CHAPTER XI
WHAT CAME WITH THE SNOW AND ICE
After that memorable week of Hallowe'en, affairs at Oak Knowe settledinto their ordinary smooth running. That week had brought to all theschool a surfeit of excitement so that all were glad of quiet andpeace.
"The classes have never made such even, rapid progress before, in allthe years I've been here;" said the Lady Principal to the good Bishop."Things are almost ominously quiet and I almost dread to haveChristmas time approach. All the young ladies get more interested thenin gift-preparing and anticipations of vacations at home than inschool routine. I hate to have that interrupted so soon again."
The Bishop laughed.
"My dear Miss Muriel, you take life too seriously. Upheavals are goodfor us. Our lives would grow stagnant without them."
"Beg pardon, but I can't fancy affairs at Oak Knowe ever beingstagnant! Nor do I see, as you seem to, any fine results from thehappenings of Hallow week. One of the ill results is--I cannot find acompetent boot-boy. That makes you smile again, but I assure you it isno trifle in a large establishment like this, with it the rule thatevery pupil must walk the muddy road each day. The maids will do thework, of course, but they grumble. I do wish the ground would freezeor some good boy offer his services."
A rattling of the window panes and a sound of rising wind sent theBishop to the window:
"Well, Miss Tross-Kingdon, one of your wishes is already coming true.There's a blizzard coming--surely. Flakes are already falling and I'mglad the double sashes are in place on this north side the building,and that Michael has seen to having the toboggan slide put in order.I prophesy that within a few days all the young folks will betobogganing at a glorious rate. That's one of the things I'm thankfulfor--having been born in Canada where I could slide with the best!"
He turned about and the lady smiled at his boyish enthusiasm. He was aman who never felt old, despite his venerable white head, but as hemoved again toward the fire and Dorothy entered the room a shadowcrossed his face. He had sent for her because within his pocket lay aletter he knew she ought to have, yet greatly disliked to give her.All the mail matter coming to the Oak Knowe girls passed firstthrough their instructors' hands, though it was a rare occasion whensuch was not promptly delivered.
This letter the Bishop had read as usual, but it had not pleased him.It was signed by one James Barlow, evidently a very old friend ofDorothy's, and was written with a boyish assumption of authority thatwas most objectionable, the Bishop thought. It stated that Mr. SethWinters was very ill and that Mrs. Calvert was breaking down fromgrief and anxiety concerning him; and that, in the writer's opinion,Dorothy's duty lay at home and not in getting an education away upthere in Canada. "Anybody who really wishes to learn can do thatanywhere," was the conclusion of this rather stilted epistle.
Now when his favorite came in, happy and eager to greet him, hesuddenly decided that he would keep that letter to himself for a time,until he had written to some other of the girl's friends and found outmore about the matter.
"Did you send for me, dear Bishop?"
"Well, yes, little girl, I did. There was something I wanted to talkto you about, but I've changed my mind and decided to put it off forthe present;" he answered with a kindly smile that was less brightthan usual. So that the sensitive girl was alarmed and asked:
"Is it something that I've done but ought not?"
"Bless your bonny face, no, indeed. No, Miss Betty the second, I haveno fault to find with you. Rather I am greatly delighted by all yourreports. Just look out of window a minute--what do you see?"
Dorothy still wondered why she had been summoned, but looked out asshe had been bidden.
"Why, it's snowing! My, how fast, and how all of a sudden! When wewere out for exercise the sun was shining bright."
"The sun is always shining, dear child, even though clouds of troubleoften obscure it. Always remember that, little Dorothy, no matter whathappens."
Then he dropped what the schoolgirls called his "preachy manner" andasked:
"How do you like tobogganing?"
"Why--why, of course I don't know. I've never even seen a toboggan,except in pictures. They looked lovely."
"Lovely? I should say, but the real thing far lovelier. MissTross-Kingdon, here, knows my opinion of tobogganing. The finest sportthere is and one that you unfortunate southerners cannot enjoy in yournative land. Up here we have everything delightful, ha, ha! But you'llhave to be equipped for the fun right away. Will you see to it, MissMuriel, that Dorothy has a toboggan rig provided? For Michael willhave the slides ready, you may be sure. He was born a deal furthernorth even than this and snow-and-ice is his native element. Why, thehonest old fellow can show several prizes he won, in his younger days,for skating, ice-boating, tobogganing, and the like. I always feelsafe when Michael is on hand at the slide to look after his 'youngleddies.'
"Now, I must go. I have a service in town, to-night, and if I don'thurry I'll be caught in this blizzard. You run along, 'Betty' andspread the news of the grand times coming."
With a gentle pat of the little hand he held he thus dismissed her,and inspired by his talk of the--to her--novel sport, she ran happilyaway, forgetful already of anything more serious.
"Oh! girls! the Bishop says we'll soon have tobogganing!" she cried,joining a group gathered about a great wood fire in the library.
"Oh! goody! I was looking at my new suit this very morning. Mother'shad such a pretty one made for me, a blanket suit of baby blue witheverything to match--mittens and cap and all! I'm just wild to wearit!" answered Fanny Dimock, running to the window to peer out.
"To-morrow's half-holiday. Let's all go help Michael to get the slidesready!"
"Of course--if the storm will let us out! Oh glorious!" said ErnestaSmith flying to Fanny's side, and trying to see through the greatflakes, fast packing against the pane and hiding the view without.
But this only increased the gayety within. Electric lights flashedout, girl after girl ran to fetch her own coasting suit and to spreadit before the eyes of her mates.
"Oh! aren't they the sweetest things!" exclaimed the delightedDorothy; "the very prettiest clothes I ever saw!"
Indeed they did make a fine show of color, heaped here and there,their soft, thick texture assuring perfect protection from cold. Redsand greens, pinks and blues, and snowy white; some fresh from themakers' hands, some showing the hard wear of former winters; yetall made after the Oak Knowe pattern. A roomy pair of pantaloons,to draw over the ordinary clothing from the waist down, ended instocking-shaped feet, fitted for warm wool overshoes. The tunic fellbelow the knees and ended above in a pointed hood, and mittens weremade fast to the sleeves.
"Lovely, but isn't it terribly clumsy?" asked Dorothy, more closelyexamining one costume.
"Let's show her! Let's have an Indian dance! Hurry up, everybody, anddress!"
In a jiffy every girl who owned a costume got into it and the placewas transformed. For somebody flew to the piano and struck up a livelywaltz, and away went the girls, catching one another for partner--nomatter who--whirling and circling, twisting bodies about, armsoverhead, as in a regular calisthenic figure--till Dorothy was amazed.For what looked so thick and clumsy was too soft and yielding tohinder grace.
In the midst of the mirth, the portieres were lifted and Gwendolyncame in. It was unfortunate that just then the music ended with acrash and that the whirling circles paused. For it looked as if hercoming had stopped the fun, though this was far from true.
Ever since that day of her open confession her schoolmates hadregarded her with greater respect than ever before. Most of themrealized how hard that confession had been for so haughty a girl, andexcept for her own manner, many would have shown her marked affection.
When she had ceased speaking on that day an awkward silence followed.If she had expected hand-claps or applause she failed to get either.The listeners were too surprised to know what to do, and there wasjust as much pride in the young "Peer's" bearing as
of old. After amoment of waiting she had stalked away and all chance for applause wasgone.
But she had returned to her regular classes the next morning and mixedwith the girls at recreation more familiarly than she had formerlydone; yet still that stiffness remained.
For half-minute, Gwendolyn hesitated just within the entrance, thenforced herself to advance toward the fireplace and stand there warmingherself.
"It's getting very cold," she remarked by way of breaking theunpleasant silence.
"Yes, isn't it!" returned Winifred; adding under her breath: "Insidethis room, anyway."
"We're warm enough, dressed up like this," said Marjorie, pleasantly."Dorothy says that the Bishop thinks we'll have tobogganing in a dayor two, if the snow holds. She's never seen a toboggan nor how wedress for the sport, and we brought in our togs to show her. Shethinks they look too clumsy for words, so we've just been showing herthat we can move as easily in them as without them. But--my! It's madeus so warm!"
Gwendolyn turned toward Dorothy with a smile intended to be cordial,and asked:
"Is that so, indeed? Then I suppose you'll have to get a rig like oursif you want to try the slide."
"Yes, I suppose so. The Bishop asked the Lady Principal to get me one,but I don't suppose she can right away. Nobody could go shopping insuch weather, and I suppose they have to be bought in town."
"The blankets are bought there, but usually the suits are made at homebefore we come; or else by the matron and some of the maids here. I--"
A look of keener interest had come into her face, but she said nothingfurther and a moment later went out again.
As the portieres fell together behind her, Winifred threw up her handsin comic despair.
"Whatever is the matter with that girl? or with _me_--or _you_--or_you_!" pointing to one and another around her. "She wants to befriendly--and so do we! But there's something wrong and I don't knowwhat."
"I do," said a sweet-faced "Seventher," who had been quietly studyingduring all this noise. "Poor Gwendolyn is sorry but isn't one bithumble. She's absolutely just and has done what she believed right.But it hasn't helped her much. She's fully as proud as she ever was,and the only way we can help her is by loving her. We've _got_ to loveher or she'll grow harder than ever."
"You can't make love as you'd make a--a pin-cushion!" returned FloritaSheraton, holding up, to illustrate, a Christmas gift she wasembroidering.
Dorothy listened to this talk, her own heart upbraiding her for herfailure to "love" Gwen. She liked her greatly and admired her couragemore.
"Win, let's you and me try and see if that is true, what Floritasays. Maybe love can be 'made' after all;" she whispered to herfriend.
"Huh! That'll be a harder job than algebra! I shall fail in both."
"I reckon I shall, too, but we can try--all the same. That won't hurteither one of us and I'm awfully sorry for her, she must be solonesome."
"'Pity is akin to love!' You've taken the first step in your climbtoward Gwen's top-lofty heart!" quoted Winifred. "Climb away and I'llboost you as well as I can. I--"
"Miss Dorothy Calvert, the Lady Principal would like to see you in herown parlor;" said a maid, appearing at the door.
"What now? You seem to be greatly in demand, to-day, by the powersthat be, I hope it isn't a lecture the Bishop passed on to her todeliver," said Florita as Dorothy rose to obey.
But whatever fear Dolly felt of any such matter was banished by herfirst glance into her teacher's face. Miss Muriel had never lookedkinder nor better pleased than then, as, holding up a pair ofbeautiful white blankets she said:
"How will these do for the toboggan suit the Bishop wished me to getfor you?"
"Oh! Miss Muriel! Are those for me and so soon? Why, it's only an hourago, or not much more, since he spoke of it, and how could anybody goto town and back in that little while, in such a storm?"
"That wasn't necessary. These were in the house. Do you like them?"
"Like them! They're the softest, thickest, prettiest things! I neversaw any so fine, even at Aunt Betty's Bellevieu. Do you think I oughtto have them? Wouldn't cheaper ones answer for messing around in thesnow?"
"The question of expense is all right, dear, and we're fortunate tohave the material on hand. Mrs. Archibald will be here, directly, totake your measurements. Ah! here she is now."
This was something delightfully different from any "lecture," and evenMiss Muriel talked more and in higher spirits than usual; till Dorothyasked:
"Do you love tobogganing, too, Miss Tross-Kingdon?"
"No, my dear, I'm afraid of it. My heart is rather weak and the swiftmotion is bad for it. But I love to see others happy and some thingshave happened, to-day, which have greatly pleased me. But you musttalk sliding with Mrs. Archibald. Dignified as she is, she'll show youwhat a true Canadian can do, give her a bit of ice and a hill."
The matron laughed and nodded.
"May the day be long before I tire of my nation's sport! I'm evenworse than Michael, who's almost daft on the subject."
Then she grew busy with her measurings and clippings, declaring: "Itjust makes me feel bad to put scissors into such splendid blankets asthese. You'll be as proud as Punch, when I dress you out in thehandsomest costume ever shot down Oak Knowe slide!"
"Oh! I wish Aunt Betty could see it, too. She does so love nicethings!"
When Mrs. Archibald and her willing helpers had completed her task andDolly was arrayed in her snow-suit she made, indeed, "the picture"which Dawkins called her.
For the weather proved what the Bishop had foretold. The snow felldeep and heavy, "just right for packing," Michael said, on the greatwooden slide whose further end rose to a dizzy height and from whoselower one a second timbered "hill" rose and descended.
If the toboggan was in good working order, the momentum gained in thedescent of the first would carry the toboggans up and over the second;and nothing could have been in finer condition than these on that nextSaturday morning when the sport was to begin. The depression betweenthe two slides was over a small lake, or pond, now solidly frozen andcovered with snow; except in spots where the ice had been cut forfilling the Oak Knowe ice-houses. Into one of these holes Michael andhis force had plunged a long hose pipe, and a pump had been contrivedto throw water upward over the slide.
On the night before men had been stationed on the slide, at intervals,to distribute this water over the whole incline, the intense coldcausing it to freeze the instant it fell; and so well they understoodtheir business they had soon rendered it a perfectly smooth slide ofice from top to bottom. A little hand-railed stairway, for the ascentof the tobogganers, was built into the timbers of the toboggan, orincline, itself; and it was by this that they climbed back to the topafter each descent, dragging their toboggans behind them. At thefurther side of the lake, close to its bank, great blazing fires werebuilt, where the merry makers could warm themselves, or rest on thebenches placed around.
Large as some of the toboggans were they were also light and easilycarried, some capable of holding a half-dozen girls--"packed close."Yet some sleds could seat but two, and these were the handsomest ofall. They belonged to the girls who had grown proficient in the sportand able to take care of themselves; while some man of the householdalways acted as guide on the larger sleds and for the younger pupils.
When Dorothy came out of the great building, that Saturday holiday,she thought the whole scene was truly fairyland. The evergreens wereloaded to the ground with their burden of snow, the wide lawns weredazzlingly bright, and the sun shone brilliantly.
"Who're you going to slide with, Dolly? On Michael's sled? I guess theLady Principal will say so, because you're so new to it. Will you beafraid?"
"Why should I be afraid? I used to slide down the mountain side when Ilived at Skyrie. What makes you laugh, Winifred? This won't be verydifferent, will it?"
"Wait till you try it! It's perfectly glorious but it isn't just thesame as sliding down a hill, where a body can stop and step off anyti
me. You can't step off a toboggan, unless you want to get killed."
Dorothy was frightened and surprised, and quickly asked:
"How can anybody call that 'sport' which is as dangerous as that? Whatdo you mean? I reckon I won't go. I'll just watch you."
It was Winifred's turn to stare, but she was also disappointed.
"Oh! you little 'Fraid-Cat,' I thought you were never afraid ofanything. That's why I liked you. One why--and there are otherwhys--but don't you back out in this. Don't you dare. When you've gotthat be-a-u-tiful rig and a be-a-u-tiful toboggan to match. I'd hateto blush for you, Queen Baltimore!"
"I have no toboggan, Winnie, dear. You know that. I was wonderingwho'd take me on theirs--if--if I try it at all."
Winifred rushed to the other side of the porch and came flying back,carrying over her head a toboggan, so light and finely polished thatit shone; also a lovely cushion of pink and white dragged from onehand. This fitted the flat bottom of the sled and was held in place,when used, by silver catches. The whole toboggan was of this onepolished board, curving upward in front according to the most approvedform, pink tassels floating from its corners that pink silk cords heldin their place. Across this curving front was stenciled in pink:"Dorothy Calvert."
"There, girlie, what do you say to that? Isn't it marked plainlyenough? Didn't you know about it before? Why all we girls have beenjust wild with envy of you, ever since we saw it among the others."
Dorothy almost caught her breath. It certainly was a beauty, thattoboggan! But how came she to have it?
"What do you mean, Winifred Christie? Do you suppose the Bishop hashad it made, or bought it, for me? Looks as if it had cost a lot. AndAunt Betty has lost so much money she can't afford to pay for extrathings--not very high ones--"
"Quit borrowing trouble, Queenie! Who cares where it came from or howmuch it cost? Here it is with your own name on it and if you're toobig a goose to use it, I shall just borrow it myself. So there youare. There isn't a girl here but wouldn't be glad to have first rideon it. Am I invited?" and Winifred poked a saucy face under herfriend's hood.
"Am I?" asked Florita Sheraton, coaxingly throwing her arms aroundDolly.
"Oh! get away, Flo! You're too big! You'd split the thing in two!"said Ernesta, pulling away her chum's arms. "Just look at me, DollyDoodles! Just see how nice and thin I am! Why I'm a feather's weightto Flo, and I'm one of the best tobogganers at Oak Knowe. Sure. AskMrs. Archibald herself, for here she comes all ready for her share ofthe fun!"
"Yes, yes, lassie, you're a fair one at the sport now and give somepromise o' winning the cup yet!" answered the matron, joining thegirls and looking as fit and full of life as any of them.
"Hear! Hear! Hurrah for 'Nesta! Three cheers for the champion cupwinner!"
"And three times three for the girl Dolly chooses to share her firstslide on the new toboggan!" cried somebody, while a dozen laughingfaces were thrust forward and as many hands tapped on the breasts ofthe pleaders, signifying: "Choose me!"
The Bishop was already on hand, looking almost a giant in hismufflers, and as full of glee as the youngest there. The ladyPrincipal, in her furs, had also joined the group, for though she didnot try the slides, she loved to watch the enjoyment of the others,from a warm seat beside the bonfire.
While Dorothy hesitated in her choice, looking from one to another ofthe merry, pleading faces about her, Gwendolyn Borst-Kennard stood alittle apart, watching with keen interest the little scene before her,while the elder members of the group also exchanged some interestedglances.
"Count us! Count us! That's fair! Begin: 'Intry, mintry, outry, corn;wire, brier, apple, thorn. Roly, poly, dimble-dee;--O--U--T spells Outgoes SHE!'"
Over and over, they laughingly repeated the nonsense-jingle, each girlwhom the final "she" designated stepping meekly back with pretendedchagrin, while the "counting out" went on without her. The gamepromised to be so long that the matron begged:
"Do settle it soon, young ladies! We're wasting precious time."
Dorothy laughed and still undecided, happened to glance towardGwendolyn, who had made no appeal for preference, and called out:
"Gwen, dear, will you give me my first lesson? I choose Gwendolyn!"
It was good to see the flush of happiness steal into Gwen's face andto see the smile she flashed toward Dorothy. Stepping forward shesaid:
"Thank you, dear. I do appreciate this in you, and you needn't beafraid. The Lady Principal knows I can manage a toboggan fairly well,and this of yours seems to be an exact copy of my own that I've usedso long."
Other cheers followed this and in a moment the whole party had spreadover the white grounds leading to the great slide, the good Bishopfollowing more slowly with the other "grown-ups," and softly clappinghis mittened hands.
"Good! Fine! I like that. Dorothy has ignorantly done the one rightthing. If she could only guess the secret which lies under all howthankful she would be that she made this choice and no other."