*CHAPTER XIV*
*AN INTERVIEW*
Seated on a log and looking out toward the water, hearing some onecoming up behind her, not anxious to begin an interview which might leadto uncomfortable explanations, Sally did not turn her head.
When some one called her name, she jumped quickly to her feet andswinging around, faced Dan Webster.
Instantly her face grew scarlet.
"You have followed me, Dan. I shall never forgive you. Deliberatelyyou made a pretence of going away with the others for the afternoon inorder that I might be deceived."
Sally's words were harsher than her manner, for even as she spoke sheput her hands to her hot cheeks and her voice trembled.
Dan was looking at her as she never had seen him. His usually ruddy,freshly colored skin had lost nearly every vestige of color, his lipswere set and hard and his blue eyes at once stern and unhappy.
"Certainly I followed you, Sally, I told you that was my intention, andyou are perfectly right in your supposition that I tricked you byappearing to leave the island. I did this not because I really believedyou would continue your secret meetings, but because I wanted to beconvinced."
"Secret meetings!" Sally exclaimed, moving backwards a step or two anddropping her hands at her sides. "I think it is my right, Dan, to askwhat you mean."
"Why, I mean what I said. How could I mean anything else? Please don'tmake things worse by failing to tell the truth, particularly now when itis too late to do anything else. I have been tramping about for thepast half hour trying to decide what was best. I am going directly toTante, and I wish you would come with me, and tell her that you have hadhalf a dozen secret meetings with a young fellow who lands on the islandin an out-of-the-way spot, instead of using the lagoon where he could beseen from the house. Doubtless you will explain your reason."
Sally was silent, her face now paler than her companion's.
"Of course I know, Sally, there is no harm in what you have been doing,but you yourself will confess that it does not look well and that anyonewho cares for you has a right to try to protect you from your ownindiscretion. Who is this fellow? Is he some friend whom you don'tthink the rest of us would care to know? And for what reason? I sawyou stop behind a clump of trees and a few moments later his boat landedand I walked away. I did mot wish actually to spy upon you. You mustonly have spoken to him, as it was a brief time ago. Perhaps you arebefriending this fellow in some way; if you are, why not let me help?"
"I am befriending no one," Sally returned.
"Then come with me to Tante. Perhaps you will confide in your Camp Fireguardian. I was never so disappointed in any human being in my life,Sally, as I am in you. I feel as if I were in a nightmare from which Imust wake up."
"I Was Never So Disappointed in Any Human Being in MyLife, Sally, As I Am in You."]
Almost roughly Dan took Sally by the arm.
The next instant she had broken away and a second time seated herself onthe log.
"Go and tell whom you like, Dan Webster, and whatever you like, and notonly Tante, but Aunt Betty and the entire group of Camp Fire girls. Besure to miss no one. Afterwards don't speak to me again."
Hesitating, his sternness slightly relaxed, as whose would not have beenby the sight of Sally, Dan took one step in her direction and thenpaused. Unexpectedly her head went down, the golden brown eyes that hadbeen so full of defiance the moment before, filled and brimmed over, asshe buried her head in her hands.
He was under the impression that he had been sufficiently unhappy uponmaking the discovery that she was keeping a secret from her friends, buthis past unhappiness was as nothing to this.
"Sally, dear, I am afraid I spoke rudely to you. You know I wasconcerned for your sake. Of course I am not going to speak of thematter to Tante, as you'll tell her yourself at once."
"I shall do no such thing, Dan," Sally answered in a muffled tone.
Dan appeared and felt defeated.
Slowly he began walking up and down a few feet away, his head bowed, anexpression of anxiety and depression on his handsome, boyish face.
Finally he came and stood in front of the girl.
"Sally, I want to apologize to you, you must do what you think best.You asked me to have faith in you and I have not had. Good-by. I won'task you to walk home with me, but come soon, dear, you are tired andupset and ought to rest before dinner."
Dan was moving away when Sally caught up with him.
"Dan, please listen. I want to tell you what actually has happened, Inever wanted to tell anyone anything so much in my whole existence. Iam afraid you will think I have not behaved very well, but you may scoldas much as you like because I agree with you.
"Of course I have not been meeting any strange youth for any purposewhatsoever. What I have been doing is following Juliet Temple and I havelittle excuse to offer.
"Soon after her arrival I noticed that she slipped off several timesalone and one day I followed her, partly from curiosity and the olddistrust I always have felt for her. It is a curious thing, Dan. Ibelieve Juliet is honestly fond of Tante, but I think in the end shewill use her for her own purpose.
"Well, Juliet went farther than I expected and I saw her meet some onewhom I feel sure is her brother, as they look so exactly alike.Besides, I heard that he was a soldier and most of the time he is inuniform. It is Juliet's affair of course and she probably has somelegitimate excuse for not wishing us to know him, but I confess ittroubles me.
"In a way I feel I owe an apology to Juliet, but it might be morecomfortable for us both not to speak of it. I was just reaching adecision to forget the whole matter when you interrupted and frightenedme. If you doubt what I have told you, Dan, you can wait until Julietreturns and tell her what I have told you. I would prefer she and Tanteshould both know than that you should doubt me."
"But I don't doubt your word, Sally; nothing would ever induce me todoubt you now or in the future," Dan returned with more earnestness thanhis previous point of view gave him the excuse for possessing. "Besides,now I recall that twice I have seen Juliet Temple not far away, soonafter observing you. I am a dunce and a blockhead and your devotedfriend, Sally.
"Why in the world do you feel this distrust of Juliet Temple? No wonderTante thinks she has a hard time among you girls and appeals to me to bekind to her. She seems to me a tiresome kind of girl, who isn't capableof anything out of the ordinary. She is clever enough to be a goodsecretary, or companion, or whatever she is to Tante, and that is theend of it."
"Think so, Dan? Well, perhaps you are right," Sally replied. "Supposewe hurry home. I don't wish to appear as if you had made me cry,although it is perfectly true that you have."
"Never as long as we live shall I trouble you again."
Wise in things feminine, Sally shook her head and smiled.