Edith Lavell

“ At this moment the door was opened, and Miss Winthrop preceded a tall, splendid looking man in a khaki uniform into the room. A sense of triumph came over Marjorie as she realized that here was the very human embodiment of the great scout ideal; the sound mind and the sound body. Although over six feet tall, he was as straight as an arrow; his clothing showed all the neatness of an army officer’s; his blue eyes looked fearlessly into the girls’, proclaiming his honesty, his good-will, his kindliness.57 Marjorie felt indeed that she had made a wise choice. ”

“ Miss Winthrop’s grey eyes flashed. “Yes, that’s just it, Miss Andrews. You have hit the nail on the head. That is the very reason I came out here to college this afternoon. The girls took a fancy to you and Miss Wilkinson!”
“What?” gasped Marjorie incredulously. “Surely you are mistaken, Miss Winthrop! If you could have been there, and have seen and heard for yourself——”
“I know—I know what you mean,” she interrupted to explain. “But that is only their way. Don’t you know that ignorant people always ridicule what they can’t understand? But, I repeat it, the girls liked you. ”

“ The trouble lies too deep for you to reach, Marjorie. Their families, the free lawless spirit of the age in which we live, are to blame. They are young in years, but they are old in experience—much older than you. ”

“ At present Marjorie’s powers did not stand high in her own estimation.
“The trouble with me is, I can’t get my scouts’ point of view,” she remarked, harping back to the old subject. “I can’t seem to realize that they aren’t our dear old senior patrol, who got a thrill out of anything connected with scouting. In one way they know so much more than we ever did—they’re so experienced—but in another they’re ignorant and blind, and deaf besides. One thing I learned at the hike—they are bored to death with nature. I might just as well cross hiking and camping off of my program.” ”

“ A change came over Queenie as she grew fully aware of the seriousness of Marjorie’s condition. Now that she herself was safe, her own troubles were forgotten; all her anxiety was directed towards her captain.
“Your father is going to drive out for you tomorrow, Marj,” Lily informed her as she returned from the telephone booth. “And Miss Hawes is coming right away to take you to the infirmary.”
“Then I can’t be with you?” asked Queenie, almost pathetically.
“I’m afraid not,” replied Lily. “But I’ll look out for you. I’ll take you down to dinner with me tonight.” ”

“ Wild cries of joy came from all the girls at once. Secretly they had all been dreading the ready-made suits that the scouts wore, but this offer would make their troop the smartest in the city. Before they could even express their thanks, Lily took out six order blanks, signed by her mother, and gave them to the girls. Even Gertie and Mame, who had heretofore shown little interest in the proceedings, looked on in frank envy.
Then, while the excitement was still high, they adjourned to the gymnasium, to receive their first instructions in basket-ball. ”

“ Your duty is not to dwell on the past, and what you have been but to think of what you can still do to make her proud of you!”
Queenie grew calmer at these reassuring words and the sympathetic manner and sat up and dried her eyes. At that moment, Mr. Richards seemed like the most wonderful man in the world to her.
“I’m going to live in that belief,” she announced resolutely. “Now drive me home, so that I can write some notes to the scouts. All of the girls in the troop will want to hear just how Miss Wilkinson is.” ”

“ It was Cornflower Troop’s turn to play the defensive game, and with a mighty effort they threw themselves into the task. But the advantage remained with Marjorie’s players, for Annie Marshall continued to land the jump.
Both teams were too strong on the defensive to allow their opponents to run up high scores; nevertheless, slowly, but surely, Sunflower steadily gained. Not only did Annie prove a better center than Marjorie, but Marjorie proved a better forward than Annie. It was almost a foregone conclusion that whenever she secured the ball she would make a goal. ”

“ Queenie greeted them with the utmost hospitality.
“At home to all our friends tonight!” she welcomed them, joyfully. “But I pity you, Mr. Wilkinson, when you try to get basket-ball through our thick heads. We’re nuthin’ but dumb-bells.”
“Just what I like best,” he grinned. “People that don’t think they know it all. They’re much easier to teach.”
Marjorie, who had been watching her brother closely, sensed his immediate liking for Queenie, and felt pleased. She was so anxious for others to back up her judgment, to consider these girls worth-while. ”

“ The visitor was Jeannette Killough, a rival candidate for the class presidency.
“Do sit down, Jennie,” invited Marjorie, cordially for she was always glad to see the other girl, of whom she was a sincere admirer. “It’s so nice to see you.”
“Thank you,” replied Jeannette, accepting the invitation. Then, “I am lucky to find you both at home, though you really ought not to be, Marj!”
Marjorie shrugged her shoulders.
“Why, Jeannette?”
“Because you ought to be over at the dance, courting popularity. The election comes off tomorrow night!” ”

“ If you could see the way the little things depend upon those nurses! They adore them, they wait patiently till they have time to attend to them. Oh, they are wonderful!”
Marjorie herself felt near to tears, so realistic was John’s description of the little sufferers. She did not trust herself to say anything.
“And then I thought of your girl scouts, girls who have no definite aim in life, who are not preparing for anything special, and I wondered whether we couldn’t turn at least part of their interest there. ”

“ Six weeks had passed since the first meeting of Sunflower Troop, and Marjorie felt more than encouraged with the progress she had made. For the first time since its organization, she looked forward to the meeting with real anticipation. Six of her eight girls were registered scouts, and would soon appear in uniform; all of them were apparently interested in basket-ball. Moreover, she brought news to them of the League, and would have a surprise for them in the gift of the gymnasium shoes. On the whole, the evening promised to be delightful. ”

“ An instant later, however, she recognized Lily’s licence number, and laughed at her roommate’s evident desire to be represented in the display. Lily was prouder of her little roadster than she had ever been of her Rolls-Royce.
She found four of the girls—Daisy, Alice, Ethel and Florence in a circle about Lily, admiring her engagement ring—a solitaire in a filigree platinum setting. Lily had discarded her other rings for the time being, so the new jewel shone out in undisputed splendor on her pretty hand.
“We’re not a bit surprised,” said Alice teasingly. “We’ve known it for a long time!” ”

“ She rejected also the idea of consulting the girl’s parents, for the same reason; the only remaining solution was to investigate for herself. She must meet the man, and form her own judgment of him; then, if she found cause for worry, she could plead with the girl herself.
“I must plan it like a party,” she thought, “so that Queenie won’t suspect anything. But how can I arrange it? Two girls and one man would seem so one-sided——”
In a flash the answer came to her.
“I’ll consult John!” she decided. “Thank goodness he’s in sympathy with my work!” ”

“ If I am not mistaken, that girl will amount to something.”
“If she weren’t so flighty!” sighed Lily. “You simply can’t depend on her. She does the wildest things, on impulse.”
“Remember,” advised the scout-master, “that she is very young. Once she develops poise——”
“I am glad to hear you say that, Mr. Richards,” put in Marjorie. “And if you don’t mind, I’ll tell her, for your regard would count for a good deal in her eyes——. Now tell me how I could keep a hold on these girls, granted that I once have obtained it!”
“Look at life from their point of view, first of all. ”

“ Hurrah! Good-bye! What did you say? Oh, yes, the dance? All right, I guess—Marj will tell you about it tomorrow. Good-bye!”
The mention of the unfortunate circumstance of the evening at the settlement, directed Marjorie’s thoughts back to unpleasant channels, so that amid the congratulations and rejoicing that followed, she was almost an outsider. She had not thought before of Daisy’s disappointment because of their failure, she had pictured only Miss Winthrop’s. Yet the tender-hearted girls would probably be more deeply affected than the other. ”

“ She was disappointed at the outset to find only four of the girls at the appointed place. Aggie and Clara had succumbed to “dates”; Gertie had pronounced the undertaking too strenuous; and Mame had gone to the movies. So only the four remained—the languid Annie Marshall, bright-eyed Stella Cox, attractive little Dottie Williams, and Queenie.61 Marjorie felt her spirits suddenly sink; numbers were almost always indicative of success on these outdoor excursions, and it would be hard to arouse the lively spirit of adventure she so desired. ”

“ Marjorie felt so reassured by the party that she decided to tell Lily all about it, including Gertie’s visit two weeks previous. It was probably true, as John had surmised, that Sam MacDonald had never seen the inside of a college, that he was only a cheap sort of sport who had acquired a smooth manner with girls; but these facts were in no way alarming since Queenie herself showed no signs of being in love with him. It was too much to ask, Marjorie supposed, that the kind of man she admired would be interesting to Queenie. She must expect to be disappointed in her friends ”

“ She knew that she had failed to comfort her, and she wanted to give her son his opportunity.
“And so I am just about ready to give up!” she concluded desperately. “I don’t think I can ever win those girls.”
“You’re right, Marjorie!” exclaimed John ardently. “It’s so much better to expend your energy and time on people who will appreciate it. It’s ‘pearls before swine!’ Oh, my dear, why throw all that love and devotion on girls like that, when some of the rest of us are starving for it? ”

“ Gertie and Clara groaned.
“All right, we’ll do just as you want this time,”60 concluded Queenie. And whatever Queenie decided was always adopted.
But Marjorie left the settlement house that night with anything but pleasurable anticipation for the event of the coming week. In the eyes of these experienced girls a mere hike into the woods was insipid. They knew nothing of birds or flowers; beautiful scenery had no attraction for them if the opposite sex were not present, and cooking of any sort was a bore. ”

“ I would be mortally ashamed of my team if they would do such a thing. Better a thousand times to lose the game.”
“But our team has them cinched a mile!” protested Stella, who was very eager to win.
“I wish we could consult Mr. Wilkinson!” exclaimed Queenie. “He’d let us play rough.”
“No, he wouldn’t, either,” answered Marjorie. “He’s too good a sport for that—and that kind of playing is the poorest kind of sportsmanship. We can consult him between halves, but not on a time-out. There’s the whistle—remember now, girls—good, clean playing!” ”

“ Mame only coughed, and Gertie attempted to hedge at the question.
“How could we belong to the scouts when Queenie put us out? She’s the boss, ain’t she?”
“No,” replied Marjorie, firmly; “I am the captain, and I intend to control the affairs of my troop as long as I hold that office. I repeat now what I said last night: If you and Mame show that you are in earnest, and pass the tenderfoot test, I’ll be only too delighted to register you, regardless of Queenie’s opinion!” ”

“ She was not in the least frightened by the girls, but went from one to another of her admirers with the sweetest smile.
“Our youngest Girl Scout!” Alice nicknamed her as she dropped on her knees to play with her. “It was so thoughtful of you to have a girl, Doris.”
Doris beamed in happiness, and her daughter imitated her with a smile.
“Who’ll hold her during luncheon?” asked Marjorie eager for her turn to come.
“No one, of course!” answered the mother sternly. “Well brought-up babies aren’t held during meals. They lie on a bed with their bottles.” ”

“ A college election of any kind is always supremely interesting to the students; for the time being studies, social affairs, even athletics are forgotten in the suspense that surrounds the outcome. The candidates are discussed from every angle, their respective eligibility decided upon over and over again by every group that gathers in the dining room, in the reception parlors, in the dormitory, until the girls in question fairly ache to have the thing settled one way or the other. ”

“ Nobody would be more thankful than I to see Miss Ainsworth appear.”
“Well,” explained Marjorie, relenting a little at his humility, “it is a foul to charge or attack a player with the ball, and two hands on it give possession. Our team won’t play this kind of game.”
“I’ll be as careful as I can,” the other agreed. “But you know—fellows’ rules—and fellows’ games——”
“Yes, I understand,” smiled Marjorie. “But do your best!”
She walked across to her own little group, who were taking advantage of the time-out to talk with each other in animated and angry tones about their opponents. ”

“ Marjorie remarked. “Well, I don’t consider it a sin at all; I think the same moral laws apply to girls as to men, and instead of being a moral issue at all, it’s a physical one that concerns your health.”
This was an entirely new aspect to Queenie, and she pondered it thoughtfully.
“I believe you’re right, Miss Wilkinson, and I wish that you’d give the troop this same line of talk. Because we need to work up every advantage we can get for our team. Then you don’t smoke?”
“No, nor eat candy when I’m in training. I happen to play on both the ’Varsity basketball and hockey teams for my college.” ”