CHAPTER IX
CHAPTER IX
At last Elise saw the Captain glance in her direction as the whistle blew once more for attention and the Captain commanded, “Fall in!” A look of serious interest appeared on the faces of the girls as they formed in a horseshoe, the Captain and the Lieutenant standing in the gap and the American flag spread out before them.
Elise, with Helen beside her, walked to a place just inside the circle and stood facing the Captain. In the Lieutenant’s hands were the staff and hat, the shoulder knot, badge and neckerchief of the Tenderfoot Elise.
She could not refrain from a glance at them. How she had longed to wear all those things; the insignia of everything she had learned to admire and look up to in the girls of America!
“Salute!” said the Captain.
All saluted Elise, who stood waiting for some order, she did not know what.
“Forward!” said the Captain to Helen, and the two girls stepped to the center.
Regarding Elise with a long, careful glance, and speaking carefully, so the little French girl should miss nothing of the full meaning of her words, the Captain asked:
“Do you know what yourhonormeans?”
“Yess,” said Elise, finding her voice after what seemed to her an endless time. “Yess, it does mean that always I shall be trusted to be faithful and true and honorable.”
“Can I trust you,” asked the Captain, “on your honor, to be loyal to God and your country, to help other people at all times, and to obey the Scout Law?”
Elise, coached by Helen and Rosanna, made the half salute in unison with the whole company, as she answered, “I do promise on my honor to be loyal to God and my country, to help other people at all times and to obey the Scout Law.”
“I trust you on your honor to keep this promise,” answered the Captain.
The circle of girls listened with respectful and solemn interest. Well they realized that the vow being given was not an empty or idle one. They knew that it entailed hard work, self-denial, and many hardships. Yet they gloried in it, and silently renewed their own vows as they heard the Tenderfoot make her promises.
“Invest!” came the Captain’s next order.
Stepping forward, the Lieutenant gave Elise her staff, and put the hat, handkerchief and knot on her, and smiled as Elise said, “I thank you!” in her pretty way.
Then, at a whispered word, she marched up the line to the Captain who pinned on her trefoil badgeand explained that it was an emblem of her Scout “life.” If for any misbehavior, the trefoil or “life” must be taken away from her, she would become a dead Scout for the time the Captain ordered and for that time in disgrace.
The new Scout was then initiated into all the secret passwords, a proceeding which filled Elise with despair; she felt that she would never be able to remember the queer words and phrases.
Then with the ceremony of marching back to their proper patrols the ceremony was over, and in a moment the formal meeting was dismissed.
The girls crowded around, all anxious to meet the new Tenderfoot and welcome her. They talked to her so hard that Elise felt her head whirl. She was glad to hear the voice of the little Captain suggesting a song. She handed a leaflet to Elise, but the girls knew the songs, and gathering in a circle they wanted to know which one to sing.
“SingThe Long, Long Line,” suggested the Captain, and the girls sang:
THE LONG, LONG LINE(Tune: The Long, Long Trail)Recruiting song.Do you feel a little lonely?Are your friends too few?Would you like to join some jolly girlsIn the things you think and do?Don’t you know your Country’s waiting?Have you heard her call?See, the Scouts are crowding, crowding in,Where there’s room for one and all!ChorusThere’s a long, long line a-growing,From north to south, east to west,There’s a place awaiting in it, too, that you’ll fill best.We are sure you’d like to join usIf you knew what we can doAnd we’d like, O how we’d like to make a good Girl Scout of you.
THE LONG, LONG LINE
(Tune: The Long, Long Trail)
Recruiting song.
Do you feel a little lonely?
Are your friends too few?
Would you like to join some jolly girls
In the things you think and do?
Don’t you know your Country’s waiting?
Have you heard her call?
See, the Scouts are crowding, crowding in,
Where there’s room for one and all!
Chorus
There’s a long, long line a-growing,
From north to south, east to west,
There’s a place awaiting in it, too, that you’ll fill best.
We are sure you’d like to join us
If you knew what we can do
And we’d like, O how we’d like to make a good Girl Scout of you.
It certainly sounded sweet as the fresh young voices blended, and Elise thrilled as she listened. She was having such a good time! All the girls seemed so friendly and so sweet, with the exception of one girl who hung back and on whose face there rested the shadow of discontent and dissatisfaction. Elise found herself wondering about her; she seemed so out of place in that happy, merry throng. But none of the other girls appeared to notice that one of their number sat apart and occupied herself rather ostentatiously over a book.
They were all so busy making the evening pass pleasantly for the charming new Tenderfoot who responded so prettily to their advances that no one spoke or looked at the silent Scout, but presently Elise noticed that the little Captain sat down beside her and compelled her attention. Even then the girl looked as though she preferred to be let alone.
For a long while, the girls sat and told Eliseabout their work and play and the camping in summer and the delightful hikes all the year. Finally it came time to go home and some one called for another song.
“Which shall it be, Elise?” asked Helen. “You choose one of the songs.”
“I see one follows the air of theOld Colored Joe,” said Elise. “I do know that loving song. Please to sing that; and if I may, I will try to sing it also.”
“Of course we will sing that, you dear,” laughed the tall young Lieutenant, and together they sang:
WE’RE COMING(Tune: Old Black Joe)Camping Song.ICome where the lake lies gleaming in the sun;Come where the days are filled with work and fun.Come where the moon hangs out her evening lamp;The Scouts are trooping, trooping, trooping back to camp.ChorusWe’re coming! We’re coming! To the lakes, the hills, the sea!Old Mother Nature calls her children—you and me.IICome where we learn the wisdom of the wood;Come where we prove that simple things are good,Come where we pledge allegiance to our land;America, you’ve called your daughters—here we stand.ChorusWe’re coming! We’re coming! ’Til we spread from sea to sea,Our country needs us—wants us—calls us—you and me!
WE’RE COMING
(Tune: Old Black Joe)
Camping Song.
I
Come where the lake lies gleaming in the sun;
Come where the days are filled with work and fun.
Come where the moon hangs out her evening lamp;
The Scouts are trooping, trooping, trooping back to camp.
Chorus
We’re coming! We’re coming! To the lakes, the hills, the sea!
Old Mother Nature calls her children—you and me.
II
Come where we learn the wisdom of the wood;
Come where we prove that simple things are good,
Come where we pledge allegiance to our land;
America, you’ve called your daughters—here we stand.
Chorus
We’re coming! We’re coming! ’Til we spread from sea to sea,
Our country needs us—wants us—calls us—you and me!
“That is somostlovely,” said Elise as the song was finished, never for a moment realizing that her own pure and bell-like voice had added richness and beauty to the song.
The other girls looked at each other and smiled. Here was indeed a find. Never had there come a Scout to the council with such a wonderful voice. They felt that the pretty young Tenderfoot was a great acquisition to their number. So they all crowded around and said good night,—all but the silent Scout who had not joined in the jollity. Elise and Rosanna and Helen filled the two automobiles that were waiting for them with the girls. Never, never had those big cars been so crowded. Certainly they had never held happier passengers. But there was no noise or boisterousness, no singing or whistling. The girls chatted in tones that were agreeably low and as each one reached her destination, she thanked Rosanna or Elise. When the last passenger in the Hargrave car had been set down, Elise leaned back in a corner and thought deeply. She was happy beyond words.
To do good to someone every day; that was partof her pledge. Such an easy part! But it was hardnotto be good when everyone was so good to her. Then suddenly she thought of the sulky face of the girl at the meeting.
All the time she was telling Mrs. Hargrave about the installation and the songs, and trying them over for her, she saw the dark, discontented face before her. She could not feel perfectly happy because somehow the face seemed to send her a message. “Help me; help me!” Elise heard in her soul. But what could she, a stranger, a girl who could scarcely speak the new language, whatcouldshe do for that girl? And besides, why did sheneedhelp? Elise, whose bright eyes saw everything, had noted the beautiful silk stockings, the texture of the black hair ribbon, and at the last, the expensive fur that edged her coat. Also a car had come for her, in which she went off alone. It was not poverty, at all events, decided Elise. She could walk; she was not lame like the poor little blond in the corner. As Elise thought it over, she puzzled more and more. She decided to ask Rosanna or Helen next day; then a better decision came to her. She would find out for herself. No one should tell her. Then if she made any mistake, why, the mistake would be hers.
But the next day but one the plot thickened. She went over with Rosanna to see Miss Hooker about some Scout work, and as they stood on the steps waiting for the door to open, it did open witha jerk, and the girl Elise had been worrying about dashed down the steps and into her limousine. Her face was disfigured with tears.
“Dear me!” said Rosanna. “What do you suppose has happened to Lucy Breen? She has been crying.”
“Assuredly. Thepetite pauvreone!” answered Elise sadly.
Rosanna with her usual directness asked Miss Hooker the moment they entered what was the matter with Lucy.
Miss Hooker hesitated. “You really ought not ask a question like that, Rosanna,” she said finally, “but perhaps I ought to tell you. You will all have to know.”
“Pleasedon’ttell me, Miss Hooker,” Rosanna begged with a deep flush. “I thought perhaps someone had died or something like that.”
“No, but for a week Lucy must be a dead Scout herself.”
“Howawful!” cried both girls, and then were silent.
“I prefer not to tell you why just now, but of course this will not make you shun her. You must show all the kindness and consideration that you can for her, and be with her all you can.” More than that Miss Hooker did not seem to want to say, and the girls, saddened and quiet, finished their errand and left.
A day or two later, going with Mrs. Hargraveto the Red Cross rooms down town, Elise thought she saw Lucy Breen shrink out of sight behind some portières at the back of the store that the Red Cross used as a sales room.
Elise acted on a generous impulse. She went back through the store looking at one thing and another until she in turn came to the portières. Behind them was a space used for a sort of store-room for articles brought into the shop, and as Elise looked curiously through the curtains as though wondering what lay beyond, she saw Lucy standing in a corner, crowded against the wall. Elise nodded gaily.
“Are you what they call making the sort of things in here, Lucy?” she cried. “Is it not fun to see what the good kind people give away?”
She stepped into the store-room as she spoke, smiling and nodding. “Yes, it is droll, some of the things,” she chattered on, as though Lucy was doing her share in the conversation. Finally, however, like a little clock, Elise ran down. She could not think of a single thing to say further, and she trailed off, looking shyly into Lucy’s dark face.
Lucy was smiling a set and bitter smile.
“Don’t you think you had better get out of this and leave me?” she asked. “Perhaps you don’t know that I have lost my badge. I shall be a dead Scout for a week, and I don’t care in the least whether I ever wear it again or not.”
Elise came close and laid a hand on Lucy’s shoulder, but the girl shook it off.
“Don’t!” she said pettishly.
“I knew that you had resigned your badge for the so small time of a week,” said Elise gently, “but one week soon passes.”
“Do you knowwhyI lost it?” asked Lucy harshly.
“No,” said Elise, “and I do not so much care. That is for you to know, and our dear Captain. I am just so so sorry that you are unhappy. But you will be happy again. Always unhappiness goes away. We do not forget, but it ceases to wound. And if the fault makes you so unhappy, why, certainly you will never, never so do again; will you, dear Lucy?”
To her surprise and dismay, Lucy turned and, hiding her face in her arms, leaned against the cracked old wall and sobbed.
“Oh, Iamunhappy!” she cried. “I am unhappy, and I don’t know what to do! Sometimes I think I will run away!”
“Oh, don’t do that; don’t do that!” cried Elise. “Think of your dear mama and your father. Oh, you could never have a fault that would make you need to do anything that would make them so unhappy!”
Lucy laughed her bitter little laugh.
“I think I will tell you what has happened,” she said, “and then you can see just how I feel.”
“Can you not tell to someone more wise than I?” asked Elise, her dismay growing. “I will be so glad to listen, but for advice, I am so ignorant, so what you call it? I speak your English so poorly, that maybe I say to you the wrong thing.”
“You needn’t say anything,” said Lucy. “You were so good to come and speak to me, and I want to talk to someone. I had advice from Miss Hooker but I shall not take it.”
“Was it not good advice?” asked Elise, who thought every word that Miss Hooker uttered was a pearl of wisdom.
“I suppose so,” said Lucy with a sneer, “but she does not understand. Oh, Elise, I shalldie, I am so unhappy.”
“No,” said Elise softly, “you will not die so. If it could be, I would be dead long since but I am not, and I am happy—so very, very happy just as my most dear ones who are dead would wish me to be. So it will be with you.”
“I want to talk to you,” said Lucy.
“Let us sit here then,” said Elise, “where no one comes. There is a what you call ‘meeting’ which my maman is here to attend. It goes on in the upstairs, and she told me it would meet for an hour or two. Tell me all your woe.”
She pulled Lucy down on a pile of velvet curtains and patting her hot little hand, said softly, “I wait.”