Blue Robin, the Girl Pioneer Part 26

The girls are to be Daughters of Liberty and carry banners, the little flags used by the different States and soldiers before and during the revolution, before we had the Stars and Stripes. Oh, did I tell you that all of our entertainments have to be either colonial or patriotic, that is, something that happened in or belonged to the early days of the nation, when all the people were pioneers, or the children of pioneers?"

"When are you going to have the flag drill? Oh, how I should like to see it!"

"I have rattled on so fast I forgot to say that-why-we are not sure about that, for, you see, we have got to get a lawn, or grounds that would be suitable." Her face reddened, for she suddenly remembered that it was Mrs. Van Vorst's lawn that the girls had wanted, and that she had refused to let them have it.

"You see," she explained awkwardly, "we want a place where the people can see us, and then we want to have booths decorated with our colors-they are Red, White, and Blue, you know-so we can sell ice-cream.

Each table is to be named after one of the thirteen States; but there, I don't believe we can have it."

"Mamma, come here quick," called Nita imperiously, sitting up and peering into the sun parlor where her mother was seated sewing, "I want you to hear about the Flag Drill, and oh, Mother, won't you let me see it? Oh, please, Mother, I can go all m.u.f.fled up, no one will see me,"

pleaded the girlish voice pathetically.

Mrs. Van Vorst bent over and softly stroked the golden head as she cried, "Now dear, don't get excited! Mother will do all she can for you."

"You tell _her_ about it!" broke from Nita hurriedly, as she pulled at Nathalie's gown. Then falling back on the couch she exclaimed with determination, "But I'm going to see it, Mother, yes I am!"

Somewhat hesitatingly Nathalie began, but in a moment, perceiving that her listener was much interested, she launched forth and told about the Flag Drill in all its details.

"And you are going to use the money you make for your Camping Fund?"

inquired Nita's mother as Nathalie finished.

Nathalie nodded, "That is, if we can get the right place to hold it-oh-"

she flushed again and then grew suddenly silent.

"Did not one of the Pioneers ask me if I would let them have my lawn in the rear of the house?"

Before embarra.s.sed Nathalie could answer, Nita interposed excitedly, "Our lawn? Oh, let them have it, Mamma, let them have it, and then I can see it from the window, and no one will see me, oh, say yes, Mamma!"

Nathalie's eyes looked dismay as she heard Nita's wailing request. Of course Mrs. Van Vorst would refuse, but suppose she should think that she had urged Nita to ask her?

"Why, I suppose they could," answered Mrs. Van Vorst slowly. "Then, as you say, you could see it from the window, Nita; yes the Pioneers can have it!"

"Oh, do you really mean it?" exclaimed Nathalie, almost as excited as Nita. "The girls will be just crazy with joy-and-oh, isn't it funny? I was one of a committee of three to find a place, and-"

"Well, you will not have to look any further," replied Mrs. Van Vorst.

"If my lawn suits, take it, child. I am sure I am only too glad to do anything for the brave girl who has been so kind to my Nita as to come here and make her happy."

"That is lovely of you," rejoined the Pioneer, her eyes glowing, "and can we have it this month, the fourteenth? That is Flag Day, you know, and we wanted to have it then."

"Have it whenever you like, my dear. I will tell Peter to have the gra.s.s mowed, and if he can help you in any way in arranging the tables or anything, I shall be delighted to let you have his services."

"Oh, that will be the delightfulest thing!" The girl's face radiated suns.h.i.+ne. "It seems just too lovely to be true!"

But the surprise Nathalie held in store for the Pioneers was almost forgotten in the surprise that awaited her when after saying good-by to Nita, Mrs. Van Vorst met her at the foot of the staircase and asked if she would not come into the reception-room a minute.

"I wanted to speak to you on a little matter of business," the lady explained somewhat hesitatingly. Nathalie, wondering what terrible thing she had done or said, followed her silently into the room, where she again spied her Chinese friend, the mandarin, grinning at her from the cabinet.

"I have been thinking it over, Miss Page-"

"O dear," thought poor Nathalie, "she is going to change her mind about the drill!"

"And I wanted to know-of course this is a business proposition-" she paused. "You have given so much pleasure to Nita, I thought perhaps you might be willing to come regularly every day, say for a couple of hours."

"Oh, Mrs. Van Vorst," cried relieved Nathalie, "that would be just fine!

I should be only too glad, but you know, I have things to do for Mother, we haven't any maid at present."

"But would it not pay you to give up these things, or let some one else do them? It would only be two hours in the morning," there was a persuasive note in her voice, "and of course I would pay you enough to make it worth your while, and oh, I would give anything to bring joy into-"

She stopped, for there was something in the girl's wide opened eyes that made her hesitate.

"Oh, I would not like to take money just for talking to Nita-that would hardly be fair-" Nathalie floundered desperately, for something brought d.i.c.k and his operation to her mind, and she did want so badly to earn money. She caught her breath sharply, opened her mouth, and then said, "Why, I don't know, I will see what Mother says and let you know."

"That will be just the thing," was the reply. "You can drop me a note as soon as you decide, for Nita will be anxious, and then we will want to fix the days and times. If you can make up your mind to do this for me, Miss Page, I shall feel so indebted to you!"

As Nathalie flew post-haste towards home she heard the chug of an automobile and looked up in time to see Dr. Morrow sweep past in his car. But he, too, had eyes, and a moment later had backed his car and was asking Nathalie if she would like a ride home. The girl was only too pleased to accept, as she was fairly br.i.m.m.i.n.g over with impatience to tell some one her two surprises. They had not gone far before the story was out, and the doctor had heard everything.

"Well now, I call that luck," declared the doctor, "and of course you said you would accept Mrs. Van Vorst's offer?"

"Why, no," answered the girl hesitatingly, "I should love to do it, but I don't know that I ought to take money for it."

"And why not?" queried Dr. Morrow with some surprise. "Isn't money as much to you as to other people?"

"Oh, yes," laughed honest Nathalie; "of course I would like the money, I am just dying to earn money for d.i.c.k." The girl stopped with frightened eyes; oh, what was she going to tell? "But then it doesn't seem exactly right to take money just for talking, and I don't know how Mother would feel about it, she might feel badly." Nathalie choked, and her eyes filled with tears as she remembered how hard it was for her mother to think of even d.i.c.k earning money when he was so helpless.

"You haven't got to if you don't want to, little Blue Robin," declared her friend, who perhaps suspected how things were. "But I tell you what, friend Nathalie-" emphatically-"if I had a nice little voice like a certain Robin I know, with big brown eyes, and knew how to use those big eyes and that sweet little tru-al-lee of a voice by telling people stories, or talking to them-it's all the same-well, I'd waste no time in accepting that offer. And then, too, see what pleasure it would bring Nita and her mother, too, for that matter. Of course, I'm a man and look at things from a commercial point of view; ah, here we are!" And then with a cheery farewell the doctor helped the girl out of the car and Nathalie walked slowly up the path.

To Nathalie's surprise, her mother thought as the doctor did about the matter. She was not hurt at all, but overjoyed to think that Nathalie was clever enough to earn money that way.

"Why, Nathalie," she mused, pleasantly, "you can do lots of things with the money you earn. It probably won't be much, but it will give you pin-money, and a few necessities. Perhaps it will pay your way to camp!"

"Now, Mumsie," laughed the girl with a trill of glee in her voice, "remember about counting your chicks before they're hatched!"

She turned and ran swiftly up-stairs, and after imparting her good news to d.i.c.k, she sat down and penned her note to Mrs. Van Vorst, all her doubts and fears at rest. And she knew what she would do with the money, it came like a flash into her mind as she looked up and saw d.i.c.k plodding through an official-looking doc.u.ment.

After the note was mailed, there were just a few minutes left to run over and tell Mrs. Morrow what had transpired in regard to the lawn for the Flag Drill, and to announce, with joy s.h.i.+ning in every feature, that they could have the drill on the fourteenth. Then came a few minutes at Helen's, where the news was also told, two surprises, Nathalie declared, after she had unburdened herself to that young lady of the many things she had been bottling up for the last few weeks.

But Nathalie's day of surprises was to bear more fruit, for about five o'clock the postman delivered a package by parcel post, a big box that had a very mysterious look about it. "I don't see what it can be?" she soliloquized, as she looked at the address. And then, "Oh, Mother, do you know where the scissors are?" as she found that her fingers were too unsteady with haste to untie the string.

d.i.c.k, however, after hearing her excited outcry, had whipped out a penknife. There was a zip, the string was off, the box slipped out of the paper, and then the girl, with radiant, mystified eyes, was looking down at a Pioneer uniform, a jaunty little affair, with its red tie and red-banded hat to complete the outfit.

"Don't stand there and gape at it any longer, Nathalie," imperiously voiced d.i.c.k, with an odd gleam in his eyes. "Look at the card and see who sent it!"

CHAPTER XVI-PIONEER STUNTS

An exclamation escaped dazed Nathalie; and then a search was started, resulting at last in finding the card in one of the pockets of the skirt. Another cry issued from the finder as she read: