Eleanor laughed, and said: "If Nancy Fabian and her mother are anything like Mr. Fabian, you can rest a.s.sured that they"ll do full justice to the United States, and the Stars and Stripes."
To change the subject from this dangerous ground that created more resistance for her to fight than she had to meet, recently, from Dodo, Mrs. Alexander hastily said: "Do you know, Dodo, Miss Maynard told me that Polly and she took up the study of Interior Decorating, in New York, in order to better the conditions of painters and upholsterers who work at that trade. Not to make money."
Eleanor frowned. "I think you misunderstood me, Mrs. Alexander. I said we were studying the profession and that it took a great deal of application and perseverance to reach the high plane which was necessary for a good decorator to stand on. So few who call themselves interior decorators really know much about the art. And in order to increase our education and understanding of the profession, Polly and I are about to visit the great museums of Europe."
"Well, it is the same thing, isn"t it?" pouted Mrs. Alexander.
"No, I think your idea of interior decorators is that any "paint-slinger or tack-driver" is a professional. Whereas I see that _that_ is the very error necessary to be reversed by us, before the public recognises the value of genuine decorators. In France and other European countries, an interior decorator has to have a certificate. And that is what we hope to do in the United States-put the real ones through a course of studies and have them examined and a diploma given, before one can claim t.i.tle to being a decorator." Eleanor spoke with emphasis and feeling.
"Well, I don"t know a fig about it, or anything else, for that matter,"
laughed Dodo, cheerfully. "But I can understand how much more interesting it must be to trot around hunting up worm-eaten furniture, or examining ruined masonry, or admiring moth-holed fabrics, than to do as I have to-follow after Ma and sit with my hands idly folded waiting for some old fossil to pa.s.s by and say: "I choose her, because she"s got the most cash.""
Eleanor laughed outright at the girl"s statement, but Mrs. Alexander showed her anger by twisting her shoulders and saying: "Dodo Alexander!
If I didn"t know better, I"d believe you were trying to make Eleanor believe that you detested your opportunity!"
Dodo tossed her head and said: "Time will show!"
At that crisis in the conversation, another girl"s voice was heard across the deck. "Nolla! Are you there?"
Eleanor turned and called back: "No, I am not here!"
Then all three girls laughed. The newcomer, Polly Brewster, skipped lightly across the deck, and joined the group she had spied from the open doorway. Eleanor introduced Mrs. Alexander as an old friend of Anne"s, and Dodo her daughter, as an independent American who believed in suffrage and all the rights of American womanhood. At this latter explanation, Dodo grinned and her mother gasped in amazement at Eleanor.
Then Mrs. Alexander said politely: "How is Anne Stewart? I haven"t seen her for some time."
"Anne is married to my brother John, now," returned Polly. "And they are going to live home, with mother, while I am away. Anne"s mother is to live at the old home in Denver, and keep house for Paul."
"It seems years and years since I lived next door to them," remarked Dodo. "I always played with Paul Stewart."
"Deary, it can"t be years and years, because I am not so old as you try to make me appear," corrected Mrs. Alexander.
Polly, understanding from the words, saw how vain the woman was and stood looking at her in surprise. But Eleanor heard only Dodo"s speech.
"Did you say you always played with Paul Stewart when you were neighbors?"
"Yes indeed!" laughed Dodo, as she remembered various incidents of that childhood.
"We always played we were married, and Paul"s Irish Terrier and my kitten were our children. We dressed them up in old dust-cloths and tried to make them behave, but no parents ever had such trials with their children as we had when Terry and Kitty got to sc.r.a.pping!"
Eleanor was deeply interested and Polly smiled at what she saw expressed in her friend"s face. Dodo continued her reminiscences.
"Paul used to draw me on his sled when we went to school, and he always saved a bite of his apple for me at noon-time. I gave him half of my cake in exchange. Oh, we had such fun-we two, in those days!" the girl sighed and looked out over the billowy sea.
"Then Pa struck that vein of gold down at Cripple Creek and everything changed. Ma got the social bug, so bad, we had to leave all our old friends, and move to a strange neighborhood where Pa never spoke to a soul and I felt out of place. But Ma said it had to be done to establish our position.
"The Stewarts rented their house and I heard that Paul went to Chicago to college, while Anne went to teach a school in New York. Then I never heard again, of any of them, until Ma met you-all at the Denver railroad station." Dodo smiled at that crumb of comfort.
Polly and Eleanor were deeply touched at the girl"s tale, for they knew how lonely she must have been away from her old a.s.sociations, in an atmosphere where she was not at home. And such a frivolous mother who could not understand the true blue of such an honest character as Dodo"s!
"Ma sent me to a swell seminary near our new house, but the girls snubbed me, and I never had a pal all the time I was there. When Ma ordered me to come to Europe with her to stock up with fine dresses and then try to make a match for me with some man with a t.i.tle, I came, but goodness knows! I just hate the idea."
"Oh, Dodo! You"ll break my heart, if you talk like that!" cried Mrs.
Alexander, trying to impress the two other girls with her maternal sorrow.
"Nolla! I almost forgot what I came for," laughed Polly, to change the subject. "Prof. says for you to come to the salon where they have used Adams period and Louis XIV furniture in the same room. He wants to show us a bad example of decoration."
"May I come with you?" asked Dodo, eagerly.
"Of course! Come right along," agreed Eleanor, thrusting her hand through the new friend"s arm and starting away with her.
The moment they were out of hearing, Eleanor said impressively to Dodo: "Don"t you ever give in to that idea of marrying a foreigner! Your mother will soon get over it if you just keep on making her see it"s no use. If you pretend to take up some study like we are doing, she will see you mean business."
"That"s good advice, and I sure will follow it," declared the eager girl.
"And Nolla and I will help along all we can," promised Polly.
"Even if you have to make your mother believe you are in love with Paul Stewart and won"t marry anyone else-then do it!" declared Eleanor, in tones of brave self-sacrifice and renunciation.
"Oh, but I"m not! Paul is a dandy boy and we had good times when we were small, but I"ve seen other boys I like a heap better"n him, now! But I really don"t want to marry anyone, yet!"
"I shouldn"t think you would!" breathed Eleanor, in great relief. "So Polly and I will agree to help you out of all the plots your mother plans for you. Won"t we, Polly?"
"We sure will!" agreed Polly. And that is how Dodo came to travel about Europe with Polly and Eleanor. And why the two old friends felt it a duty to protect and save Dodo from the wily plans of her mother who wished to own a t.i.tle in the Ebeneezer Alexander family.
CHAPTER II-DODO MEETS POLLY"S FRIENDS
Dorothy Alexander was a good type of the healthy western girl. She was tall, well-built, and the picture of splendid health. Her hair was of a ruddy hue, with copper glints in it. Her complexion was like "peaches and cream," and needed no cosmetic to enhance its charm. Her form was lithe and supple, and her features were good. Her bright eyes sparkled with good-humor, and her smile was contagious in its sweetness. When she was well-dressed, she would be a beauty, thought Eleanor, but her present overdressing depreciated her genuine good looks.
"Prof., we bring you a new convert," laughed Eleanor, as the three girls approached Mr. Fabian.
"Dorothy Alexander, Mr. Fabian," added Polly.
The two acknowledged the introduction and the girl thought: "What a fine face he has! Such wonderful expression and forehead."
And Mr. Fabian thought: "There"s a great deal under all that sham."
Shortly after the introduction, Mr. Fabian spoke of the flaunting mistakes some so-called decorator had made in the selection and furnishings of the salon. So they turned their attention to that interesting subject. Dodo stood by and listened to it all, as she wondered what these two good-looking girls could find to interest them in such a dry subject? But she confessed that both girls seemed more beautiful and attractive, when they were thoroughly interested and animated with the ideas they were exchanging with Mr. Fabian.
As they left the room, Mr. Fabian turned his attention to Dodo, particularly. And soon she was telling him freely, all about her life in Denver, and how hard her father had worked and suffered at Cripple Creek, to ama.s.s the fortune they now enjoyed. When Dodo described her father"s character and how simple and blunt he was in everything, her hearers fell in love with the unknown. She told how generous he was to every one, and how no one was left in need if he could help it.
"But he has one awful sin that Ma can"t forgive him," added Dodo, glancing covertly around to make sure no one could hear.
Mr. Fabian shivered at what she was about to say, and he wished Dodo was not _quite_ so frank as to reveal family skeletons. But she was launched and nothing could check her.
"Pa has a pet old pipe that"s as black as ink. He just won"t smoke any of the imported cigars Ma buys for him, and he won"t let her throw the old pipe away. He gets away by himself and smokes it until he feels happy-no matter what Ma says or does."