_ CHAPTER V. AS THOUGH ON WINGS
The eventful day had come at last over a wait that seemed an eternity to the impatient girls. The long school-day was endless and, in spite of all good resolutions, they could not keep their thoughts from wandering to the alluring picture they had conjured up. A picture wherein figured an open-grate fire, Miss Howland--for so they had thought of her even after her marriage--their own dear guardian, turning suddenly to see her camp-fire girls in their old familiar costume waiting to welcome her. How would she look? What would she say? These were the thoughts that persisted in haunting them through the long school-day and refused to be shaken off.
At last it was three o'clock and the girls gathered on the campus, books in hand, eagerly anxious to be off.
"Are we all here?" said Jessie, looking about.
"All but Grace; she'll be here any minute, I guess."
The prophecy proved correct, and soon the whole of camp-fire Aloea, except the one who was to play the most important part, was swinging at a great rate down the road to their meeting-place. Lucile had been excused a few minutes earlier on the plea that she was to meet her guardian. The few minutes' grace would give her time to see that the fire was lighted and attend to the hundred and one minor details that would set things running smoothly.
Rain had been threatening all day, but now the welcome sun burst through the clouds so suddenly that the girls were surprised.
"Say, that came in a hurry, didn't it?" remarked Marjorie. "Oh, I'm so glad."
"Who isn't?" Jessie rejoined. "The rain would have made everything so gloomy, just when we wanted it brightest."
"It seems as if the sun knew Miss Howland was coming and just couldn't help shining," said Margaret, with a face so like the sun itself in its radiant brightness that Marjorie, who was near her, threw her arm about the slight form, saying, lovingly, "Even if the sun hadn't come out, Margaret, I don't think we'd have missed it much with you around."
"Don't you remember what Miss Howland always used to say about there being a great deal more credit in being happy and sunny on a gloomy day than a bright one?" put in Eleanor.
"Yes; but, though I've tried very hard to look cheerful when the rain has spoiled all my chances for a good time, I'm very much afraid I don't often succeed," said Evelyn, with a rueful smile.
"I can't imagine you in the doleful dumps for very long, Evelyn," said Ruth. "I've never seen you anything but happy yet."
"Oh, you don't have to live with her, Ruth," said Jessie. "If you did, and I'm glad for your sake you don't, you would soon change your opinion."
"I'd like to know what you know about it, anyway," Evelyn retorted, gaily. "You've never lived with me--that I know of, at any rate."
"To change the subject," Marjorie broke in, "there's Lucile waving to us to hurry. I guess she has something to tell us before she goes to the station."
They broke into a run and in another minute had surrounded Lucile.
"I'm glad you came just as you did," she was saying. "It seemed as if you would never get here, and I was afraid I would have to go without seeing you."
"We hurried just as fast as we could, Lucy, as you see," said Jessie, panting from the quick run.
"Of course you did, but it seemed an age to me. Listen, girls," she went on, "everything's all ready. Your dresses are laid out on the bed in my room, and you'd better get them on as soon as you possibly can."
"You're going to the station now, Lucy, aren't you?" asked one of the girls.
"Yes, right away. I suppose we'll be back again in about half an hour. Good-by; I'm off!" and she ran down the steps, only to turn at the bottom to add, "Don't forget any of the directions, girls, and don't make the least noise when you come into the room, or it will spoil everything. Good-by; I'm off now for good."
"We'll do everything just right," Jessie promised.
"Good luck!" they called after her as she hurried along.
"She almost seems to be walking on air, doesn't she?" one of them remarked, as she turned for a last wave.
"No wonder," said Evelyn, gloomily. "She's going to our guardian."
"Lucy said they would be back in half an hour," sighed Marjorie. "How can we wait that long?"
"Nobody knows," Jessie answered, cheerily; "but as long as we have to get ready, we might as well begin now. Come on; let's see who'll be dressed first girls----" which precipitated a general stampede for the door.
As Lucile hurried along toward the station it really seemed as though her feet had wings. The thought of meeting her guardian again, of talking to her in the old familiar way of the old familiar things--all this made her say to herself over and over again, "Oh, I don't believe anybody was ever so happy before." She could see in her mind's eye that old bright, cheery smile of her guardian flash out as she said, as she had said so many times before, "Well, how are my girls to-day?"
To-ot! The shrill wail of the locomotive whistle broke rudely through her revery and brought her to a sudden realization that if she didn't bestir herself, Mrs. Wescott would be at the station with no one to meet her.
"Oh," cried Lucile to herself, "and I thought I was hurrying just as fast as I could. Well, I'm in for a race with the train, it seems. I wonder what the girls would say," she chuckled as she ran. "This is almost as good as a canoe race."
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. _