Part 34 (1/2)
Then Nathalie was off, running swiftly over the lawn, peering first on one side and then the other as she gave a Bob White whistle, then a Tru-al-lee, ending with the shout, ”Girls! Girls! where are you?” then the Bob White whistle again.
Her cry was heard, and one by one the Pioneers sheepishly crawled from their places of safety and joined Nathalie on the lawn. They listened with shamed faces as she told them who and what it was that had caused their sudden departure. They were reluctant to show themselves at first, especially when they learned that Mrs. Morrow was there and had heard all about their foolish flight. But with a bit of coaxing on Nathalie's part they returned, and in a few minutes were again in their cheer-fire circle, with two additional guests, Mrs. Van Vorst and Nita, besides Mrs. Morrow, who had thought when the girls first began to tell their stories to slip in and thank Mrs. Van Vorst for her kindness, with the result that she had been a witness to their lack of bravery, as she termed it.
The rest of the evening pa.s.sed quickly after one or two had told their thrillers, to the great satisfaction of Nita, who enjoyed them immensely. After the stories were told, there was a marshmallow roast, which was entered into with zest, and then came the burning send-off to Louise Gaynor, who, when her name was called, came shyly forward to receive an enormous pie, from which hung streamers of gay colored ribbons, each streamer being tied to a keepsake from one of the Pioneers.
Mrs. Morrow now expressed the regret of the Pioneers at losing so good a comrade and friend, with the added wish that she would always remember them with love, and the a.s.surance that they would carry her on their hearts with devout wishes for her health and happiness. The streamers were pulled one by one and the loving gifts were brought forth as a tribute to the sweetest songster of the band.
The last streamer brought to light a Round Robin letter, which Louise faithfully promised not to open until the dates set, as for each day in the year of absence she would find a few words of cheer and love from her comrades, the Girl Pioneers of America.
After a few songs from the girls, Louise sang one or two of her old English songs, Lillie accompanying her on the mandolin, and then Mrs.
Morrow, in a neat little speech, commended Nathalie for her courage in holding her ground when the others had taken to flight. As she ended there was a moment's silence and then each and every girl was shouting as loud as she could:
”Hear! hear! a brave Pioneer!
Three cheers for Nathalie dear!”
This cheer was most embarra.s.sing to Nathalie, who wiggled uneasily with flushed cheeks as she tried to make the girls hear that she was not brave at all. But her protests were drowned by the merry voices, as after three cheers they broke into their Pioneer song of good-by to Louise. This was followed by the song that every Pioneer loves to sing and that was:
”We're Pioneers, Girl Pioneers!
We're Pioneers, Girl Pioneers!
We will be brave, and kind and true; We're Pioneers, Girl Pioneers!
Hear! Hear! Hear!
Girl Pioneer!
Come, give a cheer!
Girl Pi-o-neer!!!”
One bright morning two weeks after the f.a.got party, Helen with wondering surprise mingled with pleasure read the following:
”Madame Van Vorst presents her compliments to Mistress Helen Dame, and begs the pleasure of her company on the afternoon of the sixth of July, at a _Kraeg_, to meet her daughter, Mistress Anita Van Vorst, in the celebration of the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the building of the Van Vorst homestead. Mistress Helen is requested to appear in the costume of a 'goede vrouw' of Mana-ha-ta.”
”A _Kraeg_-what does that mean?” queried the girl, as with puzzled brows she eyed the tiny picture of the ”Homestead” surmounting the invitation, with the dates, 1664-1914. ”Ah, Nathalie will know!” The next moment the girl was hurrying across the lawn to her neighbor's veranda, where she had spied her cosily ensconced in the hammock screened from observant eyes by a bower of green leaves.
Nathalie looked up as she heard her step and trilled a soft tru-al-lee in recognition, as Helen gave the brownish envelope in her hand a flourish.
”I knew you would be wanting to know what that meant.” Nathalie smiled happily at her friend as she pointed to the envelope.
”I understand the invitation all right,” was the quick retort, ”and congratulate you on your success in winning the madame to your views that it was a shame to allow little Anita to bloom behind those high walls. But-can you tell me what kind of a thing a _Kraeg_ is?”
”It means a Dutch house-warming! But there, I am not going to tell you any more, wait until the sixth.”
”'In the costume of a goede vrouw of Mana-ha-ta,'” read Helen slowly.
”May I deign to ask your Dutch Majesty to explain what this means?”
”You may,” nodded the occupant of the hammock, ”for her Dutch Majesty has spent many weary hours with Miss Anita studying just that part of the program. You see, we want to have the real Dutch atmosphere of the early period, so we decided to have each girl impersonate some woman pioneer, and then tell who she was and what she did.”