CHAPTER XIV
THE ALGONQUIN EPISODE
"We were so surprised to see her aunt along with her," Julia wasrecounting. "They seem awfully chummy, don't they?"
"Yes, it is plain to see they are not--just ordinary folks," addedCleo. "But even at that I don't see why she should be so standoffish."
"I hope she likes my cake. I left it under a turned upside box, put acouple of big stones on it and told Shag not to let anyone touch it,"Grace explained.
"Suppose she wouldn't care to accept a cake? She said something thatnight around the campfire, about not accepting things she couldn'treturn." This was Cleo's contribution.
"If she doesn't like my cake she can easily return that," Grace wasvery emphatic now, "and then perhaps we will desist. No use trying tomake friends with folks who insist on snubbing us."
"But she hasn't snubbed us yet," Louise reminded the first speaker.
"Oh, no, I know that. I was only saying if she _didn't_ take thecake."
"No danger of anyone giving up that lovely mound of sweetness. I wishyou saved that, Grace, and gave away the marshmallow; I just lovetutti-frutti," declared Cleo.
"Didn't you think Peg acted rather queer when she met us?" inquiredLouise presently.
"She was surprised, that's all. We were surprised ourselves to meether," explained Julia. "And perhaps too, she fancied we were fixed upand she looked sort of mussy. No one wants to feel that way, youknow."
"That may have been it," Cleo accepted, but her voice lackedassurance. "And say, Julie, we didn't tell you we tore down thedynamite sign."
"Not really!"
"Pos--i--tively!"
"And you didn't find the danger?"
"Only in the black letters on a piece of red tin. But those signsdon't grow there, although at first we had our suspicions," Cleostated facetiously.
"And we also suspect caves and bandits," Louise knew exactly theeffect this would have on Grace, the adventuress.
"Caves! Bandits! Bears and Deadeyed Dicks!" came the prompt string ofexclamations from Grace. "Oh, let's go out there to-morrow andexplore!"
"We knew it; but it is interesting, Grace, and we'll plan our hike forBig Nose Rock if Mackey will agree," Cleo proposed. "Now we must helpMadaline and Margaret gather their souvenirs. It's too bad they haveto go, but we knew when they came it would only be a few days' visit."
"Good thing we can keep Isabel and Helen. It's such fun to havecompany," Louise insisted.
"It was real fun last night," Grace reminded her companions. "Ithought we really would have to prop our beds on end and sleepstanding up. Wasn't it too funny!"
"Not for the poor Norms, although they wouldn't admit it. Bubbles andStruggles had more kinds of fun than I have ever seen even new schoolteachers fall into," said Cleo.
"Such names! Bubbles and Struggles!" repeated Julia.
"About like Fuss and Buzz," recalled Grace. "By the way, I wonder whathas 'happed' to those heavenly twins?"
"Wouldn't wonder but they are calling on other campers," suggestedLouise. "They seem so apt to call."
This provoked the inevitable mimicry, and if Fuss and Buzz hadn'tinflamed red hot ears at that moment, the old saying must indeed havelost its potency.
The visitors who were leaving, jolly Madaline and capable Margaret,were being helped pack their bags by Corene, who in spite of offersfrom the other Bobbies still held to the responsibilities ofleadership.
It may have been that Corene was anxious to qualify, or it may havebeen that she really enjoyed the satisfaction she experienced, at anyrate it was easy to guess she would be sure to receive "awards" whenthe camp season would be over, for Corene was almost daily adding toher efficiency laurels.
"If only we could have Elizabeth up here for a week, wouldn't she showus a thing or two about housekeeping?" Julia remarked, when in spiteof protestations the cupboard was being "finished" by Julia althoughCorene had "commenced" it.
"I can imagine Elizabeth's joy at baking cake in your stove oven,Julia," returned Corene.
"She could bake good cake in a camp kettle, I do believe. You know,Corey, Lizbeth is a wizard on bakes."
"Yes, she's headed straight for Pratt's and the youngest of our entireclass," reflected Corene, flicking a bit of paper napkin from theclock shelf. "I do wonder what makes some girls have such a lot ofbrains?"
"And some girls have a lot of hair, too," reasoned Julia. "I guessit's just natural."
"There comes the steamer Madaline's sisters are coming on!" exclaimedCorene, as a tooting and blowing announced the arrival of the "BlackHawk." The captain signalled either for folks to land or for folks toembark, and as the "Hawk" flag now flew from the dock near CampComalong he would know passengers there awaited his arrival.
Dropping their work Julia and Corene hurried to join those alreadywaiting to see the visitors off, for the coming and going, the landingand embarking, was ever a source of excitement at the lake. Not thatcompany could be definitely expected always, but just as a lettercarrier _may_ have good news, so anyone of those many steamers comingup from the depot eight miles away _might_ have company for any of themany campers.
Madaline and Margaret were steamed away, amid a wild flutter of wavingand good-byes, and back to camp again the Bobbies hurried to preparefor the evening meal.
"We are going to have all the Norms down," announced Miss Mackey, whohad been up in the devastated region all the afternoon. "They simplycouldn't get things dried out, and I insisted they eat with usto-night."
"Goody!" chirped Grace. "I think company is the best fun of all.Especially Bubbles and Giggles."
"Giggles?" queried the director.
"Oh, I mean Struggles. She seems to be always struggling to keep fromgiggling, so I got her name mixed," admitted Grace.
"Perhaps we should ask them to stay to-night," ventured Corene.
"Where would we put them?" demanded Louise, impulsively.
"All bunk on the floor. It's nice and clean. Lots better than we geton a hike when we sleep like ground hogs in holes," said Corene.
"We could house them and I proposed it," said Miss Mackey, "but theywouldn't hear of it and they are going to sleep in the hotel to-night.They want you all to come over and spend the evening there."
"Joy!" shouted Isabel. "I just want to see what they do at a mountainhotel in the evenings."
"Same as they do at the seashore, Izzy, and you know that isn'tparticularly exciting," Cleo reminded her visitor.
"It was last year when the baby choked on the button. Don't youremember?"
This recalled an incident told of in the "Girl Scouts at Sea Crest,"and its mention was enough to send the girls off into their easilyacquired kinks. But even fun has its limitations, and the time wasracing toward supper with the Norms, and then to the evening to bespent at Hocomo's biggest hotel, the Algonquin.
"Glad I fetched a clean white frock this very day," remarked Louise,and her companions seemed none the less glad that they too had"fatigue uniforms," a simple white dress used by these Scouts on justsuch occasions as that they were now dressing for.
The storm had driven more than one camp to seek refuge in the hotelthat evening, and arriving there the Bobbies were overjoyed to meet anumber of their acquaintances from among the summer colonists.
Dancing was of the desultory order, but what was lacking in vigor wasmade up in continuity, for it seemed there was never rest, stop, norintermission to the programme. It was just one long, languid,continuous dance.
Around the edge of the "ball room" the Bobbies danced and capered, notventuring out to take the place possibly claimed by the grown-ups. Theso-called ball room was merely the largest room the hotel boasted of,and evidently its festive claims were based upon the faded crepe paperthat still clung reluctantly to chandeliers and other conveniently setout points.
But the music was "pretty fair," as more than one guest agreed, and itwas pleasant to be indoors on this cool summer's evening.
Just after Miss Mackin sent arou
nd the whisper that there remainedonly "a few minutes more," the Bobolinks were attracted by a ratherfamiliar drawl stealing in from a window opened on the porch.
"Sounds like----"
"It is," interrupted Cleo. "Here they come!"
"Our dear friends, Buzz and Fuss," finished Julia. "And pleaseobserve!"
This was whispered and actually reached only those ears very close toher, but it seemed as if some magic announcement had been made, forthe entrance of those two young women immediately brought a charge ofeyes focussed directly at them.
"It may be a masquerade," hinted Louise in an undertone. "Perhaps wehave only seen the first act."
Their costumes might indeed have answered for a mask, they were soridiculously extreme. The most brilliant striped satins that suggestedclown effects, flowing sashes of colors by no means contrasting, thenthe hair dressing: such ear puffs, terracing up to a tower on top,"like the jumps to the Essveay fire-escape," whispered Cleo. Really itwas no wonder Buzz and Fuss were late if they had to build that effectall at one sitting.
The young men with them matched up fairly well, considering thehandicap young men must dress under; but their flannels and theirpatent leather shoes, topped off with purple socks and vivid neckties,did all that reasonably could be done to liven up the male attire.
Not a detail was lost on a Bobbie. They sat there fascinated, savingup their laughs for the wild time they would have going back to camp.
The dancers drifted around and the conspicuous ones came close to therow of Girl Scouts. As they did so the blondest blonde caught sight ofGrace and recognized her.
"Oh, the babes!" she cooed, loud enough to be overheard. "The Bobbiebabes from the woodsy camp."
This was too much for the Scouts, and only a sudden jumping up to theanswer of the beckoning gesture from Miss Mackin, who was waiting forthe home hike, saved an actual upheaval. As it was, Grace gagged andsquawked audibly, Cleo hummed a foolish tune as she always did toinvoke sorrow, Louise danced a few steps automatically, and by thattime the buzzers had buzzed along.
But not finally. At the door the Bobbies stood for a few minutesthrowing on scarfs and capes, and while they did so along came theunpleasant ones again. Miss Mackin's attention had been drawn to themby Corene, and she stepped out and stood squarely in front of herlittle charges like a shield. But that attitude had no deterringeffect on the intruders.
"How's every little thing over in Camp Comalong?" asked one in a voicethat attracted unpleasant attention.
No one answered; Miss Mackin shifted her shoulders and sort of urgedthe girls outside. The Norms were just beyond the door, waiting on theporch.
A taunting, high pitched, audacious laugh followed.
"Take the babies home and put them to bed," mocked one of the pair."Too late for little Bobbokins to be out."
"Of all the rude creatures!" gasped Miss Mackin. "One would think wewere acquainted with them."
"They think we are," retorted Corene, quite as indignant as thedirector. "But I guess everyone else knows them, so perhaps theirremarks will not seem--so strange to others."
"They ought not to be allowed to insult guests that way," stormedLouise. Even her "canned laugh" was lost track of now.
"Did you see those two freaks?" asked Bubbles Norm when the partyunited on the porch.
"And did you hear them?" added Miss Mackin.
"They are the two blandest creatures," went on Bubbles. "But I believetheir daddy is supposed to be some pumpkins, a magnate of some kind orother."
"Pity he doesn't put his daughters in the trust, then," retorted Cleo."They need something; maybe it's that."