Part 18 (1/2)

Hannah, on the other hand, having ”slept like a top, the way you ought to in an upper berth,” as she said with a gleeful laugh, and having made her toilet with the lucky ease which seemed one of her characteristics, was full of good spirits, and joyous antic.i.p.ations. Winsted seemed very near, and her bubbling joy over the prospect of seeing Catherine added to Frieda's gloom. They went into the dining-car to breakfast, where Frieda was so unfortunate as to be shot from her seat as the train dashed around a curve, a gla.s.s of milk following her, anointing her hair and face in a manner calculated to ruffle the serenest temper. Hannah and the too friendly waiter helped her up with an effort at self-control, but Frieda had mislaid her sense of humor.

The change of cars in Chicago was accomplished simply, Hannah thoroughly enjoying leading the way and Frieda sulkily following. It would have taken more than a fit of sulks on Frieda's part to have quenched Hannah's joy in life that day, however, and she rattled on of the pleasures coming, scarcely noticing Frieda's failure to respond.

”Winsted!”

Hannah was out of the car almost before it stopped. Frieda, delayed by other pa.s.sengers who pushed in ahead of her, saw the rapturous meeting between her own Hannah and a tall sweet-faced girl with red-gold hair, whose beauty she was obliged to admit, though she did so gloomily. ”I hoped she would be homely,” she growled to herself as she stepped down to the platform, and suffered Catherine to kiss her cheek.

”Let's walk,” suggested Catherine. ”It's much too beautiful a day to be cooped in a bus. I'll have your bags sent up. O, Hannah, my darling, I've been waiting ages for you! And for you, too, Frieda,” she added shyly.

But Frieda was regarding the wrinkled pleats in her dress, and was conscious that her hair was still wet with milk; therefore she only mumbled something and stalked along beside the others who, in their delight at seeing each other, quickly forgot her, and chattered away in English, with many little bursts of laughter.

Dr. Helen was out when they reached the pretty house on the hillside.

Catherine led Frieda to the big rose guest-chamber, and then carried Hannah off across the wide hall to her own room and the little dressing-room opening from it, which Hannah had occupied on her first visit a year and a half before. The trunks arrived at once, and Hannah immediately began to unpack, Catherine sitting on the edge of the bed and exclaiming over every new frock as it came out. Frieda, left alone, because she had only partly understood the invitation the others gave her to join them, and had wilfully refused the part she had understood, was wretched indeed. She sat stiffly on a straight mahogany chair, and wished with all her might that she had never been born, or at least, if that mistake had been inevitable, that she had never left her native land.

Suddenly there came a quick tap at the door and Hannah, not waiting for a ”Come,” ran in and tossed a parcel into her lap.

”What? Aren't you dressed yet? Do hurry. Karl asked me to give you this as soon as we got here. Did Catherine show you your bath-room? You have one all to yourself; isn't that lovely? It's the most beautiful house, anyway. O, what dear roses on the dressing-table! Wasn't it just like Catherine to put them there? Hurry up. Dr. Helen will be here pretty soon, and Polly Osgood and Dot Winthrop are coming over to see us. I'd put on that white poplin skirt and the waist with the blue b.u.t.terfly bow at your throat. You look awfully fetching in that. Yes, Catherine, I'm coming,” and she flew out, tossing a kiss to Frieda.

In her excitement she had spoken in English, and the compliment was quite lost on Frieda who had not yet learned the meaning of ”fetching.”

That young person's sulks were not dissipated by the call, accordingly, and there is no telling what depths of obstinate misery she might have reached, had not Karl's parcel fallen to the floor and called attention to itself. With a manner which suggested to her mirror that life was distinctly not worth while, Frieda lifted the object and drearily removed the wrappings.

From a small carved frame Karl's clear honest face looked out at her, and a card in the corner read--in German--”Remember the compact, Comrade!”

Like a flash brightness came back to Frieda's face. Good cheer was much more natural to her than moroseness. From the face in the picture she turned her gaze to the tousled reflection in the mirror. ”The Fatherland is not much honored by such a representative!” she said, and began taking down her hair with a fine energy.

In the living-room downstairs teacups were clinking, and girls' voices, subdued and sweet, mingled with laughter. Hannah, her back to the door, was talking merrily to Dot, to whom she had taken an instantaneous liking; Catherine bent anxiously over the tea-tray on the wicker table in the window when Polly, from the comfortable depths of a low chair, looked up and saw on the landing of the stairs a picture that made her catch her breath.

Frieda, in a pale pink mull gown, with roses in her long soft sash, her yellow braids wound into a garland around her head, her cheeks burning with shyness, and her big eyes looking wistful and sweet, stood waiting.

Polly sprang up with a soft little ”O!” Catherine, looking up, smiled a welcome, but Polly went forward and taking Frieda's hands in both of hers, said eagerly: ”We've been waiting and waiting for you, Frieda.”

Dot was introduced, but her usual self-possession promptly deserted her.

”I always feel as though I ought to shout to a foreigner,” she had confessed to Hannah, ”and in order not to do that, I just have to keep still.” Catherine, who had felt a little rebuffed by Frieda's chilly manner at the station, and Hannah, not quite sure what the present mood might indicate, were both willing to leave to Polly the role she had undertaken. Frieda sat quite near her, and watched her pretty bright movements with gentle interest, maintaining a silence meanwhile only surpa.s.sed in completeness by Dot's. Hannah rattled on, but there was a hollowness in the rattle that made Catherine's hostess heart falter. She was never fluent, herself. Her gentle art consisted in making her guests entertain themselves and each other.

Then Dr. Helen came in, big, strong and competent, socially and in every other way.

Her welcome to Frieda would have warmed an iceberg's heart. She hugged Hannah, and gave her right hand to Polly and the left to Dot. ”Give me a taste of your tea, Daughter,” she said, as she took off her gloves and her hat and seated herself. ”It will take something as strong as tea to heal my weary spirit this afternoon. I've just had an emergency call.”

Dr. Helen's eyes smiled reminiscently, and Dot awoke.

”Do tell us, do, do, Dr. Helen,” she pleaded. ”I know it's something funny, by the twinkle in your eye. And we'll never, never tell.”

Dr. Helen tasted her tea leisurely, and added a slice of lemon.

”I don't tell tales about my patients, but there is no sense in a rule that isn't transgressed once in a while. You wouldn't know it was a rule! And I do believe you girls will enjoy this and never tell.”

”You 'give us credit for more discretion than you have, yourself?'”

quoted Catherine.