovered, of course, but his very polite manner and bow amply made upfor the usual hat raising.
"Is not this Miss Dale?" he began, simply.
"Yes," answered Dorothy, "and this Mr. Niles?"
"Same chap," he admitted, while Tavia was wondering why he had not lookedat her. "Perhaps," she thought, "he will prove too nice."
"I was just saying to my friend," faltered Dorothy, "that I hope nothingwill prevent Ned and Nat from meeting me. This is quite a storm."
"But it makes Christmas pretty," he replied, and now he did deign to lookat Tavia. Dorothy, quick to realize his friendliness, immediatelyintroduced the two.
It was Tavia's turn to blush--a failing she very rarely gave in to.Perhaps some generous impulse prompted the gentleman who occupied thechair ahead to leave it and make his way toward the smoking room. Thisgave Mr. Niles a chance to sit near the girls.
"We expect a big time at Birchland this holiday," he said. "Your cousinsmentioned you would be with us."
"Yes, they cannot get rid of me," Dorothy replied, in that peculiar waygirls have of saying meaningless things. "I am always anxious to get tothe Cedars--to see father and our boys, and Aunt Winnie, of course. Ionly wish Tavia were coming along," and she made a desperate attempt toget Tavia into the conversation.
"Home is one of the Christmas tyrannies," the young man said. "If it werenot Christmas some of us might forget all about home."
Still Tavia said not a single word. She now felt hurt. He need not haveimagined she cared for his preaching, she thought. And besides, his tieneeded pressing, and his vest lacked the top button. Perhaps he had goodreasons for wanting to get home to his "Ma," she was secretly arguing.
"You live in Wildwind--not far from the Cedars; do you not?" Dorothyasked.
"I did live there until last Fall," he replied. "But mother lost herhealth, and has gone out in the country, away from the lake. We arestopping near Dalton."
Tavia fairly gasped at the word "Dalton."
"Then why don't you go home for Christmas?" she blurted out.
"I am going to mother's place to get her first," he said. "Then, if shefeels well enough, we will come back to the Birchlands."
"My friend lives at Dalton," Dorothy exclaimed, casting a look ofadmiration at the flushing Tavia.
"Indeed?" he replied. "That's my station. I ride back from there. I amglad to have met someone who knows the place. I was fearful of beingsnowbound or station-bound, as I scarcely know the locality."
"I expect to ride in Daddy Brennen's sleigh," said Tavia, with an effort."He is the only one to know on a snowy night at Dalton."
"Then perhaps you will take pity on a stranger, and introduce him toDaddy and his sleigh," the youth replied. "Even a bad snowstorm may haveits compensations."
Tavia hated herself for thinking he really was nice. She was notaccustomed to being ignored, and did not intend to forget that he hadslighted her.
"I almost envy you both," said Dorothy, good humoredly. "Just see itsnow! I can see you under Daddy's horse blanket."
"It's surely a horse blanket," replied Tavia. "We cannot count on hishaving a steamer rug."
"I suppose," said Mr. Niles, "the sleigh answers all stage-coach purposesout that way?"
"As well as freight and express," returned Dorothy. "Dear old Dalton! Ihave had some good times out there!"
"Why don't you come out now, Doro?" asked Tavia, mischievously. "Theremay be some good times left."
The gentleman who had vacated the seat taken by Mr. Niles was now comingback. This, of course, was the signal for the latter to leave.
"We are almost at the Birchlands!" he said, "I hope, Miss Dale, thatthose boy cousins of yours do not get buried in the snow, and leave youin distress. I remember that auto of theirs had a faculty for doing wildthings."
"Oh, yes. We had more than one adventure with the _Fire Bird_. But I donot anticipate any trouble to-night," said Dorothy. "I heard from AuntWinnie this morning."
With a word about seeing them before the end of their journey, he tookhis chair, while Tavia sat perfectly still and silent, for, it seemed toDorothy, the first time in her life.
"What is it?" she asked. "Don't you feel well, Tavia?"
"I feel like bolting. I have a mind to get off at Bridgeton. Fancy meriding with that angel!"
"I'm sure he is very nice," Dorothy said, in a tone of reproof. "I shouldthink you would be glad to have such pleasant company."
"Tickled to death!" replied Tavia, mockingly.
"I'm sure you will have some adventure," declared Dorothy. "They alwaysbegin that way."
"Do they? Well, if I fall in love with him, Doro, I'll telegraph to you,"and Tavia helped her friend on with hat and coat, for the Birchlands hadalready been announced.