CHAPTER XIV

THE ALGONQUIN EPISODE

"We were so surprised to see her aunt along with her," Julia was recounting. "They seem awfully chummy, don't they?"

"Yes, it is plain to see they are not--just ordinary folks," added Cleo. "But even at that I don't see why she should be so standoffish."

"I hope she likes my cake. I left it under a turned upside box, put a couple of big stones on it and told Shag not to let anyone touch it," Grace explained.

"Suppose she wouldn't care to accept a cake? She said something that night around the campfire, about not accepting things she couldn't return." This was Cleo's contribution.

"If she doesn't like my cake she can easily return that," Grace was very emphatic now, "and then perhaps we will desist. No use trying to make friends with folks who insist on snubbing us."

"But she hasn't snubbed us yet," Louise reminded the first speaker.

"Oh, no, I know that. I was only saying if she _didn't_ take the cake."

"No danger of anyone giving up that lovely mound of sweetness. I wish you saved that, Grace, and gave away the marshmallow; I just love tutti-frutti," declared Cleo.

"Didn't you think Peg acted rather queer when she met us?" inquired Louise presently.

"She was surprised, that's all. We were surprised ourselves to meet her," explained Julia. "And perhaps too, she fancied we were fixed up and she looked sort of mussy. No one wants to feel that way, you know."

"That may have been it," Cleo accepted, but her voice lacked assurance. "And say, Julie, we didn't tell you we tore down the dynamite sign."

"Not really!"

"Pos--i--tively!"

"And you didn't find the danger?"

"Only in the black letters on a piece of red tin. But those signs don't grow there, although at first we had our suspicions," Cleo stated facetiously.

"And we also suspect caves and bandits," Louise knew exactly the effect this would have on Grace, the adventuress.

"Caves! Bandits! Bears and Deadeyed Dicks!" came the prompt string of exclamations from Grace. "Oh, let's go out there to-morrow and explore!"

"We knew it; but it is interesting, Grace, and we'll plan our hike for Big Nose Rock if Mackey will agree," Cleo proposed. "Now we must help Madaline and Margaret gather their souvenirs. It's too bad they have to go, but we knew when they came it would only be a few days' visit."

"Good thing we can keep Isabel and Helen. It's such fun to have company," Louise insisted.

"It was real fun last night," Grace reminded her companions. "I thought we really would have to prop our beds on end and sleep standing up. Wasn't it too funny!"

"Not for the poor Norms, although they wouldn't admit it. Bubbles and Struggles had more kinds of fun than I have ever seen even new school teachers fall into," said Cleo.

"Such names! Bubbles and Struggles!" repeated Julia.

"About like Fuss and Buzz," recalled Grace. "By the way, I wonder what has 'happed' to those heavenly twins?"

"Wouldn't wonder but they are calling on other campers," suggested Louise. "They seem so apt to call."

This provoked the inevitable mimicry, and if Fuss and Buzz hadn't inflamed red hot ears at that moment, the old saying must indeed have lost its potency.

The visitors who were leaving, jolly Madaline and capable Margaret, were being helped pack their bags by Corene, who in spite of offers from the other Bobbies still held to the responsibilities of leadership.

It may have been that Corene was anxious to qualify, or it may have been that she really enjoyed the satisfaction she experienced, at any rate it was easy to guess she would be sure to receive "awards" when the camp season would be over, for Corene was almost daily adding to her efficiency laurels.

"If only we could have Elizabeth up here for a week, wouldn't she show us a thing or two about housekeeping?" Julia remarked, when in spite of protestations the cupboard was being "finished" by Julia although Corene had "commenced" it.

"I can imagine Elizabeth's joy at baking cake in your stove oven, Julia," returned Corene.

"She could bake good cake in a camp kettle, I do believe. You know, Corey, Lizbeth is a wizard on bakes."

"Yes, she's headed straight for Pratt's and the youngest of our entire class," reflected Corene, flicking a bit of paper napkin from the clock shelf. "I do wonder what makes some girls have such a lot of brains?"

"And some girls have a lot of hair, too," reasoned Julia. "I guess it's just natural."

"There comes the steamer Madaline's sisters are coming on!" exclaimed Corene, as a tooting and blowing announced the arrival of the "Black Hawk." The captain signalled either for folks to land or for folks to embark, and as the "Hawk" flag now flew from the dock near Camp Comalong he would know passengers there awaited his arrival.

Dropping their work Julia and Corene hurried to join those already waiting to see the visitors off, for the coming and going, the landing and embarking, was ever a source of excitement at the lake. Not that company could be definitely expected always, but just as a letter carrier _may_ have good news, so anyone of those many steamers coming up from the depot eight miles away _might_ have company for any of the many campers.

Madaline and Margaret were steamed away, amid a wild flutter of waving and good-byes, and back to camp again the Bobbies hurried to prepare for the evening meal.

"We are going to have all the Norms down," announced Miss Mackey, who had been up in the devastated region all the afternoon. "They simply couldn't get things dried out, and I insisted they eat with us to-night."

"Goody!" chirped Grace. "I think company is the best fun of all. Especially Bubbles and Giggles."

"Giggles?" queried the director.

"Oh, I mean Struggles. She seems to be always struggling to keep from giggling, so I got her name mixed," admitted Grace.

"Perhaps we should ask them to stay to-night," ventured Corene.

"Where would we put them?" demanded Louise, impulsively.

"All bunk on the floor. It's nice and clean. Lots better than we get on a hike when we sleep like ground hogs in holes," said Corene.

"We could house them and I proposed it," said Miss Mackey, "but they wouldn't hear of it and they are going to sleep in the hotel to-night. They want you all to come over and spend the evening there."

"Joy!" shouted Isabel. "I just want to see what they do at a mountain hotel in the evenings."

"Same as they do at the seashore, Izzy, and you know that isn't particularly exciting," Cleo reminded her visitor.

"It was last year when the baby choked on the button. Don't you remember?"

This recalled an incident told of in the "Girl Scouts at Sea Crest," and its mention was enough to send the girls off into their easily acquired kinks. But even fun has its limitations, and the time was racing toward supper with the Norms, and then to the evening to be spent at Hocomo's biggest hotel, the Algonquin.

"Glad I fetched a clean white frock this very day," remarked Louise, and her companions seemed none the less glad that they too had "fatigue uniforms," a simple white dress used by these Scouts on just such occasions as that they were now dressing for.

The storm had driven more than one camp to seek refuge in the hotel that evening, and arriving there the Bobbies were overjoyed to meet a number of their acquaintances from among the summer colonists.

Dancing was of the desultory order, but what was lacking in vigor was made up in continuity, for it seemed there was never rest, stop, nor intermission to the programme. It was just one long, languid, continuous dance.

Around the edge of the "ball room" the Bobbies danced and capered, not venturing out to take the place possibly claimed by the grown-ups. The so-called ball room was merely the largest room the hotel boasted of, and evidently its festive claims were based upon the faded crepe paper that still clung reluctantly to chandeliers and other conveniently set out points.

But the music was "pretty fair," as more than one guest agreed, and it was pleasant to be indoors on this cool summer's evening.

Just after Miss Mackin sent around the whisper that there remained only "a few minutes more," the Bobolinks were attracted by a rather familiar drawl stealing in from a window opened on the porch.

"Sounds like----"

"It is," interrupted Cleo. "Here they come!"

"Our dear friends, Buzz and Fuss," finished Julia. "And please observe!"

This was whispered and actually reached only those ears very close to her, but it seemed as if some magic announcement had been made, for the entrance of those two young women immediately brought a charge of eyes focussed directly at them.

"It may be a masquerade," hinted Louise in an undertone. "Perhaps we have only seen the first act."

Their costumes might indeed have answered for a mask, they were so ridiculously extreme. The most brilliant striped satins that suggested clown effects, flowing sashes of colors by no means contrasting, then the hair dressing: such ear puffs, terracing up to a tower on top, "like the jumps to the Essveay fire-escape," whispered Cleo. Really it was no wonder Buzz and Fuss were late if they had to build that effect all at one sitting.

The young men with them matched up fairly well, considering the handicap young men must dress under; but their flannels and their patent leather shoes, topped off with purple socks and vivid neckties, did all that reasonably could be done to liven up the male attire.

Not a detail was lost on a Bobbie. They sat there fascinated, saving up their laughs for the wild time they would have going back to camp.

The dancers drifted around and the conspicuous ones came close to the row of Girl Scouts. As they did so the blondest blonde caught sight of Grace and recognized her.

"Oh, the babes!" she cooed, loud enough to be overheard. "The Bobbie babes from the woodsy camp."

This was too much for the Scouts, and only a sudden jumping up to the answer of the beckoning gesture from Miss Mackin, who was waiting for the home hike, saved an actual upheaval. As it was, Grace gagged and squawked audibly, Cleo hummed a foolish tune as she always did to invoke sorrow, Louise danced a few steps automatically, and by that time the buzzers had buzzed along.

But not finally. At the door the Bobbies stood for a few minutes throwing on scarfs and capes, and while they did so along came the unpleasant ones again. Miss Mackin's attention had been drawn to them by Corene, and she stepped out and stood squarely in front of her little charges like a shield. But that attitude had no deterring effect on the intruders.

"How's every little thing over in Camp Comalong?" asked one in a voice that attracted unpleasant attention.

No one answered; Miss Mackin shifted her shoulders and sort of urged the girls outside. The Norms were just beyond the door, waiting on the porch.

A taunting, high pitched, audacious laugh followed.

"Take the babies home and put them to bed," mocked one of the pair. "Too late for little Bobbokins to be out."

"Of all the rude creatures!" gasped Miss Mackin. "One would think we were acquainted with them."

"They think we are," retorted Corene, quite as indignant as the director. "But I guess everyone else knows them, so perhaps their remarks will not seem--so strange to others."

"They ought not to be allowed to insult guests that way," stormed Louise. Even her "canned laugh" was lost track of now.

"Did you see those two freaks?" asked Bubbles Norm when the party united on the porch.

"And did you hear them?" added Miss Mackin.

"They are the two blandest creatures," went on Bubbles. "But I believe their daddy is supposed to be some pumpkins, a magnate of some kind or other."

"Pity he doesn't put his daughters in the trust, then," retorted Cleo. "They need something; maybe it's that."