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Page 59
One thing haunted Mollie: it was her fear of strangers. If a visitor
came aboard the houseboat the young girl would disappear and hide in
the cabin until there was no danger of her being noticed. Jack Bolling
and Tom Curtis came calling nearly every day, but neither one of them
had seen anything of Mollie, except her flying skirts as she ran away
to hide from them. They were vaguely aware of her unusual beauty, but
neither of them knew what she actually looked like.
Madge was particularly sorry that Mollie would not see Mrs. Curtis.
The houseboat holiday could only last a short time longer. Mr. and
Mrs. Butler had written that they expected to return from California in
about ten days, and must have Madge and Eleanor back at "Forest House."
Lillian's and Phil's parents were also clamoring for their girls to
spend a part of their summer vacation at home. So the question must
soon arise: What could be done with Mollie when the crew of the "Merry
Maid" disbanded? Madge felt they needed their friend's advice. But
neither Mrs. Curtis nor Miss Jenny Ann thought it best to force Mollie
to see people until she became more used to the atmosphere of affection
about her, and had learned that no one meant to harm or ill treat her.
Once Mrs. Curtis caught a brief glimpse of Mollie, standing framed in
the cabin doorway. The girl had given a frightened stare at her, and
then had fled inside her room. She could not be coaxed out again.
Mrs. Curtis was curious. The one quick look at Mollie seemed oddly to
recall some friend of her youth. It was nothing to think of seriously.
She would know better when she saw the girl another time.
Daily Mrs. Curtis seemed to grow more and more fond of Madge. If Madge
failed to come to see her every day or so, she would send Tom over as a
messenger to bring her little friend back with him to luncheon or to
dinner. She and the little captain used to have long, confidential
talks together, and Mrs. Curtis seemed never to weary of the young
girl's romantic fancies. She used to make Madge tell her of her family
and what she knew of her dead father and mother. At times Madge
wondered idly why Mrs. Curtis was interested in them, and every now and
then she thought Tom's mother wished to ask her an important question.
But Mrs. Curtis always put off the inquiry until another time.
Toward the close of their stay on the "Merry Maid" the girls were
invited to a six o'clock dinner at the Belleview, given in their honor
by Mrs. Curtis and Tom. On the day of the dinner Tom was sent to the
"Merry Maid" to ask Madge to come to his mother an hour earlier than
the others were expected. Miss Jenny Ann had elected to stay at home
with Mollie. Nothing would induce Mollie to attend the party, and Miss
Jenny Ann would not allow any one of the girls to remain on the
houseboat with her.
Tom and Madge went up to the hotel on the street car, since it was
impossible for Tom to row with his lame arm. They found Mrs. Curtis on
a little balcony that opened off her private sitting-room. The piazza
overlooked the waters of the small bay. It was a wonderful summer
afternoon; white clouds were rioting everywhere in the clear, blue sky;
the water was astir with white-masted boats, dipping their sails toward
the waves like the flapping wings of sea gulls.
Madge was looking her prettiest. She had on her best white frock, and
as a mark of her appreciation of Mrs. Curtis wore the string of pearls
about her throat. Without making any noise, she crept out on the
balcony and kissed Mrs. Curtis lightly on the forehead. Then she
dropped into a low, cushioned chair near her friend's side.
"Here I am, dressed for the dinner," she announced happily. "How do
you like me? Tom said you wanted me to come before the other girls,
and that this was perhaps our farewell dinner with you, for you might
be going away in a few days. Dear me, I am sorry. Are you going to
Old Point Comfort for the rest of the summer, or to your own summer
place?"
Mrs. Curtis shook her head. "I don't know, Madge, just where I shall
go," she answered, pushing Madge's curls to one side of her white
forehead. It was the way that Mrs. Curtis liked best to have Madge
wear her hair. "But, wherever we go, can't you go with us?" she
concluded.
Madge sighed. "I'd love to go with you," she sighed, "but I can't.
You see, Nellie and I have to go back to 'Forest House,' to spend the
rest of our holiday with Uncle and Aunt. They would be dreadfully hurt
if I suggested making a visit to you, instead of coming home to them."
"Then I wonder if your uncle and aunt would allow me to make them a
short visit?" questioned Mrs. Curtis gravely.
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