THE GREYCLIFF GIRLS IN CAMP

Slipping her hand down further, she fished out a queer-looking metal case of some sort.

With warmest gratitude to Mr. and Mrs. Webster, to whom Merrymeeting Camp owes existence, and to Miss Cotteral, the other councillors, and the girls, for the interest and inspiration which they supplied.

The characters are all fictitious. The setting and activities, with some incidents, are taken from the camp life.

To my daughter, who wrote the Squirrels’ Inn entertainment described in chapter twenty-three, credit is due for those verses. The words of Camping Days were written by Marion Buerger of Cincinnati.

CHAPTER ITHE TRIP TO CAMP

The Greycliff girls who had decided to go to the girls’ camp in Maine with Patricia West, their English teacher, were busy getting ready their camp equipment in the short time which elapsed between the close of school and their departure for camp. School had closed early in June and Merrymeeting Camp did not open until July 5th, but Miss West, who had been a councillor at camp for several seasons, was to have charge of a delightful and instructive trip that was offered by the camp authorities to any of the older girls who wanted to take it. This would give them the opportunity to see Niagara, Toronto, Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence and Thousand Islands, Montreal, and the White Mountains. The trip was so planned that the girls would see the best part of the scenery by day, and would have rest at hotels from the necessary sleeping car and boat travel. All reservations were made on boat and train and at hotels, and in the case of the girls leaving with the Cincinnati parties, even baggage was called for at the homes and the tickets purchased.

Letters went back and forth. Hilary Lancaster was now living in Cincinnati, which was also Miss West’s home. Helen Paget and Evelyn Calvert, two Southern girls who had been at Greycliff, were to join Hilary, visiting her a day or two and starting with her party. Cathalina Van Buskirk and Lilian North were to join them at Buffalo; Betty Barnes, at Toronto, where she was visiting her aunt.

“The whole ‘quartet’ of our suite will be together on this trip,” wrote Lilian to Hilary, “and more of our special friends at camp,—won’t it be jolly? I’ve never seen Niagara, nor ever been out of the United States. I wrote to Eloise and urged her to come, but she says that she can not possibly get ready so soon and will have to meet us at camp if she gets there at all!”

It was the last Thursday in June, and the train to Buffalo was to leave at 6:05 P.M. Cincinnati was steaming with heat during one of those days which the beautiful Queen City can serve to its inhabitants in summer. Perspiration shone on faces and trickled down backs. The Central Union Station was like an oven, but cheerful, happy faces and lively conversation, anticipatory of interesting experiences, brightened the farewells.

Both Dr. and Mrs. Lancaster, with Mary, Gordon and Tommy, were there to see Hilary and June off; for June, to her great delight, was going too. Dr. Lancaster had packed the whole family, with their guests, Helen and Evelyn, into his car, recently presented to him by his congregation, and brought them from the parsonage to the station. Already Miss West was there, with three first-year high-school girls, Jean Marshall, Marjorie White and Rhoda Jenkins, known later at camp as “Jenkie” or “Jenks”.

“Think of the cool breezes in Maine,” said Dr. Lancaster, as he delivered several small suit-cases to their owners and took out a big white handkerchief, “to catch his tears”, as Tommy said.

“Tommy and I are going to our aunt’s for a visit,” said Gordon to Miss West, for he wanted it to be known that he was not entirely left out of good times. “And Father says that p’raps we can go to Boothbay Camp next summer. The oldest got to go first in our family!”

Time sped on as they chatted, till presently the iron gates opened and with Miss West and the tickets in the lead, the girls passed through. A few friends were permitted to accompany them and escort them to the train.

“Don’t forget your pocket-book, Jean,” admonished one auntie, through the open window.

“Yes, do hang on to that, or let Miss West carry your money,” added another.

“I’ve been known to leave my pocket-book,” explained Jean aside to Hilary. “Please take this twenty-five, Miss West.”

“Be sure to write a card in Buffalo, Hilary,” said Dr. Lancaster.

“O, yes, Father, we’ll write a post-card from every single place,” replied June, happily excited over the trip, “alone, with only Hilary!”

It was some time before the train started, and how they longed to get away from the hot station! The electric fans started and gave some relief. Bags or suit-cases were arranged, hats and umbrellas disposed of, while Miss West counted noses and saw that each girl was in her own section or knew where it was.

“Let me see. Hilary, you and June are in number nine, right over Helen and Evelyn. Too bad you have to double in an upper. Won’t you take my berth?”

“No, indeed; thank you, Miss West. It was our fault that we did not decide about June’s going till the last minute. I’m thankful that we could get the other reservations.”

“We are nicely fixed, close together and in the center of the car. Don’t forget your numbers.”

One of the girls had never slept in a Pullman before and longed to ask many questions; but ashamed to appear ignorant before the others, she foolishly would have waited to find out herself as best she could, had not June, who was not in the least ashamed of not having traveled at night, asked Hilary the very questions which gave the necessary information.

At last the train started. The electric lights, which had added so much to the heat, were turned off. “O, goody, we’re moving!” exclaimed June, settling comfortably back by Hilary, who had put June next to the window and was fanning them both. “Goodbye, dear old Cincy, we’re going to see lots of rivers and lakes and boats and things before we get back to the Ohio and the Island Queen or the Morning Star.”

Candy boxes came out immediately and were passed around, but to Miss West’s surprise and relief, the girls tasted sparingly.

“No, thanks,” said Marjorie, as Jean offered her a box of chocolates, “I promised Mother not to touch candy till the trip was at least almost over. She wanted me to get there all right. And any way this is my summer to reduce. I have to take a dip every morning, get to breakfast on time, go on the hikes and everything. And here old Jean eats twice as much as I do, and see how nice and slim she is.”

“It’s in our family to be skinny,” remarked Jean. “I like what you say about my eating twice as much as you do,” she continued, grinning at Marjorie. “No, thank you; I had two caramels and a bonbon. See? I brought along an Atlantic Monthly to show how high-brow I am. Auntie bought it for me, though.”

Different magazines were produced and the girls settled down quietly to read, chat, or watch the passing scenery. As night drew on, cooler air came in the screened windows. The girls, tired with the heat and the activities incident to their departure, were glad to get to their berths as soon as the porter made them up.

“How do we ever get up there, Hilary?” asked June.

“O, the porter will bring a little ladder and will help us up; and in the morning we’ll press a little button to ring for him and he’ll help us down again.”

The tips of brown or black oxfords peeped from beneath the green curtains behind which quiet, well-behaved girls were quickly preparing for the night. “Here’s the hanger for our coats, Helen,” whispered Evelyn. “Maybe we can get our dresses on it too.”

“Let’s use that for our dresses, they’re longer. I’ll get a hanger out of my suit-case for the coats, or we can fold them and put them on the shelf. See these hooks? You just pull them out straight. We certainly shall never need that blanket!”

“No telling, when we get up near the lake. Why do they always have the pillow on the end toward the engine?”

“I don’t know. I’m going to double mine up so I won’t break my neck if the train bumps when it starts or stops.”

“Mother said if we wanted to sleep on our valuables not to tuck them under our pillows where any thief could get them by slipping in a hand, but to put them inside a pillow case and turn the open end of that toward the inside.”

“I’d go off and leave them in the morning! The only safety for me is to have them pinned to me, I guess.”

“All right, girls?”—in Miss West’s quiet voice, as she paused by the various curtains. Soft replies assured her that everybody was comfortable and soon quiet reigned in the car, except when the porter passed through with some late arrival from one of the towns at which the train stopped.

“I can’t go to sleep, Hilary,” whispered June about midnight.

“Are you comfy?”

“O, yes!”

“Well, don’t worry; nobody will sleep much, I suspect, this first night. We’ll be at a hotel tomorrow night. Maybe we can rest and doze a little. It’s getting cooler, isn’t it? Let’s draw up the blanket.”

Assured that it could not hurt anybody if she did not sleep, June promptly dozed off. Such is the power of suggestion.

Breakfast over at Buffalo, the girls were writing cards home while waiting for the train to Niagara. While they were thus engaged in a corner of the waiting room where they had deposited their baggage and one or two parcels which had already been added to the impedimenta, a bright face peeped around the corner. “O, here they are, Cathalina!” and with this Lilian North, smiling and happy, made her appearance.

Everybody jumped up. “Where were you children?” inquired Hilary from Lilian’s embrace. “We thought you had missed a train or something.”

“No, Phil brought us in the auto, rather the chauffeur did, but Philip was the official care-taker. Here he is, with Cathalina.”

Hilary was wondering how Lilian happened to come in the Van Buskirk car, but there was no time to ask at this juncture.

Meanwhile Philip was saying to Cathalina, as they approached, “My, Kitten, must I be introduced to all that bunch?”

“O, yes, and remember ’em, Phil, if you can. You know Hilary, of course, and that is June, her little sister, and Evelyn is that graceful little thing farthest away. You’ll know her by her Southern speech, and Helen, too,—with her rather especial drawl. I don’t know the rest myself. There’s Patty, too, just joining them.”

Evelyn’s eyes and lashes, drooping or raised, went into effect immediately upon introduction, and Philip’s courtesy responded to her grown-up ways; but as there were too many girls for one young gentleman to entertain, he remained by Lilian most of the time, holding her extra coat and hand-bag with entire content. At train time, however, Philip helped as many of the girls as possible, settled them in the train, shook hands all around, kissed Cathalina and swung himself off in good time. Many girlish eyes followed him, and their last view was of a tall, good-looking, dark-eyed boy, touching his hat and looking chiefly at—Lilian.

“I never saw Phil so taken with a girl,” whispered Cathalina to Hilary at the first chance. “We were motoring through and stopped all night at Rochester, when whom should we meet at the hotel but Lilian and Judge North. The Judge had business at Rochester and was going to put Lilian on the train for Buffalo. We could have gone to Charlotte, of course, to wait for the boat from Toronto, but both Lilian and I wanted the whole trip with you girls. We had a fine visit yesterday as we drove,—I was so glad for Mother to know our Lilian better, and Lilian was at her brightest and sweetest and prettiest.”

“And that is rather attractive,” inserted Hilary.

“You can see that the Judge just loves her to pieces.”

No sooner was the party off the train at Niagara than a capable official appeared. Arrangements were at once made with him to transport the party by auto to the station from which they would next depart and to take them upon the sight-seeing tour as soon as their baggage was safely checked.

Through the park, to different points where the American or Canadian Falls could best be seen, the girls rode or walked with little conversation. They stood silently before the majesty of the waters, watching the feathery flow over the American Falls, or a glittering green cascade on the Canadian side. On little bridges which led to rocky islands, they watched the whirling rapids above the falls. Sometimes the mist blew into their faces.

“May we go under the falls, Miss West?”

“No, Marjorie; we’ll just do the safer, ordinary things.”

“That suits me,” said Hilary. “I want to look at the things the Creator made. Everything else seems like a blot on the landscape, cheap, someway.”

“Well, perhaps,” answer Helen. “Still, we could not see the Falls as well if they did not have the bridges, you know. Wouldn’t you’ve liked to be the first person that ever saw Niagara Falls?”

“Prob’ly some Indian.”

“Yes, June, that didn’t know what he was coming to and went over in his little canoe!”

“Now, Marjorie!” reproved Helen. “You can hear the thunder of it a long way off, and I’m sure that any sensible Indian would have landed his canoe long before he came to the big rapids.”

The falls of Niagara never cease to arouse wonder and admiration no matter how many times the tourist may have visited them, and these girls were no exception to the rule. The amazing whirlpool rapids, where, tossing and tumbling, the foaming waters of Niagara river swept through the great gorge, impressed them almost as much as the falls themselves. The day itself, with its fresh breeze and sun upon the dancing waters, more than compensated for the tiresome trip of the night before.

Lewiston and a customs officer came next. At first the girls wondered why the herding of the crowd through the little gate to the dock, but the questions asked about their luggage made them realize that they were temporarily leaving their native land. So unmistakable a group of school-girls and teacher, however, with the camp tags on suit-cases and bags, was passed on everywhere without any trouble. They were soon on board the boat for Toronto.

Out of the Niagara River into Lake Ontario the steamer moved, and it was not long before the water front of Toronto appeared through gathering fog and evening shadows.

“Does Betty know that we’re coming tonight?”

“I think not, unless she looks up the time-tables. She knows that she is to leave tomorrow afternoon, and that we are to be at the Queen’s Hotel. You will have plenty of time to visit with Betty on the boat tomorrow and the rest of the way,—let us have a good night’s rest, enjoy seeing Toronto tomorrow morning,—”

“O, please, Miss West,” begged Cathalina. “Just let us call her up!”

“We shall see,” returned Miss West, weakening a little.

But by the time they had reached the Queen’s Hotel, nice conservative old place with an English atmosphere and a “royal suite,” the girls only wanted to get to bed as soon as possible.

“I’m on foreign soil,” sleepily murmured June as Hilary tucked her in, and Hilary herself was too sleepy to laugh.

CHAPTER IIDOMINION DAY IN CANADA

When Lilian woke the next morning, she dreamily looked toward the light of a grey, rainy morning and noticed the lace curtains stirring in the breeze. “How appropriate,” thought she, “a crown and ‘The Queen’s’ woven in the pattern.” She glanced at Hilary and June sleeping in the double bed near. “Here we are, then, in Canada,” closing her eyes. “I wonder if Philip will come up to camp as he said he would ... isn’t he fine?... how dark his eyes are ... I wonder ...” and Lilian dozed off into an enchanting dream of motoring somewhere with Philip Van Buskirk, not waking till Cathalina, who fit nicely right into the dream, was shaking her and saying, “Wake up, Canada Lily, do you know we’ll disgrace our nation and not get down before the dining room closes!”

Rested from their warm baths and good sleep of the night, fresh, smiling girls gathered in the breakfast room of “The Queen’s”. Miss West was proud of them and their quiet, dignified behaviour.

“What do you think we had for breakfast, Mother?” wrote June a little later. “Strawberries and cream—thick cream! Think of it, on the first of July! I’m going to begin in March in Cincinnati and go north to follow up the berries till the season ends in Canada. I ordered ‘oatmeal porridge’ because it sounded so English, ‘bean porridge hot’, you know,—and it was the best breakfast food I ever ate. They had ‘English breakfast tea’ on the menu, too, but I couldn’t order that because I wanted cocoa, m’m, so good! Some of the cocoa you get traveling is horrid. But I’ll never forget those big, ripe, juicy berries that the waiter brought me. I felt selfish because mine happened to be the biggest. But you couldn’t change, of course, anyway, in public. Our waiter looked just like the English valet I saw the other day in a movie, so dignified and serious.

“I’ve gotten the traveler’s guide and things from the office and have learned that Toronto was founded as a French trading post with the Indians in 1749, and that it covers forty square miles. The name is from an Indian word and means ‘place of meeting’. The land was ‘sold to the Crown in 1787 by the Missisauga Indians for $85.’ Think of it. It is the capital of the Province of Ontario and has a population of five hundred thousand. I don’t suppose I shall remember this, but I promised Father that I’d try to learn some little thing about each place. I may add some more to this after we have taken our ride in the sight-seeing ’bus. Miss West has the tickets already; you can get them right in the hotel. We are to start about noon, for we had our breakfast so late that we shall not want any lunch till at least two o’clock. We are all packed up now, and leave on the boat about four o’clock, I think. We haven’t seen Betty yet, or even called her up. When we started to, we found that nobody, not even Cathalina, knew her aunt’s name or telephone number, but Betty

knows when we leave and I’m sure she will be here or at the boat on time.”

“Come, girls,” said Miss West, “all ready for the trip and packed up to start after lunch? We’ll go down to the lobby and see if the taxi has arrived.”

And such an immense taxi it was. “I feel like a monkey,” declared Jean, “climbing with both hands and feet up this tippy height!” The party occupied only two of the long seats, and those in front had been reserved for them. The man of the megaphone was hatless and active, collecting the tickets as well as imparting information. “There are two persons who have not surrendered their tickets,” he announced, counting tickets and passengers.

Miss West looked up inquiringly. “I have all your tickets together,” he assured her. As the same announcement was made several times later, the girls concluded that it was a polite way of telling that two fares had not been paid.

At once the girls noticed that the city was decorated with flags and that the stores were closed. “This is Dominion Day,” announced the megaphone, “same as your Fourth of July.” Everything was “Limited”, “Imperial”, “Royal”, “Dominion”, or “Queen’s”, according to June. T. Eaton’s seemed to be as important in Toronto as Marshall Field’s in Chicago, and an unusual feature in which the girls were interested was the display of pretty gowns or other articles for sale in the front or bay windows of what had once been private residences, now absorbed into the business part of the city.