Dorothy Dale at Glenwood School by Margaret Penrose
Produced by Al Haines
Cover art]
[Frontispiece: "PROCEED!" COMMANDED THE RANGER, AND DOROTHY BEGAN THETHIMBLE CHASE--_Page_ 150]
DOROTHY DALE AT GLENWOOD SCHOOL
BY
MARGARET PENROSE
AUTHOR OF "DOROTHY DALE: A GIRL OF TO-DAY."
ILLUSTRATED
NEW YORK
CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY
THE DOROTHY DALE SERIES
BY MARGARET PENROSE
Cloth. Illustrated.
DOROTHY DALE: A GIRL OF TO-DAY
DOROTHY DALE AT GLENWOOD SCHOOL
(Other volumes in preparation)
CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY NEW YORK
Copyright, 1908, by
CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY
DOROTHY DALE AT GLENWOOD SCHOOL
CONTENTS
CHAPTER
I. TWO YOUNG GIRLS II. THE FIRE-BIRD III. A QUEER SPRING SUIT IV. A DAY OF DANGERS V. THE POLICE PATROL VI. A RIDE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES VII. TAVIA'S DANGER VIII. AN INVERTED JOKE IX. COMMITTEE OF ARRANGEMENTS X. A LAWN PARTY "WITH BOYS!" XI. OFF FOR GLENWOOD XII. VIOLA'S MOTHER XIII. THE CATEGORY XIV. THE INITIATION XV. LOST ON MOUNT GABRIEL XVI. WHAT VIOLA DID XVII. THE STRIKE OF THE REBS XVIII. DOROTHY'S SACRIFICE XIX. THE TANGLED WEB XX. SUSPICIONS XXI. SUNSHINE AGAIN XXII. MISS CRANE AND VIOLA XXIII. THE REAL STORY
DOROTHY DALE AT GLENWOOD SCHOOL
CHAPTER I
TWO YOUNG GIRLS
"And you are quite sure, daddy, I am not dreaming? That I am sittingright here with my arms around your neck, and you have just told me itis all perfectly true?" And, to make still more certain that the wholematter was one of unquestionable reality, the girl gave her parent sucha flesh and blood hug that a physical answer came to her question inthe shape of a protest from the very wideawake man.
"Now, see here, Little Captain," he remarked, "it is all very well tomake sure we are not dreaming, and that all the good news is real, butplease remember I have put on a clean collar and--your tactics arequite military. You are acquiring muscle."
Major Dale kissed his daughter fondly as she relinquished her hold onhim, and smoothed back a stray lock of his silvery hair.
"I'm so glad for you, daddy," she went on. "You do so need a realrest, and now we will not have to plan every day what we may spendto-morrow. I fancy I will still keep the note-book going with poundsand prices of things, and an occasional orange, and even some foreignfruit now and then. Dear me! I feel the good of that money already.We can have so many luxuries--no more scrimping and patching--"
"But, daughter dear," interrupted the major, "you must not imagine thatmere money can bring happiness. It depends entirely upon the properuse of that commodity--we must always exercise good judgment, whetherone dollar or one hundred dollars are involved."
"Oh, of course, I know we are not so very rich, we cannot just exactlylive sumptuously, but we may live comfortably. And really, daddy, nowthat it is over, I may as well own up, I have longed with the longestkind of longing for a brand-new hat. May I really have one? Ribbonsand all?"
"Two, one for Sunday and one for every day," promptly responded themajor, laughing. "But your hats always look new--"
"They do say I have talent for hats, and that one must have originalityto trim and keep old head-gear up to date. So, daddy dear, perhaps,some day, that hint of talent may develop--I may be an artist orsomething. Then I will bless the days when I had to make over hats todiscover myself," and Dorothy promptly clapped upon her blond head sucha confusion of straw and flowers, to say nothing of the dangling blueribbons, that even the major, with his limited appreciation of "keepingold head-gear up-to-date" was forced to acknowledge that his daughterdid know how to trim a hat.
"When will the money come?" she asked, tilting her head to one side toget a look in the small oval mirror, that was sufficiently large forthe major's neckties, but was plainly too short for hats.
"We won't get it by the pound, like butter, you know, daughter. Nor isit a matter of so many blank checks to be filled out as we progresswith penmanship--like copy-book work. As a matter of fact, I have justreceived the legal information that my dear old soldier uncleNed--otherwise known as Captain Edward Dale on the retired list,resident of India, subject of Great Britain, has answered the last rollcall--and left what he had to me. Uncle Ned was the hero of ourfamily, daughter dear, and some day I will tell you why you are myLittle Captain--his own successor," and the major laid his hand uponDorothy's shoulder in a way he had of making a promise that he intendedto keep.
A commotion on the side porch interrupted their confidences, and themajor took advantage of it to make his escape. He kissed Dorothygood-bye, and left her to the "commotion" that presently made its wayin at the door in the shape of Tavia Travers, Dorothy's warmest friendin every thing.
"Hurrah for the good news!" shouted Tavia, flinging her sailor hat upto the ceiling and catching it as promptly.
"Three cheers for the money, When will it come? Give a feller some Tiddle-umtum-tum I have to say bunny, To make a rhyme with money!"
And Tavia swung around like a pin-wheel to bring her "verse" to aneffective full stop--a way she had of punctuating her impromptuproductions.
Dorothy made a comical "squat" to add more finish, and then the twogirls, feeling better for having opened the safety valve of physicalexertion to "let off" mental exuberance, sat down to talk it overquietly.
"Are you perfectly positive, certain, sure, that it's just you, DorothyDale, and no fairy or mermaid," began Tavia, settling herself among thecushions on Major Dale's sofa. "Of all the delicious, delectablethings! To have a rich, old uncle die 'way off in India, where youdon't even have to make your nose red at his funeral. And to leave youa million dollars--"
"Oh, not quite a million," interrupted Dorothy. "Somethingconsiderable less than that, I believe."
"But it's all kinds of money I know," went on the other. "Dear me! Ido wish some kind of money would run in our family even with red nosesthrown in. But no such luck! When we have a funeral we always have topay for the coach."
"Tavia Travers! How dare you talk so, of such serious things!"
"How else would you have me talk of serious things? The most seriousthing in my life is money--its scarcity. Funerals, of course, taketime, and are unpleasant in many respects, but, for right at hometrouble, it's money."
"It is nice to think that the dear old captain should be so good tofather," said Dorothy. "Father was always his favorite relative, andhe particularly liked him on account of his military honors."
"Well, he ought to, of course," put in Tavia, "for your father keepsthe name Dale up for military honors. But what in the world are yougoing to do with all the money? Don't, for goodness' sake, go away foryour health, and other things, and leave poor me to die here withoutnobody nor nuthin'," and the girl burst into make-believe tears.
"Indeed," said Dorothy. "We can enjoy the good fortune in no placebetter than in dear old Dalton, and among our own good friends," andshe put her arms affectionately about Tavia. "But one thing has beendefinitely decided upon--"
"You are going to buy the Harvy mansion?"
"No, a new hat. Father has just this minute given his consent."
"Make it a tiara and save the expense of hat-pins," suggested Tavia.
"No, I have a hankering for a Gainsborough, the kind the lady hangingover Aunt Winnie's stairs wears--the picture queen, you know."
"Oh, yes, she looks very nice in a picture over the stairs," remarkedTavia, "but my advice to you would be to wear elastic under your chinwith a thing like that--or else try Gulliver'
"You shall help me pick it out," agreed Dorothy. "In the meantimedon't sit on the only one I have. I just left it on the sofa as youcame in--"
"And if it isn't the dearest, sweetest thing now," exclaimed Tavia,rescuing the mass of perishables she had unwittingly pressed intosomething like a funeral piece.
"Oh!" exclaimed Dorothy. "I did like that hat!"
"And so did I!" declared Tavia. "That hat was a stunner, and I deeplyregret it's untimely taking away--it went to pieces without a groan.That comes of having a real Leghorn. I could sit all over my poorstraw pancake and it would not as much as bend--couldn't. It wouldhave no place to bend to."
"You could never wear anything that would become you more than a simplesailor," said Dorothy, with the air of one in authority, "and if I hadyour short locks I would just sport a jaunty little felt sailor allsummer. But with my head--"
"Jaunty doesn't go. I quite agree with you, picture lady, your head iscut out for picture hats. Another positive evidence of money runningin your family--my head was cut out for an economical pattern--luckything for me!" and Tavia clapped her aforesaid sailor on her bronzehead at a decidedly rakish angle, while Dorothy busied herself with athorough investigation of the wreck of her own headpiece.
As told in "Dorothy Dale: A Girl of To-Day," the first book of thisseries, these two girls, Dorothy Dale and Octavia Travers, were schoolfriends, home friends and all kinds of friends, both about the sameage, and both living in a little interesting town called Dalton, in NewYork state. Dorothy was the daughter of Major Dale, a prominentcitizen of the place, while Tavia's father was Squire Travers, a manwho was largely indebted to Dorothy for the office he held, inasmuch asshe had managed, in a girl's way, to bring about his election.
Tavia had a brother Johnnie, quite an ordinary boy, while Dorothy hadtwo brothers, Joe, aged nine and Roger, aged seven years.
There was one other member of the Dale household, Mrs. Martin, thehousekeeper, who had cared for the children since their mother had beencalled away. She was that sort of responsible aged woman who seems togrow more and more particular with years, and perhaps her only fault,if it might be termed such, was her excessive care of Roger--her baby,she insisted,--for to her his seven years by no means constituted alength of time sufficient to make a boy of him. The children calledMrs. Martin, Aunt Libby, and to them she was indeed as kind and lovingas any aunt could be.
Dorothy had an aunt, Mrs. Winthrop White, of North Birchland in summer,and of the city in winter, a woman of social importance, as well asbeing a most lovable and charming lady personally. A visit of Dorothyand Tavia to the Cedars, Mrs. White's country place, as related in"Dorothy Dale," was full of incidents, and in the present volume weshall become still better acquainted with the family, which includedMrs. White's two sons, Ned and Nat, both young men well worth knowing.
Dorothy and Tavia might well rejoice in the good news that the majorhad so lately been informed of, for the acquirement of means to Dorothywould undoubtedly bring good times to Tavia, and both deserved theprospects of sunshine and laughter, for alas--in all lives, even thosescarcely old enough to take upon their shoulders the burden of cares,there comes some blot to mar the page: some speck to break the gloriousblue of the noonday sky.
Dorothy Dale was not without her sorrow. A wicked man, Andrew Andersonby name, had come into her life in a mysterious way. Dorothy hadbefriended, and in her own way, helped back to a day of happiness anunfortunate man, Miles Burlock. This man had for years been in thestrange power of Anderson, but before it was too late Dorothy hadhelped Burlock break the chains of strong drink that seemed to havebound him to the evil companion, and for this interference she hadsuffered--she was now the object of Anderson's hatred. Anderson wasafter the money that Miles Burlock had to leave at his death, butDorothy and her father saved this for its rightful owner, a littledaughter of Miles Burlock, who had for some years been kept away fromher own father by Anderson.
The child, now an orphan, came into the care of Major Dale, her legalguardian and so Anderson had new cause for his hatred for Dorothy--themoney and child having both been put out of his reach. So this wasDorothy's sorrow: she had been persecuted because of her goodness.
No one who knew Tavia Travers would have considered her capable ofworry. She was as light-hearted as air, with a great faculty formischief and a "hankering" for fun. But she did have a worry, a fearthat some day Dorothy Dale might pass out of her life and end theattachment that came in childhood and waxed strong with girlhood.Dorothy was what might be considered a girl of the aristocratic class,while Tavia belonged to those who consider it a privilege to work for aliving and have a keen appreciation of the opportunity--as SquireTravers proved when he turned in to show himself the best official, inthe capacity of squire, of which Dalton ever boasted.
Now a new danger threatened Tavia: Dorothy would be almost rich. Wouldthat help to break the ties of love and friendship between the girls?
Not that Dorothy could ever change in her sincere love for Tavia, butmight not circumstances separate them, and then--?
Tavia had been first to congratulate Dorothy on the good news and thesmashed hat had furnished an incident sufficiently distracting to keepTavia from the lamentations that at first filled her heart. Hence ithas been necessary to take the reader through her sentiments in a verymuch less interesting way than Tavia herself would have disclosed them.She had a way of saying and doing things that was inimitable, andamusing, if not entirely elevating.
"Then you think you will stay in Dalton?" asked Tavia, finally, asDorothy succeeded in pulling the smashed hat back into some kind ofshape, if not the right kind.
"Why not?" asked Dorothy. "Are there not plenty of good people inDalton?"
"Oh, a few, perhaps. There's me and Johnnie--but we are not 'out' yet,and you will be looking for society friends. Well, here's good luck toyou with your Indian millions, and don't forget that in your poorestdays I used to lend you chewing gum," and at this Tavia threw her armsaround Dorothy in a warm embrace, as if striving to hold to her heartand keep in her life the same old darling Dorothy--in spite of the newcircumstances.
"Say, Sis!" exclaimed Dorothy. "Do you realize that this is the veryday you are to go for an automobile ride with Nat White?"
"And that you are to go in the same machine with Ned White? Course Ido, you selfish girl. So taken up with common money that you nevernoticed my get-up. Look at this," and Tavia drew from the folds of herskirt a cloud of something. "Automobile veil," she explained, givingthe flimsy stuff a turn that sent it floating through the air like acloud of smoke.
"Splendid!" declared Dorothy.
"Gloriotious!" remarked Tavia, "the real thing. I found it in an oldtrunk among dear old grandma Travers' things, and grandma loved itdearly. I persuaded mother to let me inherit it, and smell," puttingthe gray cloud of silk to Dorothy's face, "that perfume is lavender.Grandma always used it."
"What a dear old lady she must have been," said Dorothy, looking overthe dainty article critically. "You are not really going to wear it,"she faltered, realizing the value of such an heirloom.
"No, I am not, but--you are! There, Doro, darling, it is a gift foryou from--me. You will always keep it and--love it--"
"Indeed I will do no such thing as to take your dear grandma's things.You must always keep this yourself--"
"But I want you to, Doro. It will make me happy to know I have givenyou something good--something I have loved, and something you will lovefor me. There," and she put the scarf over Dorothy's blond head, "youlook like an angel. Grandma herself will be proud all the way fromheaven, to see this fall upon the shoulders of one so worthy in faceand in heart," and the two stood there clasped in each other's arms,the silvery veil of love falling about the shoulders of both, andbinding "all the way to heaven," in its folds of sweetest lavender thehearts of two young girls.