Chapter XVII
RETURN
"For she's a jolly good fellow, for she's a jolly good fellow----" theAdventure Girls sang loudly if not well.
"And a hot cha cha!" Janet put in lavishly.
"That doesn't fit," Carol complained.
"I don't care whether it does or not," Janet said irrelevantly. "I'mhappy and I don't care who knows it."
"What is the reason?" Carol inquired suspiciously.
"Gale's return," Janet said promptly, a little too promptly.
The young people were gathered in the living room of the Howard home.All the Adventure Girls were present. Gale had been back one week nowbut they never refused any opportunity to have any sort of gala occasionin honor of her return. There had been little gatherings and partiesever since the plane that brought her back had landed at the Marchtonairport. Tonight, however, was devoted strictly to only the AdventureGirls. They had demanded one night for their very own.
Now they all cocked a suspicious eye in Janet's direction to seek thecause of her extra-exuberant spirits. That young lady was deeplyinvolved in looking through the music on the piano. They had sung nearlyevery piece there, but Janet was still seeking another to which todevote their talents.
"See here," Carol turned Janet squarely about, "confess all! What hashappened to you? You were in a glow all through English class thisafternoon and anything that can make you glow in that class iscolossal."
"Is that so?" Janet scoffed.
"Is it a secret?" Madge asked hopefully from her position on the arm ofPhyllis' chair, idly strumming her ukulele.
"Aren't we your bestest pals? Don't we tell you everything?" Carolinsisted. "Come on, Janet, what is it all about?"
Janet bent intently over a pile of music. "If you must know, MarkSherwin has asked me to the Senior Prom."
"No!"
"Whoopee! He asks far enough ahead of time."
"No wonder you were all smiles!" Carol declared. "So that is it! Yourhero!"
"He isn't," Janet said shortly. "He's nice, he has ambition," she addedloftily.
"Happy days are here again," Carol said, whirling Janet around the room.
"Be quiet," Janet complained. "You're jealous," she accused.
"Where is the dance to be held?" Phyllis wanted to know.
"At the Country Club," Valerie put in. "I'm on the dance committee."
"You are!" Madge echoed. "Why didn't you tell us?"
Valerie laughed. "I didn't know it myself until this afternoon. I hadalmost forgotten it. Who are you going with, Phyl?"
"If I can go," Phyllis said ruefully, "if my Aunt will let me, Davidwants to take me, but I don't know."
"She still insists on keeping you out of Briarhurst?" Gale asked.
Phyllis nodded vigorously. "I suppose I shall go to Stonecliff and weara horrid uniform."
"We must do something about that," Janet said. "We won't be separated,Aunt or no Aunt!"
Phyllis laughed but she didn't look as though she believed they could doanything. She knew her Aunt better than any of them.
"Who is taking you to the prom, Gale?"
"I----"
"I'll bet she can't make up her mind," teased Janet. "Which is it, Gale?Bruce or Brent?"
"It is a secret," Gale said promptly. "You shan't any of you know untilyou see me there."
"Ah, that isn't fair!" the others complained.
"But it will give you something to look forward to," Gale laughed.
To tell the truth she didn't know. Bruce might ask her. He usually tookher to the school dances but she--she wanted to ask Brent but she was alittle afraid. Afraid he would refuse and then she would be hurt. Shehadn't seen much of him since her return to Marchton. He had gone toWashington the day after and had not yet returned; if, she added toherself, he intended to return.
When the others teased her she remained silent. A mysterious smile wasall the reply she would give them.
The girls gave no thought to the classes they would have tomorrow whilethey were enjoying themselves and it was late when they finally bid Galea sleepy good night. After a little straightening up Gale crept away toher own room but not to sleep. She brought out her books and tackled thelessons which she found difficult. During her absence the classwork hadgone forward and now she was hard pressed to make up for lost time.
Soon, however, the pencil dropped from her fingers and she stared outthe window to where the winter moon floated easily through the clouds.She thought of Antoinette and sighed. It had been very hard to part fromthe French friends she had made. She missed the three in the littleCanadian cottage more than anyone knew. Especially she missed the sweetfriendly presence of the girl and her romps with Toto. She missed thecold nights in the bright moonlight when she had tramped in the snow.Here she could not go out walking when she felt like it. Her parents andfriends would think her insane if she should go for a walk late atnight. There would never be the same freedom here that there had been inCanada for that short time.
Gale yawned and closed her history book. She could not cram anothersentence into her head tonight. Her eyes burned and felt heavy. She tookdeep breaths of the cool air that drifted in the window but she did notfeel refreshed.
Upon a sudden decision she took her woolly coat from her closet and ontiptoe crept into the hall and down the stairs. At every creak of thesteps she held her breath lest her Mother call her. She didn't proposeto do anything wrong, but she felt she must get away from the house,away from the books and studies that were becoming more and moredifficult, from the worry of her examinations which was beginning tohave a smothering effect on her.
Dry leaves rustled beneath her feet as she went down the path to thestreet. There she turned in the direction of the bay. At the tiny wharfshe seated herself on a deserted soap box and gazed out over the gentleswell of waves. A huge blot in the darkness was the island. Beyond thatlashed the heavy ocean waves. She could hear the roar of the surf evenat this distance. She sniffed appreciatively and felt the spell ofdepression that had enveloped her lifting.
Suddenly she heard a sound in the stillness. It was a footfall and quiteabruptly a man was outlined against the line of water and sky as hestood at the opposite end of the wharf from her. His figure was a mereblot, indistinguishable. He carried a huge bag or box, Gale could notdetermine which in the indistinct light. As she watched he set this downat his feet and took a few steps along the edge, peering over into thewater.
Gale, in order to have a better point of vision, dropped from the wharfinto the rear seat of Bruce's motor boat. She pulled a huge piece ofcanvas over her and lay still, watching the shadow up above her througha slit in the canvas. It had come to her suddenly that she had beenquite mad to come down to the shore at this hour. Burglars, smugglers,anyone might be here. Even though she had never heard much of suchdesperate characters in Marchton now, with the stranger standingominously in the shadows, her imagination pictured all sorts of crimes.
Footsteps approached and Gale hastily drew the canvas more fully overher. A thud, and the boat rocked as another person took his position upin the front at the wheel. A few minutes later and after several falseattempts, the motor broke into a roar that shattered the stillness ofthe night like a roll of thunder.
Gale peered out and thought of making a wild dash for the safety of thewharf but it was already too late. The shore was being rapidly leftbehind. She glanced up at the prow. The man was leaning over, gettingevery ounce of speed from the engine that was possible. Again Galementally scolded herself for the foolhardy thing she had done. Sheshould never have come to the wharf; but in the second place, and nowmore important, she should never have gotten into the boat. She was anunwilling passenger of a strange pilot on a still stranger cruise.
At first she had thought the boat was headed out for the open sea but,by discreetly raising her head for a glimpse into the darkness ahead,she saw the pilot was heading straight for the island. What could he
want there? Gale had not been there since the day Brent left. It wasdeserted as far as she knew. The club house which Brent had occupiedduring his stay there was boarded up for the winter. What could he want?
The boat veered off sharply and chugged onto the shore. The prow gratedon the pebbly sand and Gale kept herself hidden until she was sure thepilot had jumped clear and started up the beach. Then she raised herselfand looked after him. The dark figure was striding up toward the clubhouse.
Gale stood up and after some difficulty negotiated her way up to theprow of the boat from where she could jump onto the sand. The waterlapped her shoes as she darted away from the boat and sprang up thebeach, keeping in the shadows out of sight of the stranger. She must seewhat he was about. Her curiosity was aroused and a feverish interest tokeep the strange man and his doings in sight gripped her.
The figure ahead of her had approached the club house. He was workingwith the door and she saw it give beneath his weight. A second later hedisappeared into the darkness within. She waited until a faint glimmerof light came from between the boards on the windows and from beneaththe door. Then she crept forward. It was impossible to see into the roombetween the boards and she was puzzled. She must find out what he wasdoing in there! Cautiously she moved to the door. It was not latched,merely pushed to a thin crack. Gently she began to move it open farenough for her to see into the interior.
To the man inside the little club house, the slowly moving door wassinister and threatening. Not a sound came to his ears; that is, nohuman sound. He could hear the lapping of the water on the shore, couldhear the swish of a tree branch on the roof, but there was no indicationof another's presence on the other side of the door.
He grasped a stout piece of wood which had originally been intended fora fire log and advanced slowly. About five paces from the threshold hehalted and waited. The door had stopped moving. He could see nothing buthe sensed someone standing there, listening. Cautiously he stretched outhis hand and gave the door a sudden jerk inward. A girlish figure wasprecipitated into the room at his feet.
"Oh!" Gale almost shrieked as a brown hand seized her own. Her heartraced with terror until she saw his face.
"Brent!"
"Gale!"
The man flung aside his bit of firewood and helped her to her feet.
"You were almost crowned," he declared laughing. "I thought a ghost ofan ancient pirate had risen to confront me."
"And I thought you were a smuggler or something!" Gale admittedlaughingly. "I was going to protect our club house from any of yournefarious schemes."
"How did you get on the island?" he asked.
"I rode over in the boat--with you," she explained and smiled at hismystification. "I was hiding under the canvas in the stern."
"Suppose I had been a burglar or something," he admonished. "You wouldbe in a fine mess."
"But I'm glad you aren't," she said. She swung herself up onto the tableand swung her legs out before her, regarding him with serious eyes. "Butwhat are you doing here at this hour?"
"Lady, you see a recently returned traveler seeking some place to layhis weary head."
"You came back to Marchton tonight?" she murmured. "Why didn't you cometo our house?"
"It was too late to barge in upon anybody. I had the brilliant thoughtof your club house and decided I would like to spend a night here again.So here I am," he finished.
"It is boarded up for the winter," Gale said with a distasteful glancearound her at the dust and shuttered windows. "It isn't very pleasantnow."
"Never mind about me," he declared. "Young lady, you explain what youmean by running around at this hour of the night alone? You should be inbed and asleep."
Gale grimaced wryly. "I wasn't sleepy and I felt like walking."
He swung her down from the table. "Come along, I'll take you home."
"But you aren't coming back here, are you?" she protested when she sawhe had left his traveling bag behind them in the club house.
"For tonight," he said.
"But--but it is so cold and damp and--dangerous."
He laughed. "Nonsense. I want to--I want to think about something andthis is a fine place for it. Tomorrow I'm going to the Ayres Hotel."
Gale let her protests subside. For the ride over to the mainland she wasmostly silent. It was not until they stood at the gate to the Howardyard that she asked the question that had been bothering her.
"Are you going to be in Marchton long?" she asked.
"Not so very long," he answered. "You see, Gale, I've been offered aposition with the Transcontinental Air Line Company. It--it's the chanceI've been waiting for."
"I'm glad," Gale said, even though in her heart she felt she wasn't gladbecause then she wouldn't see him very often. "You will live inWashington?" she heard herself asking.
"Yes." It seemed as though he wanted to say something else but decidednot to. Instead he murmured, "Good night."
But Gale stopped him. "Brent, I'd like to ask you--that is would youmind--I mean, will you go to the Senior Prom with me?" Her words seemedloud and brazen to her own ears. She couldn't see him very well in theshadows but she had the horrified notion he was laughing at her. Andwhat man in his position wouldn't laugh? Not that he was so much olderthan she--he couldn't be more than twenty-three and she was almostnineteen. It was just that she should have the cheek to ask him! Shefelt like crying, "Don't pay any attention to me. I know you won't go. Ishouldn't have asked," when as if in a dream she heard him saying--
"That will be great, Gale. When is it?"
As Gale ran the short distance to the house she felt as though she weretreading on air. Her heart was soaring with ecstasy. It was a smallmatter to creep upstairs, undress and get into bed without making asound. Once in bed she could give herself up utterly to dreams of thatgala night to come.