CHAPTER IX--SEARCHING FOR ROSY
An oppressive silence followed, while each girl looked blankly at herneighbor. The new Pioneer's face flushed, and her eager, excited eyesshadowed, as she quickly realized that in her eagerness to follow thelaw of kindliness she had been too officious. She stood in dismayedembarrassment, the chill of an unpleasant surprise benumbed her. With afaint hope she turned her eyes appealingly towards Helen, surely herlevel head and kind heart would prompt her to second her. Helen caughtthe look and smiled faintly.
Edith, who was always the first one to either second or down aproposition, broke the silence by exclaiming in an aggrieved tone, "Why,the idea, Nathalie Page! we can't give up the bird-hike, we've allbrought our lunches!"
"I should say not," interposed Lillie Bell with flashing eyes. "Why, itwould take the whole morning, and there could be no hike for to-day, andnext week I can't go, I--"
"Oh, they have probably found the child by this time!" ventured BarbaraNorth, to Nathalie's surprise, as she had always found her of a kindlynature.
"Well, _I_ for _one_ don't think it is our place to look for the child,anyway," asserted Jessie, decisively. "Let the men of the town do it.There are three policemen hanging around all day with nothing to do."
Nathalie's cheeks had lost their pink bloom; her face stiffened as sheretorted coolly, "Well, just as you please, I see I have made amistake." She nerved herself. "I thought kindliness was one of the lawsof the organization, and it seemed to me that our pleasure was to take asecondary place when we had an opportunity to do a kind act. If you hadseen the poor mother sobbing--"
"Oh, fiddle!" ejaculated Lillie, "those colored people are all emotion;their sobs don't count for much. I agree with Jessie that thetownspeople should send out a search party, and I for one refuse to giveup the hike. Who's on my side?" she ended abruptly, turning and facingthe group.
"I!" and "I!" shouted several voices at once in answer.
Nathalie backed towards the edge of the veranda. "I seem to be in theminority," she said with assumed indifference, although her heart wasbeating in double-quick time, for something had whispered, "They arevery rude, I would resign immediately." But this suggestion was bravelysilenced by the thought, "No, I will not be as small as that, I willshow I do not care."
"There must be some one who thinks as I do," she ended resolutely,wishing that she could run from this affront to her sensitiveness.
"I am with you, Nathalie!" suddenly cried Helen, walking towards herfriend and putting her arm around her.
Grace looked at the bevy of girls who had bunched together, then at thefaces of her two friends. In a faint voice she asserted lamely, "And I,Nathalie, I didn't stop to think--"
"And, Nathalie, you can count me on your side!" broke in a voice at thismoment. The girls, alert at the prospect of a division in the group,turned quickly to see Mrs. Morrow place herself by the side of Nathalie,taking her hand as she did so and giving it a cordial squeeze.
Nathalie's color came racing back and her heart leaped with joy. Ah,then she had not been too officious, after all! She turned to see thegirls standing in embarrassed silence with shamed eyes and uncertainmien. But Lillie, who was generally the spokesman of the group whenHelen was on the opposite side, cried somewhat pertly, "Why, Mrs.Morrow, do you think it is our place to go and hunt for that coloredchild? I should think it was the duty of the townspeople to look afterthose things."
"That is not the question," replied the Director coldly. "As Nathaliesaid, kindliness is one of the basic laws of the organization. We shouldbe poor Pioneers indeed if we saw a man drowning and then stood andargued as to whether it was our place to save him or not. Nathalie, Icommend you not only for your kind suggestion, but for having the realpioneer courage in maintaining what you believed to be right. You haveshown yourself a true Blue Robin and I am proud of you. Now, girls, wewill put it to a vote. Those of you who want to go on the hike, up withtheir hands." Not a hand was raised.
Mrs. Morrow's face brightened as she cried laughingly, "Now who wants tojoin a search-party with Nathalie as captain, and see if they can findlittle Rosebud?"
Every hand flew up, and there was a general cry of, "I do! I do!"
"Well, girls," said Mrs. Morrow kindly, as her eyes traveled from faceto face, "I see you have repented of the error of your way. LetNathalie's example inspire you!"
"Oh, I guess we just didn't stop to think!" broke forth Barbara, withshamed eyes.
"Well, when one has made up her mind to do a thing she would be a saintto give it up without a fuss," remarked Lillie. "Of course, Nathalie wasall right, but she had had time to think it all out and we hadn't!"
"A good explanation, Lillie," answered Mrs. Morrow, "but I hope you haveall learned a lesson. Now, Nathalie, make your suggestions and we'll getto work."
The new Pioneer had already divided the girls into two sections, withHelen as one leader, and Lillie Bell as the other. It did hurt a littleto give Lillie the first place after she had spoken as she had, butNathalie realized her worth, and then, too, she did not want to show anyresentment. "You see," she explained, "I am only a dummy captain, for Iam not as familiar with the town as the rest of you are, and there willbe no time lost in making false moves."
"That is a very sensible decision, Nathalie," nodded Mrs. Morrow, "butthe question is where to look first!"
"Suppose we go down to the settlement, make a survey, and get ourbearings?" voiced Helen.
"Good, Helen, that is just the thing!" acquiesced the Director, as thegirls at her suggestion hurriedly deposited their lunch-boxes in thehall, while Nathalie ran over to tell her mother her plans.
In a few moments the would-be searchers started, each girl equipped withher staff, while the two leaders triumphantly displayed their whistles,which they claimed would be of great help if any of the party got lostand their voices did not carry.
It did not take long to reach Felia's shanty, and as Nathalie ran in totell her that the Pioneers were going to hunt for Rosy, the rest of theparty gazed with quick, alert eyes first in one direction and then inthe other.
"I should not be surprised if the child had wandered away looking forflowers," remarked Mrs. Morrow, suddenly remembering what Nathalie hadsaid the child was doing when she was last seen.
"But where would she be apt to go?" inquired Nathalie, who had returnedin time to hear Mrs. Morrow's remark.
"Why, to the woods!" retorted Helen quickly, and her eyes lighted insudden thought as they dwelt on a green belt of woodland that loomedagainst the sky on the opposite side of the road.
"Don't you think she might have strayed down the hill?" questionedNathalie, pointing to a pond shimmering in the sun at the bottom of aknoll near-by. "Poor Mammy is quite sure she is drowned and lies at thebottom of the pond."
"Well, I'll tell you what we can do," spoke up Lillie, "I'll take mysquad and search down by the pond, and Helen and the rest of you can goover to the woods; somehow I'm with Mammy, for all children love topaddle in the water."
Lillie's suggestion was a timely one, and as she, Grace, Jessie, and afew Orioles disappeared over the slope of the hill, Helen and Nathalie,as the advance guard, hurried across the road and into the cool recessesof the woods. As they hastened onward every girl's eyes were alert,watchfully peering behind every bush and tree as they stumbled overgnarled roots and broken stumps in their efforts to reach some shadednook, or lichen-covered rock dimly seen in the shadows of the trees.
Helen proved an efficient leader and did not hesitate to keep herfollowers busy, as she sent first one and then the other to look here orthere, determined not to miss a nook or spot where the child might behidden. Every now and then some of the party would give a bird call, orHelen's whistle would reverberate sharply through the swaying pines.
But Mrs. Morrow, whose strength began to waver, finally suggested toNathalie and Edith, who had been acting as her body-guard, that theyrest for a few minutes. Spying a decayed tree-trunk that had fallenacross the damp, spongy
earth a few feet away, they seated themselvesupon it.
"Oh, I'm really tired!" exclaimed Mrs. Morrow, for she had proved asindefatigable as the girls in searching, thinking, she declared, of herown two kiddies safe in the garden at home.
Nathalie, impressed by the solemn stillness about her, slowly fannedherself with her hat, while Edith made frantic dabs at her red face,from which beady drops were oozing. "Oh, I should just love to stay hereall day," she cried, sniffing the air, redolent with the odors of pine,spicy balsam, silver birch, and many other trees that loomed darkly inthe mysterious retreats of the forest.
"Hark!" cried Mrs. Morrow, suddenly putting up her hand for silence asshe peered up at the green boughs above her. "Taweel-ab, taweel-ab,twil-ab, twil-ab!" came in a succession of weird, sweet trills.
"Wheew, whoit, wheew, whoit!" imitated the Sport with quick readiness.
"It is a hermit thrush!" explained Mrs. Morrow softly, and her handclutched Nathalie's as she pointed to a brown bird that was scuddingswiftly over the fern a few feet away.
"Oh, isn't it a dear?" whispered delighted Nathalie, for to her thiscoming, as she called it, into the very heart of nature was a newexperience. She half regretted at times that they had been compelled toforego the bird-hike, as she was so anxious to get in touch with thefeathered songsters of the wood and field. Then, too, suppose thesearching-party should fail of its purpose, she would feel that she hadbeen the means of leading them on a wild-goose chase!
As her eyes roamed here and there in the hope that she might see thebrown thrush again, she started, stared a moment, and then springing toher feet dashed across to the clump of ferns where the bird had beenflying.
"I have found a clew!" she cried triumphantly a moment later, as shereturned and held up her hand. Between her thumb and forefinger was abit of red, which she was waving gleefully as she came towards them. Asthe Sport and Mrs. Morrow hurried to her side they saw a loop of redribbon still with the knot in it by which it had evidently been recentlytied to some object.
"It is Rosy's hair-ribbon!" cried Nathalie. "I found it clinging to oneof the ferns."
"Oh, are you sure?" burst from Mrs. Morrow, her eyes eager with hope asshe bent over the little scarlet knot.
"Indeed I am sure," answered the delighted girl, "for it is the veryribbon I found in my work basket and tied on Rosy's funny little topknotthe day she was at our house. See, here is the very cut in the edge--thatis the reason it was of no use to me--but Rosy was as happy as a larkover it. Oh, isn't this too lovely, for now I know the child issomewhere near!"
With renewed hope they set forth again on the hunt, Nathalie runningahead and calling "Tru-al-lee!" as loud as she could--it was the onlybird call she knew--to get in touch with the advance guard and tell themthe good news.
In answer to her Blue Robin call, in a few moments a Bob White whistlewas heard, rather faint, but there was no mistake as to that quick,clear note. The Sport, a few yards behind, immediately responded bygiving a similar call, and then as they stood waiting to ascertain fromwhat direction the whistle had come, there sounded a sudden, sharp snapof the underbrush near, and Kitty Corwin's face emerged into view."Hurrah, girls!" she shouted jubilantly, "we have found her!"
"Oh, where? Where?" came in an instant from three throats as Kittyleaned against a tree and panted.
"Down in a ravine, huddled close against a rock, asleep. Helen did notwant to waken her until Nathalie came, for fear she would be frightenedat the strange faces. Come on, quick!" she exclaimed excitedly, turningand darting back the way she had come with light, fleet steps.
But the belated ones needed no urging, especially Nathalie, who dashedahead without regard to time or place, with a haste that left no doubtas to her joy that her searching party had been a success. Overhangingbranches and dried twigs that blocked her way were ruthlessly brushedaside, or run against, scratching and bruising her unmercifully as shediscovered later, but it made no difference to the happy girl.
It seemed but a moment when she emerged into a clearing, and close atthe heels of Kitty climbed down into a small ravine. It had evidentlybeen at one time the road-bed of a brook, but was now filled withscraggy stones, dried underbrush, and fallen logs.
As Nathalie saw the little motionless figure cuddled in a heap againstthe rock, her heart leaped with misgiving. "Oh, is she dead?" she askedHelen, who stood guard by the side of the rock, every now and thenbrushing away a gnat or a fly that descended with a loud buzz on thesmeared black face, which lay partly exposed to view as it rested on amite of an arm.
"Oh, no," assured Helen, "she is all right, only asleep. I suppose shewandered about for some time in the darkness and was tired out, poorlittle tot!"
The little one looked so pathetically small as she lay there, just aheap of bones, black skin, and woolly hair, with the tears stillglistening on the black lashes, that Nathalie's heart was stirred withpity.
Mrs. Morrow now came forward and quickly felt her pulse, crying as shedid so, "Oh, you poor little black baby! Yes, she is all right!" shenodded assuringly, "but Helen, what is the matter with her leg?" Hersharp glance noted that it lay rather limply on the ground.
"I am not sure," said Helen with bent brows as she touched it softly,"but I am afraid it is broken. That is why I waited for you andNathalie, I did not like to move her for fear of hurting her."
"But we shall have to," returned Mrs. Morrow as she finished examiningthe injured limb, "for it is broken, and we must get her home as soon aspossible, for it will have to be set."
As Helen and Mrs. Morrow attempted to take hold of the child to lift heron the stretcher the girls had made, she opened her eyes wide into thestrange faces bending over her. Then she closed them quickly, and as thelittle black face wrinkled in fear she let forth such a howl of absolutedespair that the girls were all on the verge of joining with her intheir keen sympathy.
"Oh, Rosy," cried Nathalie springing hastily forward and taking thechild's hand softly in hers, "see, it is Mrs. Page's little girl. Don'tyou remember when you called me that--Mrs. Page's little girl?" Sherepeated softly as she saw the child had stopped her crying and wasstaring up at her. But the black eyes closed again and the little formshivered as a prolonged howl answered the questioner.
But Nathalie, who loved children, lifted up the little head with itspigtails and laid it against her breast as she tried again. "Theredearie, don't you want to go in the choo-choo cars to see Mamma?"
These words had the desired effect, and the howl was arrested as two bigblack eyes stared with awakening interest while Nathalie caught hold ofthe stretcher and choo-chooed it back and forth. "Come, Rosy!" she criedin a third attempt, "and we will go in the choo-choo cars to see Mamma,and--oh, yes, the little rag-dollie I made for you, don't you rememberwhat a lovely time we had?"
The black eyes opened wide, stood still for a wee second, and thentwinkled into a smile as their owner cried, "Oh, yes, I knows youse;youse de Story Lady!"
"Yes, I'm the Story Lady," quickly answered Nathalie, her face breakinginto a smile; then as Rosy smiled back, "but how did you get here,Rosebud, so far away from home?"
The little face screwed into a knot as she whimpered, "Oh, I got lost,Story Lady. I picked daisies in de lot, and den Jacob he showed me deblue flowers he got in de wood. So I runned to de wood, and oh, I got alot!" Her eyes gleamed with joy as she held up a few withered violetsstill clutched in her tiny hand. "And den it grew all dark," she moaned,"and I couldn't fin' de road, and I fell and hurt my leg. Oh, I'se sohungry!" she ended piteously.
But when she saw so many eyes watching her, she covered her tiny facewith her hand, shyly peeping out from between her fingers.
The girls all laughed merrily at her coquettishness, but their laughterbecame almost a howl as the little black eyes began to play peek-a-booat them, and then danced in unison with their laughter, as if enjoyingthe sensation she had created.
But time was precious, and so with the promise of candy and a story fromNathalie the little one
was lifted from the ground and carefully placedin the stretcher, and the Pioneer search party, weary, and warm, butjubilantly happy at their success, started for home.
"Some one of you girls ought to run ahead and get the doctor!" exclaimedMrs. Morrow as the rescuers plodded carefully but slowly up the ravinewith their burden, "for the child needs attention at once. I don'twonder she cries!" For, alas! the little one had begun to whimpersoftly, although Nathalie was still playing choo-choo car as hard as shecould, so as to divert her mind from the pain and hunger pangs that hadnow begun to assert themselves more forcibly.
"I will go!" cried Edith quickly, and then at a nod of assent from theirDirector she disappeared in the shadowy gloom of the trees like a smallwhirlwind. Barbara and Kitty were then despatched to hurry and tellRosebud's mother that the lost was found.
As they reached the edge of the woods, Mrs. Morrow thought she heard thethrob of an automobile engine, and as it was followed in a moment by thetoot of a horn, she begged Nathalie to hurry to the road, just a fewfeet beyond in the opening. "It sounds like the doctor's car--perhaps hewill take little Rosy home--for, O dear, she is suffering so!"
Nathalie softly unfastened the little hands that were clinging to hers,and with a few bounds reached the road where, sure enough, she saw a fewyards ahead an automobile that had just passed.
Yes, it was the doctor! Nathalie thought she recognized his car, andwith mad haste tore after it, shouting to the full extent of her lungs,"Doctor! Doctor!"
The occupant of the car, who evidently was not driving at a very highrate of speed, heard her shouts and in a moment brought his car to astandstill. As he turned about and stared at the oncoming figure ofNathalie, who, red-faced and bedraggled was speeding towards him, helooked slightly surprised.
"Oh, Doctor," began the girl. She paused, for the gentleman who waslooking at her with such a puzzled expression, coupled with slightindignation at being stopped in this way, was a strange young man!
Nathalie halted abruptly as she discovered her error, feeling as if herface would burst from the heat of her unwonted exercise and the factthat she had been tagging in this tomboy style, after a strange man.
"Oh--I'm so sorry," she panted apologetically, "but Mrs. Morrow thoughtshe heard an automobile, she was sure it was the doctor--"
"Mrs. Morrow!" exclaimed the young man, "why, is she anywhere about?" Hejumped from his car as he spoke and came towards her.
"Oh, yes," cried the girl, with a gleam of hope that if this young manknew their Director there was a chance for Rosy. "We have been lookingfor a little colored girl who was lost--oh, I mean the Pioneers--we havebeen searching in the woods," she explained confusedly, the bloodsurging furiously into her cheeks under the keen gray eyes that werelooking so searchingly down at her. "Oh, can't you help us?" she burstoff appealingly. "Mrs. Morrow wants to get her home as soon as she can,for she has a broken leg."
"A broken leg?" echoed the young man, "why, of course I will help you,"he continued heartily. "Where is Mrs. Morrow? And--oh, I see--" the grayeyes gleamed pleasantly, "you are Blue Robin, the little girl who livesacross the way from us. I am Mrs. Morrow's brother, Jack Homer!"