Peggy Raymond's Vacation Part 25

It really began to look as if Jerry were seriously offended. For several days there had been no fresh fish at Dolittle Cottage. Peggy reproached herself for having gone too fast. "I ought to have told him about Audubon and David and let it soak in awhile. But when he started to talk about going to school, there didn't seem any way out of saying what I thought."

Jerry's prolonged absence was very annoying to Peggy. Five minutes face to face, she felt sure, would straighten out the tangle. Peggy had a not unreasonable confidence in the efficacy of kindly frankness. If Jerry once understood the friendliness of her criticism, it was impossible that he should cherish a grudge against her.

As a matter of fact, the mood which accounted for Jerry's aloofness was no more puzzling to Peggy than to Jerry himself. His first resentment of her criticism had burned itself out for lack of fuel, and had been succeeded by a restlessness unappeased by hours of tramping and climbing. For the first time since he could remember, Jerry found himself looking ahead, questioning the future. In spite of his real ability and his freedom from the more outbreaking faults, Jerry had been progressing steadily toward utter worthlessness, by the simple but effective method of always obeying the whim of the moment. The old grandmother with whom he lived had long before given up all attempt to control the boy, who was generally good-natured when allowed to do exactly as he pleased. Jerry enjoyed himself, kept busy in his own way and returned the disapproval of the community with interest.

Under the influence of the girls at Dolittle Cottage, and of Peggy in particular, Jerry's att.i.tude toward the world had been gradually changing. He found to his surprise that he liked to be liked. The courteous att.i.tude of these strangers had raised him in his own estimation. The frequent appearance of the hand-painted necktie and the pointed shoes--both of which had belonged to Jerry's father--was indicative of a change that went deep.

The part he had taken in Lucy Haines' benefit had also had its share in his development. Strange to say, the extent of Jerry's musical attainments had proved a surprise, even to the people who had known him from babyhood, and he had received more compliments since that occasion than had fallen to his lot in his previous sixteen years of existence.

Whereupon Jerry made the discovery that the praise and admiration of one's fellows is pleasanter than their disapproval, and his youthful cynicism had weakened accordingly.

The effect of Peggy's words on this new-born complacency was the havoc of a hailstorm on premature buds. Just as he was beginning to enjoy the flavor of approbation, his attention had been directed to his lacks and shortcomings. He stayed away from Dolittle Cottage because his last visit had been responsible for this present uneasy discomfort. He fished and hunted, rose early, and wandered late, without succeeding in the effort which older and wiser people have undertaken with equally poor success, the attempt to escape from one's self.

One of the Snooks children was waiting for him when he came home late one afternoon. Mrs. Snooks had hesitated when Peggy had asked to use one of the boys as a messenger, not being sure that the loaning of her offspring for such a purpose was not contrary to her newly acquired principles. The casual mention on Peggy's part of a dime to be awarded the messenger, had settled the question satisfactorily, and little Andy Snooks, digging his bare toes into the yielding earth, at last found the chance to do his errand.

"They's going to Snake River, them city girls. And She says--" Jerry did not find the p.r.o.noun ambiguous--"She says will you drive 'em?"

"I'm going to be busy."

Little Andy stared unbelievingly.

"They's baking turnovers and things. She gave me a cooky with a crinkled edge. 'Twas good, too, you bet."

"You tell 'em I'll be busy." Jerry pushed past Andy and entered the house. He was astonished at the turmoil of his spirit. "Wish she'd let me alone," he said fiercely. "I'm not bothering her none. I don't see why she can't leave me be."

Peggy received the concise report of her messenger with a little grimace which hid a real disappointment.

"The silly boy!" she mused. "Next time I'll go myself. I simply won't stand his sulking. It's too absurd." Then she gave her attention to the more immediate problem.

"Well, girls, Jerry won't drive us and Lucy can't." Lucy Haines was devoting herself to making her meagre wardrobe ready for the opening of school, and for her a holiday was out of the question. "Now, what are we going to do? Give it up?"

An indignant chorus negatived that suggestion. "I used to know something about driving," said Elaine, who seemed to have developed a remarkable faculty for filling vacancies of almost any description. "But I shouldn't like to try to manage spirited horses. Now what are you all laughing at?"

"You could hardly call Nat and Bess spirited," Peggy replied, when she could make herself heard. "Not if you keep them away from hornets'

nests, anyway." She explained her qualification by telling the story of the other memorable picnic, and the description of the two old horses which Farmer Cole had placed at the disposal of the cottagers entirely relieved Elaine's uncertainty.

"I'll do it, then. I seem to be a regular Jack-at-a-pinch," she laughed.

"You're an emergency girl, and I'm proud of you," Peggy declared. "The wonder of it is that we've been able to get along without you this summer. Now that you're here, you seem indispensable."

Accordingly it happened that Jerry Morton, from a point of concealment in the underbrush, watched a farm-wagon rattle past the following morning, the faces of the occupants indicating high spirits, their voices blending jubilantly, in spite of his rejection of the chance to share the day's pleasure. "The new one's driving," Jerry said to himself. "But then, they could tie the lines to the whip stock and them two old plugs would take 'em there all right, just so they didn't fall down on the way." It was a relief to him to know that his refusal had not detracted from the pleasure of the company, and yet he was inconsistent enough to resent the gay chatter and the unclouded cheeriness of the smiling faces. He plunged back into the woods, well aware that his surrept.i.tious glimpse had not helped to ease that inner disquiet.

The drive scheduled for the morning was longer than that to Day's Woods, but the charm of their destination was worth the extra effort. The spot to which they had been directed was a knoll on the river's edge, crowned by tall pine-trees, whose needles formed a fragrant carpet. Snake River was an erratic stream, which, to judge from appearances, lived up to the principle of always following the line of the least resistance. It turned and twisted in fantastic curves, suggesting that the name Snake River might have been applied because of its serpentine windings.

Charming little islands dotted its course, like green beads strung irregularly upon a silver cord. To add to its attractions, there was a dwelling near the knoll, with a barn where their horses could be cared for, and the white-haired, rheumatic old man who led Nat and Bess away to their well-earned oats, pointed out two canoes, fastened to a silver birch at the river's edge, which could be rented for the moderate sum of ten cents apiece for the entire day.

As on all well-conducted picnics, luncheon came early, and then followed the diversions which invariably contribute to the pleasure of such festive occasions. The girls strolled in the woods, picked the showy, scentless flowers, which had replaced the small, fragrant blossoms of springtime, and took little excursions on the river, two to a canoe. The strength of the current was something of a surprise. Ruth and Amy floating down the stream, and barely dipping their paddles into the water, had exclaimed over the ease of propelling the little bark. But the attempt to return to their starting-point had proved that the smoothly flowing water had a will of its own. The paddles were plied vigorously, and the girls reached the birch-tree with little beads of moisture showing at their temples, and an unusual color in their cheeks.

"Another time I'd paddle up stream and float down," exclaimed Amy, stepping ash.o.r.e, and fanning herself with her hat. "I want my hard times at the start. But who would have supposed that there was such a current in this lazy old river?"

Characteristically Peggy defended the reputation of the stream. "It's not lazy a bit. Up here it winds around a good deal, but that's only its playtime. Just a mile or two below are the falls, and I think the power is carried quite a long way to some town for electric lights and that sort of thing. So Snake River's really a worker."

The drowsy hour of the afternoon had arrived. The breeze which had been so fresh in the early morning had died down. The pine-trees on the knoll rustled softly, and the sound was as soothing as a lullaby. "I believe I'll feel better for a nap," said Aunt Abigail, and forthwith settled herself on a steamer rug, spread out invitingly. The suggestion proved popular, and the younger members of the party followed her example, except that most of them stretched out luxuriously on the pine needles, sun-warmed and fragrant.

Dorothy looked about on the somnolent gathering with dismay. "Aunt Peggy, I don't like sleepy picnics. I want to play tag."

"Oh, it's too hot for tag, and, besides, you always squeal so when you're caught that it would wake everybody up. Don't you want a tiny bit of a nap?" Either because of the force of example, or because the languor of the summer day was too much even for her energy, Peggy herself was frankly sleepy.

"But I can have naps to my house." Dorothy's chin quivered in her disappointment, and Peggy surrendered with a laugh.

"Naps are a kind of fun you can have almost anywhere, can't you, dear?

Well, we mustn't play tag, but we'll take one of the canoes and go on a nice little expedition all by ourselves."

Dorothy's face was radiant over the prospect of stealing a march on the sleepers. She was on her feet in a moment, tiptoeing her way with exaggerated caution. Amy opening one eye, saw the buoyant little figure trip past, and wondered vaguely what was up, though in her state of comfortable lethargy it seemed altogether too much trouble to inquire.

"Now, you must sit as quiet as a mouse," warned Peggy, lifting Dorothy into the canoe. "For these boats are the tippy kind. And this time we'll go up stream instead of down."

The twisting, winding river was unexpectedly alluring. Every bend Peggy paddled past, the point just above beckoned her onward. Her temporary drowsiness had disappeared, and she enjoyed her sense of discovery and the exercise which was vigorous without being exhausting. Knowing that the return would be both swift and easy, she did not hesitate to yield to her new-born zeal for exploration, especially as Dorothy's face was expressive of unalloyed satisfaction.

"How pretty the river is here," Peggy exclaimed at last, breaking a long, happy silence. "Prettier than below, if anything. Dorothy, aren't you glad we're not sleeping away our chance to see all this?"

"My mamma puts me to bed when I'm _naughty_," replied Dorothy, thereby explaining her inability to regard sleep as a diversion. "And I've been a good girl to-day."

"We've both been good girls," boasted Peggy. "Too good to be sent to bed. And oh, Dorothy, see that darling little island! What do you say to landing and exploring?"

Dorothy was ready to agree to anything which promised novelty and excitement. Accordingly, Peggy paddled into the welcoming arms of a miniature harbor, tied her craft to a convenient willow, and helped her small niece ash.o.r.e.

Islands had always possessed for Peggy a peculiar fascination. The smaller they were the better, from her standpoint, since with the larger it was always necessary to remind one's self that they were not a part of the mainland. On this particular island it was quite impossible to forget for a moment that you were entirely surrounded by water.

Peggy pursued her discoveries with zest. Considering its detached and lonely state, the little island had conformed surprisingly to the ways of the mainland. Peggy found flowers of the same varieties that she had picked in the woods back of the knoll a little earlier. A blackberry vine was heavily hung with fruit, though some of the berries were dry and withered. Peggy noticed a bird's nest in a more exposed location than the little builder would have chosen elsewhere, she was sure, and she thought of the deductions Jerry would have drawn from this fact, and smiled while she sighed. Poor Jerry! She must take him in hand, and settle this absurd misunderstanding.

"Aunt Peggy," piped Dorothy, trotting at her heels, "let's not 'splore any longer. I don't like 'sploring."

"Oh, I don't want to stop till I've seen everything, Dorothy. Be a good girl and don't fret."

But Dorothy did not feel like being a good girl. One of her rare wilful moods had taken possession of her. She stood motionless, scowling at Peggy's unconscious back, and then her little face overcast and rebellious, she turned and made her way down to the willow and the waiting canoe. The latter moved gently as the water rippled past. It seemed to Dorothy to be tugging at its fastenings with an impatience that matched her own.

"You don't like 'sploring either, do you?" she said, addressing the canoe in a confidential undertone. "And--and it's very naughty of Aunt Peggy to want her own way all the time. I guess she'd be s'prised if we went off and left her."

The canoe repeated its wordless invitation. Dorothy drew closer, cast a defiant glance behind her, and then set one small foot firmly on the bottom of the uncertain craft. The responsive lurch was so unexpected that she went over in a heap, luckily landing in the bottom of the canoe, instead of in Snake River. She sat up, feeling a little frightened, and under the necessity of excusing herself.

"There, I didn't disobey Aunt Peggy, 'cept with one foot. I guess that old canoe pulled me in its own self."

Her complacency vanished with a startling discovery. The canoe had been carelessly tied and the jar of her tumble had loosened it altogether.

Yielding to the current it began to move down the stream, and Dorothy's alarm found vent in an ear-splitting shriek.

"Aunt Peggy! Aunt Peggy!"

Peggy came cras.h.i.+ng through the bushes, startled by the summons, and yet scarcely prepared for the sight which met her eyes. And then so rapidly did things happen, that there seemed to be no time to be frightened.

For, at the first glimpse of her rescuer, foolish little Dorothy sprang to her feet. As a matter of course the canoe overturned, throwing her into the water.