another week had passed by, and marjorie was to be allowed to come down stairs for dinner. gradually she was growing stronger; the color was returning to her cheeks, the vivacity to her voice. perhaps it was john’s visit, with its apologies and explanations that had given her a renewed interest in life, or perhaps it was the bunch of violets that arrived each day from the florist, or the letter that came punctually with each morning’s mail. at any rate, it seemed so to queenie, for the very day after her trip to the city, the doctor pronounced marjorie able to get up for a while, and to repeat this program for an increasing length of time each day, until he considered her strong enough to go down stairs. the added exertion seemed not to hurt her in the least; indeed, after three days he agreed that the nurse’s services were no longer necessary.
all this time queenie had safely guarded her secret, going about her duties with a smile on her lips and a suppressed light in her eyes. half the pleasure would be lost if she divulged it before the appointed moment.
marjorie, however, was not too deeply engrossed in her own affairs to notice that queenie was unusually happy, and she longed to be able to share her joy with her. once or twice she ventured to ask her about it, but queenie had only laughed, and replied that it was only because marjorie was getting better that she felt like dancing with every step.
on the very morning that marjorie was to celebrate her recovery by a little dinner party down stairs, she made one more attempt to fathom the younger girl’s secret.
“queenie,” she began, as she folded john’s letter and replaced it in the envelope, “you’re keeping something from me. please tell me! you’re not engaged, or anything, are you?”
the other girl burst out laughing.
“miss wilkinson! of course i’m not! why, who would i be engaged to? you know i haven’t seen any of my old fellows—or heard from them, either——”
“well, you might be engaged to jack, or mr. richards. you’ve certainly seen a good deal of both of them.”
“you can put your mind at rest on that point, cap! neither one has asked me—and i wouldn’t have them if they did. i’m not ready to get married yet—i’m mighty thankful to be single. besides—don’t forget i’m only seventeen!”
“yes, i know—and i’m glad you feel that way about it. you’re much too young.”
“i know it,” answered queenie decisively. “besides—i’ve got other plans.”
“what, queenie?” demanded marjorie eagerly, believing that she was getting at the reason at last. “did you go and get a job?”
“i’m not tellin’ yet. my job is right here—till you’re well enough to go back to college.”
“yes, but what then?” asked marjorie anxiously. “i meant to help you to find something during spring vacation, and here i went and got sick.”
“don’t you bother your head about that, miss wilkinson. i’ll be all right.”
“will you go back home? have you heard from your mother?”
“yes, i’ve heard from her and she’s still pretty mad, but she says i can come back whenever i want and she won’t send me off to aunt tillie. but i’m not goin’ to stay—maybe once in a while to visit.”
“where are you going to live, then?” persisted marjorie. “not at some cheap room——”
“oh, no! but really you needn’t worry, cap. your mother has invited me to stay here till i get settled, and i promise you i will if you don’t approve of where i will be living. now, your mother wants you please to tell me what you’d most rather have for dinner tonight. it’s your party, you know.”
“anything but chicken,” returned marjorie laughingly. “i’m so tired of chicken broth, and237 spring chicken, that i feel as if i never wanted to taste another. let’s see. roast beef, i guess—and a real fancy salad!”
“ice cream and birthday cake for dessert?” concluded queenie.
“birthday cake? it isn’t my birthday!”
“it’s just like it, though.”
it seemed indeed to marjorie that queenie’s words were true, for all day long she continued to be treated as if it were her birthday. her wishes were consulted upon every detail of the dinner, and her comfort looked out for. she received more flowers than she usually did on her real birthday, and, when john hadley arrived just before dinner, he capped the climax by presenting her with a tiny jeweler’s box.
“marjorie,” he began, “i ventured to bring you a pin—a friendship pin, in honor of the occasion. will you accept it?”
“of course i will, john!” she replied radiantly, taking the box and opening it. it was a narrow circle, bordered on both edges with the finest, the daintiest, carving.
“it’s beautiful!” she exclaimed, pinning it upon her dress. “and,” she added softly, “i will always wear it.”
before the young man could express just how much this promise meant to him, lily and dick entered the room. the former had been out to see marjorie several times during her illness, but not238 since college had re-opened, and she had a great deal to tell her.
“when are you really coming back, marj?” she inquired finally, as they went into the dining room. “i’ll die of loneliness if you don’t come soon.”
“i don’t know,” replied her roommate, casting meek glances at queenie and her mother. “those two are such tyrants.”
“the last day of april, i believe—if she is strong enough,” answered mrs. wilkinson for her, with a sidelong look at queenie.
“yes, that’s right,” nodded the younger girl.
“i’m beginning to be worried about my lessons—the classes i’m missing,” said marjorie. “and my troop, too. but queenie says that will be all right——”
“yes, she and i will take care of that, won’t we, queenie?” lily assured her.
“but suppose the girls are all scattered by this time—it’s been so long——”
“you’ll see them soon, miss wilkinson,” put in queenie, with another meaning glance at her captain’s mother. “just mark my words.”
“yes, i think so,” smiled the older woman.
marjorie shrugged her shoulders, and turned to john in the hope of gaining some explanation of the mysterious messages that seemed to be flashing between queenie and her mother, but was not rewarded with any information. so she gave it up,239 and entered light heartedly into the joyousness of the occasion.
when they had finished the salad course, mrs. wilkinson surprised marjorie by announcing that dessert would be served in the living room.
“how funny, mother!” commented marjorie. “i know it’s quite the thing to serve coffee in another room, but i never heard of doing it with dessert. has that become the fashion, since i was sick?”
“we’re starting the fashion tonight!” came the joking reply. “you lead the way, marjorie.”
“but it’s all dark!” she exclaimed as she peeped through the curtains.
“oh, so it is! jack, run and make a light!”
he flashed on the electricity; to marjorie’s amazement she beheld her whole scout troop, with the exception of queenie, standing to receive her. an exclamation of delight and surprise burst from her lips; but before she could say anything stella stepped forward and presented her with a huge bunch of american beauty roses.
“oh, this is wonderful!” she cried, sinking limply into the nearest chair. “i never had such a thrill in all my life!”
the maids began to bring in the ice cream and cake and after a minute or two of questions and explanations, the party proceeded more calmly. it was only after mr. richards’ arrival, a little later, that the real surprises began.
queenie took charge of the ceremony. she began by rising and saluting her captain, in real scout fashion.
“captain wilkinson,” she said, “this was a little surprise party that your mother and i planned for you tonight, and i hope the shock won’t be too much for you, because a bigger one yet is comin’. but you seem pretty strong now, so i guess you’ll survive.”
marjorie’s eyes shone with anticipation; queenie was always doing something unusual, something delightful.
“well,” she continued, “you said tonight at dinner you were afraid we might not stick to you, and be scouts. we’re here tonight to tell you we’re goin’ to, and by way of showin’ our colors, we want to tell you just how serious we are. we all have our little story. clara, you first!”
all eyes immediately shifted to the girl in question, but undaunted, she followed her cue.
“i’ve been studyin’ stenography, and i’ve landed a job with the curtis’. it was scouts started me thinkin’ about my old job, and not bein’ satisfied.”
“good work!” approved marjorie with a genuine pleasure.
“you next, stella and annie.”
“miss wilkinson knows we’re takin’ up swimmin’ at the y. w.”, answered stella for both of them, “but she don’t know we’ve been takin’ the normal course. and we’ve been appointed swimmin’ teachers at a girls’ camp for the summer.”
“great!” exclaimed marjorie absolutely bewildered by the actual realization of her own dreams for her scouts. “i certainly do congratulate you both!”
“and of course you know dot and the twins are makin’ good at school,” added queenie, “and aggie always was a plugger.” she paid no attention to the giggles that greeted this last remark, but proceeded right on to her climax—the thing, as she told mr. richards, “that would knock miss wilkinson’s eye out.”
“and now about my job—and why you won’t need to worry about our scout troop—at least if i make good. you know i’m so sociable i always said i wished i could get a job where i’d meet a lot of people in a social way, and mr. richards has found me one. i start in may first as miss winthrop’s assistant at the community house!”
“miss winthrop’s assistant!” marjorie repeated, almost unable to believe her ears. “why, queenie, that is marvellous!”
“i think so, too,” agreed the girl. “i’m to have charge of the girls’ clubs, under her direction, and have my mornings off to study. so naturally, troop two hundred will get the choicest care!”
marjorie leaned back in her chair, pressing her roses to her face, and letting her eyes wander from one scout to another, and finally to john. at last she heaved a sigh of content.
“this,” she whispered so low that hardly any one could hear her, “is the happiest day of my life!”
but queenie and john, on either side of her, heard and understood—and smiled.
