The Meadow Brook Girls Across Country Part 35

"Now, 'Marching Through Georgia,'" she cried.

"I can't play fast enough to play that," complained Buster.

"Then play anything you like," answered Harriet, with a merry laugh.

"Yes. Make a noise. You don't all have to play the same tune. This is a celebration," shouted Jane. "What we want is noise and lots of it to celebrate the victory we are going to win."

And noise there was, a perfect pandemonium of sounds, princ.i.p.ally inharmonious.

A sudden, startling chorus of yells and a burst of music from the forest, brought the girls' concert to a sudden stop. Lights flashed from the bushes near at hand, whirling about them in giddy circles like great pinwheels. The Meadow-Brook Girls were surrounded by wildly yelling figures, strange flaring lights-and music.

"Indianth!" screamed Tommy. "We'll all be thcalped. Oh, thave me!" Then the little lisping girl ran like a frightened deer, for the protection of the Meadow-Brook Girls' tent.

CHAPTER XXIII-THE HARMONICA SERENADE

"Oh, what is it?" wailed Margery.

No one was able to answer the question for the moment. It was a startling interruption. Even Harriet, though unafraid, could not make up her mind what was the meaning of the outbreak.

Now she saw what the lights were. They were flaring torches made from cat-tails. Then all at once she recalled that the Tramp Club boys played harmonicas. She had heard them play once before.

"Don't be afraid, girls. It is the boys," said Harriet in a relieved tone.

"The boys?" questioned Miss Elting. Then her face lighted up understandingly. "Oh the rascals!" she exclaimed.

The girls now that they knew no danger threatened them stood perfectly still, waiting for the concert to come to an end.

"You may come in, boys, when you have finished your concert," called the guardian. "We have enjoyed the serenade very much."

The music and shouting ceased abruptly. A moment later Captain Baker stepped into the camp. His face was flushed, but there was a certain sheepishness about him that made Harriet Burrell's eyes twinkle.

"Why, Captain! We did not look for you this evening," greeted Miss Elting.

"Thought you had given us the slip, did you?" grinned George. "You'll have to get up earlier in the morning, to do that."

"Oh, won't you though!" chorused his companions trooping in after their captain.

"But how did you find us?" questioned Harriet.

"Easiest thing in the world. We followed Miss McCarthy's car tracks."

"Where to?" twinkled Jane.

"All over the country. You surely led us a fine chase. But we found you, just the same."

Tommy now ventured from the tent.

"Thay, you nearly thcared me to death," she chided. "What do you boyth want?"

"Why, Tommy, they came to serenade us," reproved Miss Elting. "We enjoyed the music very much," she said, turning toward the boys. "If you will sit down and play another selection, we will serve refreshments afterwards. Jane! Will you get the things ready?"

"Yes. But the boys don't deserve it. However, so long as we are going to win the race we can afford to treat them well," teased Jane.

The captain smiled a superior smile.

"We could have gone right on to the end of the route to-day without stopping, if we had wished to do so. But we didn't want to take an unfair advantage of you."

"Oh, no. You boys never do take an unfair advantage, do you?" chuckled Crazy Jane. Miss Elting gave her a warning glance. The captain did not observe it.

"Give them another tune, boys," George ordered.

"First please extinguish those cat-tail torches," requested Harriet.

"You will set the woods on fire, if you are not careful. Everything is so dry now that a fire would start very easily."

The torches were ground out under foot, after which the Tramp Club played "Home Sweet Home" on the harmonicas. At a nod from the guardian the girls got out their combs and joined in the tune. The woodland inhabitants probably never had heard a concert like this. It sent the birds hopping from limb to limb in great alarm. Fortunately there were no neighbors near at hand, so only the inhabitants of the forest were disturbed.

Jane that day had purchased a large chocolate cake at a baker shop in the village. She brought this out then disappeared into the tent, emerging a few minutes later with a pail of fruit lemonade, while Hazel, who had accompanied Jane, followed her, bearing cups and gla.s.ses. Miss Elting busied herself with cutting the cake and Harriet served the lemonade.

"Well, boys, here's to the candy we're going to have when we get to our journey's end," teased Jane McCarthy, raising her gla.s.s of lemonade.

"And here," returned the captain, raising his gla.s.s with a flourish, "is to those beautiful handkerchiefs that we're going to wear next to our hearts for years and years to come."

"To the stars that hold our future," teased Harriet.

The captain paused with the gla.s.s of lemonade in his hand. He glanced quickly at Harriet Burrell, but the innocent expression on her face told him nothing. Miss Elting saw that George had something on his mind. She suspected what it was. An amused smile played about the corners of the guardian's mouth. There was a smile in Harriet's eyes, too, as she caught and read the thought in the mind of Miss Elting.

After the cake and lemonade had been disposed of, the party of young people chatted for the better part of an hour. Captain Baker, however, appeared uneasy. Twice he essayed to speak then checked himself abruptly.

"It's coming now," whispered Harriet. "He's trying to think of a way to begin."

Miss Elting nodded.

"I have a confession to make," began the captain, in an embarra.s.sed manner.

"A confession!" exclaimed Harriet in a surprised tone.

"Yes, I have. Oh, it isn't for myself alone, but for my friends as well," continued the captain doggedly. The other boys exhibited signs of uneasiness.

"What about, Mr. Baker?" asked the guardian sweetly.

"It is about those melons."

"But, my dear boy, you need not apologize for them. They were simply delicious. I can't tell you how much we enjoyed them." Miss Elting was making it as hard for George as possible.

"It-it isn't that. Oh, what's the use? I don't know how to say it. We hadn't any right to give you those melons, Miss Elting."