CHAPTER XV
MORE SURPRISES
The next few weeks were filled with such excitement, that the girlseven forgot to miss the boys. In the letters they received from thelatter--and they were many--they never failed to find comments uponthis strange fact. The boys seemed to feel a little aggrieved thatthe girls did not weep a few more tears in the absence of theirdevoted swains.
"Of course I want you to be happy, Betty," Allen had written onceupon this theme, "but I'd like to feel that you missed me, a littleanyway. It makes a fellow feel as though it wouldn't make anydifference if he disappeared off the face of the earth. If you missedme one-tenth as much as I miss you--" etc., etc., until Betty's laughbubbled over and she patted the letter consolingly.
"Never mind, Allen, dear," she said, putting the letter awaycarefully in the rapidly increasing pile, tied with the blue ribbon."If you only knew what I know, you wouldn't have time to miss me somuch either. But I am glad," she added, all to herself, flushed offace and shy-eyed, "oh, so very glad, Allen, to have you miss me!"
So the days went on, drawing rapidly nearer to the date of theirdeparture, while the excitement and good spirits of the girls roseproportionately.
About a week before the great day, they gave another of the affairswhich had grown so rapidly in popularity. This time it was to raisefunds for the Hostess House, and the girls gave heart and soul andall their time to make it a success.
They were to have some very elaborate tableaux with dancingafterward, and all Deepdale was on tiptoe with anticipation longbefore the night arrived. And how they all enjoyed it!
It spoke well for the patriotism of the young men of Deepdale thatthere were very few within the age of enlistment, who had not alreadygone to the various training camps, scattered all over the country.So there were very few at the dance, giving, as Betty's fatherjokingly said, a chance for the "young old men" to show theiraccomplishments.
And the "young old men," did so well that there had never, in all thehistory of Deepdale, been a merrier party. Being an age wheneverybody danced, up to the grandfathers of ninety, the girls had nolack of partners, and were oftentimes amazed at the skill anddexterity and lightness shown by men who were old enough to be theirfathers twice over.
Of course some of them were stiff and a little "creaky in thejoints," but this only added to the general hilarity, and at oneo'clock the fun was still fast and furious.
"Oh, I never had such a good time," cried Mollie, sinking down besideBetty on one of the roughly improvised benches, weak from laughing."I was just dancing with old Doctor Riley, and he kept me institches. Half the time he had almost to carry me around, I waslaughing so."
Betty nodded and dimpled bewitchingly as Mr. Bailey, father of tenchildren, gallantly asked for the next dance.
"You're taking a chance, Miss Betty," he said, the corners of hiseyes crinkling into a million wrinkles as he laughed down at her. "Iused to be considered a fairly good dancer in the old days, but Ihaven't danced in the last ten years. I watched the young folks somuch, though, I thought I'd take a chance if you were willing. If Istep on your toes too much we can go over and get some ice cream andcake."
"You're doing wonderfully," said Betty heartily, amazed to find howmuch she was really enjoying the dance. "I'm going to write to theboys, and say we don't need them any more," she added whimsically."I'll tell them we're just beginning to appreciate their fathers!"
When it was over, their proceeds amounted to over a hundred dollars;and that was not counting an uproarious good time, that none of theyoung or middle-aged folk of Deepdale would ever stop talking about.
Then at last came the dawning of the great day--the day the girls hadlooked forward to for weeks. They woke with a strange, thrillysensation running up and down their spines, and hearts that refusedto beat normally.
In four separate houses, four separate girls dressed with tremblingfingers and eyes on the clock; and four separate girls kept sayingover and over again: "What will they say? What will they say?"
They met at Mollie's as usual--a tense-faced, excited littlegroup--with parents and relatives who were going to the train to seethem off.
"Have we plenty of time?" asked Amy, who for two days and nights hadlived in the fear of losing that train. "I guess maybe we'd betterhurry."
"Oh, there is oceans of time," Mrs. Ross assured them, who seemed,for some unaccountable reason, bent on delaying them. "The trainisn't due for ten minutes yet, and then it's more than likely to belate. Besides, there are a few last words I'd like to say to yougirls that can be said better here than on the station platform."
Then she started to give them some minute instructions, to which theytried hard to listen respectfully, although the mere effort to sitstill was torture, and Mollie afterward said she "wanted to scream."
However, the harangue lasted at the most, two minutes--although itseemed to the girls two ages--and they were at last on their way tothe station. It was not till they turned the corner that brought thefamiliar platform in view, that they received their first surprise.
The station was fairly thronged with people!
"Wh-what is it?" stammered Betty, rubbing her eyes to make sure shewas not dreaming.
"Is everybody in Deepdale going away?" added Mollie, her eyes bigwith wonder.
"I've never seen so many people at the station at one time," addedGrace, bewildered.
"Do you know what it is, Mrs. Ross?" asked Amy.
But Mrs. Ross made no answer--she did not have to. The crowd at thestation caught sight of the four girls, and a great shout went up.
"Hurray," cried a masculine voice. "Hurray for the Outdoor Girls.Give 'em three cheers and a tiger."
The girls stood still, amazed, bewildered, until suddenly, out of amaze of tangled thoughts, light dawned.
"They're cheering _us_, Mollie," whispered Betty, squeezing Mollie'shand until it hurt--at least it would have if Mollie had noticed it."All these people have turned out early just to see us off."
"I--I'm afraid I'm going to cry," said Mollie unsteadily.
When the shouts had died down, Doctor Riley made a speech full oftrue Irish wit and humor, and pathos, too, telling the girls howdeeply Deepdale had appreciated the active and patriotic work theyhad done for their country in the time of its bitterest need and howvery sorry they all were to see them go.
He went on to tell something of what the country was doing and haddone, cracking a few jokes based on camp life, that almost sent thegirls into hysterics--so finely balanced were they between laughterand tears. Then he ended with another eulogy of the Outdoor Girls andthe hope that health and good fortune would follow them wherever theywent.
He stepped down from the box on which he had been making his addressjust as the sharp toot of the whistle gave warning of the train'sapproach. Some one handed him four little corsage bouquets ofcarnations, which he handed in turn to each one of the tremulousgirls, with an appropriate little speech to each.
With a grinding of brakes the train came to a standstill, and thecrowd gave way to let them pass. Clutching the little bouquets tightand hoping desperately that they would not cry, the girls started forthe train.
At the bottom of the steps Betty turned and faced them.
"You dear people," she began, but choked and had to try again."I--we--want to thank you----" Then, as two tears forced their waythrough and rolled unchecked down her face, she turned and ran up thecar steps.
"All we can say," she added, smiling unsteadily down at them as thetrain began to move, "is, just that we--we--love you all!"