Lucile Triumphant Part 10

"I'm so happy I'm afraid I'm going to have hysterics or something," cried Jessie, dabbing her eyes with a square inch or so of handkerchief. "I want to laugh and cry, and you can't do both at once."

The girls laughed shakily and Mrs. Wescott said, with a gay little laugh, "Here, this will never do. Now that that question is settled forever and ever, I want to hear what you girls have been doing all this time, and what you expect to do this summer. Come, who's first?"

"Lucile," cried Dorothy. "You just ask her what she intends to do this summer. All our plans are tame beside hers."

The girls had completely forgotten the wonderful topic that had seemed all absorbing before this guardian's arrival, but now it took on an added importance, and the girls waited eagerly for Lucile's disclosure.

"What great plans have you been making now, Lucile?" said Mrs. Wescott, with that ever-ready interest that had won the girls completely. "I can see there is something great in the wind. Tell me about it."

"I'd never have thought of it if Dorothy hadn't reminded me," said Lucile, amazed that it should have slipped her mind for two minutes, let alone two hours. "Why, it's only that Mother and Dad are going to Europe this summer and they have decided to take Phil and me along with them; and then Dad said I might ask Jessie and Evelyn to go with us if they'd like to, and so they are coming--to make trouble," she added, slyly.

"Oh, no doubt of that last," said Mrs. Wescott, laughing, and then added, with enthusiasm, "It certainly is splendid for you to have the chance. I know your pet hobby has always been to visit Switzerland, Lucy, and now you will, provided you get that far. Do you suppose you will?"

"I really don't know," said Lucile. "I've been too stunned by the mere fact of going to Europe to think of asking for details. If I have anything to say about it, we'll go to Switzerland, if we don't go anywhere else."

"Just hear her talk of Switzerland, as if it were just around the corner," marveled Ruth. "It has always seemed to me like some myth or fable."

"And you feel as it you ought to speak of it in whispers," agreed Marjorie. "That's the way I feel about it."

"Oh, I almost forgot about tea," Lucile interrupted, springing to her feet and making a dash for the door. "It's getting late, and everybody must be starved. Come on, Jessie, and help me, for goodness' sake!"

"Coming," said Jessie, stopping at the door to make a low bow and declaim, "Ladies and gentlemen, we crave your indulgence----"

"You'd better come out here, or I'll use force," cried Lucile's voice from somewhere in the rear, and the orator fled precipitately.

CHAPTER VIII

ENTER JACK

It was the last day Lucile and Evelyn and Jessie would spend in Burleigh for some time. Since early morning they had been so busy they had scarcely found time to breathe, and it was not till five o'clock in the afternoon that Lucile slammed down the cover of her last trunk with a triumphant, "There, that's done! Now, I wonder if I've thought of everything."

Tired and happy, she flung herself upon the bed, a little meditative frown puckering her forehead, and began a mental checking up of all the hundred and one things she would need.

"I guess I have all the dresses I'll want," she ruminated. "Shoes and combs and brushes and ribbons and handkerchiefs--oh, I wonder if I put in my little flowered scarf; I mustn't forget that----"

Then began a frantic searching through bureau drawers, during which the scarf failed to come to light. Finally she gave it up in despair and turned upon the two trunks so fierce a look that the only wonder is they didn't fade then and there and vanish into thin air.

"You disgusting old things!" she cried, hotly. "I suppose you think it's fun to go all through you again and take out all your horrid old trays and everything, just to make sure I put that scarf in. I suppose I'll find it way down at the bottom, too."

She was on her knees before the smaller of the two trunks and had taken out a good deal of the contents, still grumbling good-naturedly, when her mother came in.

"What are you talking to yourself about, Lucile? I could hear you way down the hall; and what _are_ you doing? I thought you had your trunks nearly packed." Mrs. Payton's voice was irritably impatient.

Lucile sat back on her heels with a joyful, "I've got it, I've got it--and I didn't have to unpack the whole trunk, either!"

"Got what?" cried Mrs. Payton, sharply. "I asked you a question."

Lucile sobered instantly. "My scarf," she answered. "I had the trunk all packed, and then I thought of it. I guess I have everything else, though."

"Let us hope so. As soon as you put the things back, you had better get ready for to-night. It's pretty late."

"All right; I guess I will have to hurry," Lucile agreed, and finished the repacking in silence.

Five minutes later she flew to the 'phone and called up Jessie.

"h.e.l.lo!" she cried. "That you, Jessie? I've just finished packing, and I've got to get dressed in a hurry. How about you?"

"I'm not quite through yet," came the answer. "But I will be pretty soon.

Mother came to my rescue a few minutes ago, and together we're making things fly."

"That's good; be sure and get there in time. I haven't any idea who will be there, but I guess there'll be quite a crowd. You know, I'm all shaky from excitement," she confessed.

"So am I," said Jessie. "My hand trembles so I can hardly hold the receiver."

"I guess it runs in the family," said Lucile, laughing. "Well, you'd better get back to your packing--and do hurry, Jess!"

"Don't worry! I never knew the meaning of the word till this afternoon.

Good-by--oh, wait a minute! What dress are you going to wear?"

"My new white one, I guess," said Lucile. "I've been undecided all afternoon whether to wear that or the pale green, but Mother thinks the white is prettier."

"Oh, for goodness' sake, wear the white one, Lucy. I want to wear my blue dress, and I was afraid we might clash."

"Oh, all right; anything for friends.h.i.+p's sake," laughed Lucile.

"Good-by, Jess--hustle!"

"I'm glad that's settled, anyway," Lucile murmured, as she hung up the receiver. "Now I will have to rush," and away she flew to her room, hair rumpled and eyes s.h.i.+ning, to prepare for the dance.

The great affair had been originated by their guardian a few days before in honor of the prospective voyagers, and the girls hardly knew what they had looked forward to more, their trip to Europe or the dance.

"Oh, you look like the wild man of Borneo," cried Lucile as she caught a glimpse in her mirror of tumbled curls and sadly rumpled dress. "It's good you don't have to go to the dance looking that way. They'd put you out, sure as fate. Well, here goes; let's see how long it will take the wild man to take the form of Lucile Floyd Payton."

Half an hour later Lucile lifted the dainty ma.s.s of lace and chiffon from her bed with a sigh of satisfaction. "When you're on, then we'll be all ready. Guess I'll have to get Jane to do it up, though. I don't know just how it goes yet."

Jane did the work satisfactorily; so well, in fact, that when she gave the girl a little finis.h.i.+ng pat and announced admiringly that "You surely will be queen of the ball to-night, Miss Lucy," that young lady gave an involuntary gasp of delight.

"Oh, it's pretty, it's pretty!" she cried.

"Indade, an' it's not the only thing that has a claim to beauty," said Jane, with an admiring glance at her young mistress. "Now, you'd better come down an' get a bite to ate, Miss Lucy, before iverything gets cold.

Ye needn't be worryin' 'bout yer looks the night," she prophesied.

"Thanks, Jane," cried Lucile, gaily. "I got ready in pretty good time, after all, didn't I? Oh, there's the dinner gong and I am not a bit hungry!"

"Excitement's no good on an empty stomach," said Jane sagely. "Take my advice an' ate yer fill--ye'll be all the better for it."