Part 43 (1/2)
And from the Pioneer industries and crafts she had learned to be useful.
She thought of the first time she had tried to darn a stocking at the Rally. Yes, and they had helped her to be happy, for they had given her a purpose in life. As for the sports and activities, they had brought her in closer touch with nature, giving her a keener interest in things that had never appealed to her before. And the rules and laws, even the good old-timey women had all done their share in making definite those qualities which she now saw were necessary in order to be a success in life.
She realized, but dimly, perhaps, that she had gotten nearer the hearts of these people of the workaday world, not only Helen, but Edith and Jessie, who were all to be wage-earners that fall, thus opening up to her a new avenue of hopes and desires. Wasn't it strange how she used to dread the thought of having to earn her own living, and now she was worrying as to how she could earn more money to add to what she had earned already for d.i.c.k! Then a sudden thought jarred, oh, suppose Mrs.
Van Vorst, now that Nita had become so different with her sunburned cheeks and merry ways from what she had been before she met the Pioneers, should not want her any more! Oh, well, if that should be-ah, they were getting into New York! She stooped and had begun to gather up her belongings when some one spoke to her.
It was Mrs. Van Vorst, who, with her gracious little smile-how changed she seemed from on that morning when Nathalie had handed her the card in front of the library-said, ”Nathalie, Nita and I are going to take a run up to St. Luke's Hospital to visit that sick friend-you know the one I told you about, who just had an operation performed-and Nita wants you to go with us.”
”Oh, but Mother will be waiting to see me!” exclaimed the girl blankly.
O dear, she didn't want to go, for she was in such a hurry to see her mother and d.i.c.k.
”Oh, that will be all right,” nodded her friend quickly. ”Mrs. Morrow will stop at the door, and you can tell her you will be along in the next train, for we shall not be long at the hospital.”
Twenty minutes later the three ladies, each with a big bouquet which Nita had insisted upon their taking, were entering a large, bare-looking reception room. ”Now, girls,” said Mrs. Van Vorst, ”I will hurry up in the elevator and see how the patient is, and then perhaps you can both come and see him-her-” Mrs. Van Vorst's face grew strangely red-she turned abruptly and hurried from the room.
It was but a few moments when she was back again, and with a bright little nod cried, ”Come, Nathalie, my friend is fine this morning, and very anxious to see visitors, so come along!”
”I wonder why the patient wants to see me,” soliloquized the girl in puzzled query. ”Isn't Nita coming?” she cried aloud, seeing the girl standing by the window with an odd little smile on her face.
”Oh, yes, later; only one at a time at present,” was the quick reply.
Nathalie was still thinking how strange it seemed and how smiling Mrs.
Van Vorst appeared, when they came to a halt in front of a door in an upper corridor. ”Here we are,” said her companion, ”now run in and see my friend!” She threw open the door as she spoke.
Nathalie took a step forward, stared a minute with puzzled brows, and then with a loud cry flung herself with outstretched arms upon a figure standing in the center of the room, for it was d.i.c.k!
”Oh, how did you get here and-” but the rest was lost, for d.i.c.k was hugging her and kissing her in a way that more than astonished the girl, for he had always declared he hated to kiss people. And then he held her off and with s.h.i.+ning eyes surveyed the suntanned cheeks of Nathalie approvingly, as he cried, ”So you're back, Blue Robin-and-great guns, as fat as a porpoise, too!”
”But what are you doing here?” inquired the still dazed girl slowly-”are you the lady?”
”Lady!” echoed d.i.c.k. ”I, a lady? Not on your life! What have you got into your head now?” he quizzed teasingly.
”But Mrs. Van Vorst said I was to meet a lady-”
”Oh, she was just bluffing you, that's all,” jeered d.i.c.k. ”She wanted to surprise you, for-” then Nathalie gave a loud scream, for d.i.c.k had begun to walk towards the bureau, slowly, to be sure, for his muscles were stiff, but he was straight as an arrow.
”Oh-why, d.i.c.k, where is your cane? You'll fall-” and then something must have whispered to the girl,-perhaps it was intuition for in a flash she seemed to know.
”d.i.c.k,” she gasped, ”you've had the operation, and you're all right?”
This last was in a tense whisper.
”You bet I am,” returned d.i.c.k cheerily, ”and in good shape, too. The doctor says I can go home in a week.”