Lucile Triumphant Part 7

Either the train had been farther off than she thought when Lucile heard the whistle or she had run faster than she had ever run in her life; the result was the same--Lucile won!

Just as she breathlessly reached the station, the great locomotive came thundering around the last curve.

CHAPTER VI

"OH, FIRE, LONG YEARS AGO----"

Lucile's heart beat fast as the train came to a standstill and a crowd of people began to pour out.

"Where is she, where is she?" she cried, scanning one after another, speaking to those she knew, while, at the same time, looking past them with such an intent gaze that more than one turned to look back at her and remark with the shake of a head, "There's something up."

Lucile was just about in despair when, at the far end of the platform, she descried her.

With a cry she ran forward and, throwing her arms about her guardian's neck with a little hysterical sob, she exclaimed, "Oh, I thought you weren't coming."

For a moment she was held close while the voice she loved said, gently, "You don't suppose I could stay away when I had made up my mind to come, do you?"

"Oh, no; I knew in my heart you would be here," drawing herself away and looking at her guardian with such happiness written on her face that Mrs.

Wescott's bright eyes were dimmed as she said, "It's good to have a welcome like this!!"

"Oh, it isn't anything to what you're going to get," Lucile wanted to say, but she only answered, ruefully, "I'm afraid all Burleigh will be talking about how boisterous Lucile Payton is becoming. Can't you hear?"

she added, gaily: "'I declare, that child's terribly rude; she almost knocked me down!'"

"A very good imitation of Miss Peabody, Lucile," laughed Mrs. Wescott. "I wonder how many times I've heard her talk just that way."

Miss Peabody was one of the old maids that authors love to picture--straight, prim, opinionated, with a sharp tongue that wrought discord wherever it went. She dealt in other people's shortcomings, and if Burleigh had not known her too well to give her false tales credence, she might have worked some serious mischief. As it was, everyone took her gossip with a grain of salt, remarking, with a smile and a shrug after she had gone away, "Of course, that may be true, but remember, Angela Peabody said it!"

When Lucile chose, she could mimic anyone from the young Italian at "Correlli's" to pompous Mrs. Belmont Nevill, who owned millions that she didn't know how to use. So now she had brought Miss Peabody before her guardian so vividly that the latter added, in surprise, "That must be a recent accomplishment, Lucy. You never did that at camp."

"At camp I never remembered anybody at Burleigh except Mother and Dad and Phil," said Lucile. "It seemed like a different world."

"A rather nice kind of world it was, too, wasn't it?" said her guardian, with a reminiscent smile.

"Nice?" cried Lucile. "It was glorious! I only wish we could do it all over again. It does seem as if one good thing comes crowding right on the heels of another ever since we decided to form a camp-fire."

"It has meant happiness for all of us," said Mrs. Wescott, with a far-away look that Lucile knew how to interpret.

"I know," she said. "Here we are," she added, a moment later. "Oh, it's good to have you here at last."

For answer, her guardian put her arm about Lucile and ran lightly up the steps, saying, joyfully, "And it's good to be here, Lucy, dear; but where are the girls?"

"Oh, they're coming," Lucile answered, vaguely. "Come on upstairs and get your things off," she added, guiding her guest past the living-room adroitly.

When Lucile ushered her into the great, airy, upstairs sitting-room, she dropped into an easy chair with a sigh of content.

"Oh, Lucy, it is good to be here," she added. Then, for the first time, Lucile had a chance to get "a really good look at her," as she expressed it.

The wind had loosened her guardian's dark hair and it clung in little ringlets about her face. Her eyes, those deep, comprehending, gray eyes, sparkled with delight as she took in the familiar objects about her. The merry dimples that had always fascinated the girls, and others besides, were ever in evidence as she talked and laughed happily.

"I suppose," she went on, as Lucile took her hat and coat. "I suppose you girls had just about made up your minds I was never coming to Burleigh; six months is such a long time; but it seemed as if I could never get started."

"Well, you're here now," said Lucile, gaily, "and that makes the six months seem like nothing at all."

"How are your mother and father and Phil and everybody?" asked Mrs.

Wescott, with a comprehensive sweep of her hand. "I want to know all about everybody."

"Oh, they're all right," Lucile a.s.sured her, and then added, as an afterthought, "except, of course, Jim Keller's dog, Bull."

"What's happened to Bull?" inquired young Mrs. Wescott, with smiling interest.

Indeed, everyone in Burleigh knew and feared Bull. His ferocity was famous through the countryside, or at least, had been until he had met his downfall a few days before.

"Come downstairs and I'll tell you about it. It is still a little chilly upstairs."

"All right," agreed Mrs. Wescott. "Wait a minute; I must get my handkerchief first."

A moment longer and they were in the s.p.a.cious living-room, with its big library table and leather-covered chairs, and, best of all, glowing fire in the grate.

Mrs. Wescott looked toward the latter in pleased surprise. "Isn't it snug here?" she said, slipping into one of the chairs before the fire. "A fire always giving the room a cheerful, homey look."

"Oh, I love it!!" said Lucile, impulsively. "Ever since we came back from camp I've been wanting to make a great big camp-fire. This seems such a poor imitation."

"I imagine it's just enough to make you camp-sick," laughed her guardian.

"But tell me about Bull. I'm interested."

"Oh, it's been the talk of Burleigh for days," said the girl. "If you will just turn your chair around so you will get a full view of the fire, I'll tell you about it."

Her guest did as she was bid and settled back comfortably to enjoy the story.

"Well," began Lucile, "the other day Bull and his master were walking down Main Street. You know, Jim Keller absolutely refuses to keep Bull tied up and the only wonder is he--the dog, I mean--hasn't been poisoned long ago, he has so many enemies. Well, Bull broke loose from Jim some way and when he tried to find him he had disappeared. Jim went raving around like a wild man, declaring that, 'if the dog wasn't found soon, he'd sure get into some mischief.'"

"He showed rare perception."

"That's what we all thought--at least, you would have judged so by the way everybody called their children in, and any one that had a pet cat or dog went almost crazy till it was out of harm's way. Oh, there was excitement in Burleigh that day!"

"I can imagine," interjected Mrs. Wescott, in huge enjoyment of the picture. "Did Jim find him?"

"Not for over an hour. He ran over half the town, looking everywhere for his Bull. At last a small boy came running and told him the dog was over yonder and he was gettin' a 'turrible lickin'.'"

"Licking?" exclaimed Mrs. Wescott, sitting up straight in her surprise.

"Bull?"

"That was the funny part of it," Lucile went on. "Of course, Jim wouldn't believe it was his Bull the boy was talking about, but he went with him just the same.

"When he turned the corner he came upon a spectacle that dazed him. He stood with his eyes and mouth wide open, gazing at Bull--it was his Bull, but oh, disgraced forever! There he was on his back in the dust, with a great collie making flying leaps over him. Each time he jumped those terrible nails ripped a piece of flesh from poor Bull----"