"You can"t ride a horse without its owner"s permission."
"Besides," added Eleanor as an afterthought occurred to her, "you only have your new traveling suit and the little light summer frock here.
The trunks are going back to Oak Creek to-day, you said, and your riding habit is in one of them."
Barbara made no reply to this statement and Eleanor drew on her stockings and then sought for her shoes which she had playfully aimed at Anne Stewart the night previous. One was found by the bureau and the other was seen under the window. She ran over to pick up the one by the window.
"Oh, Bob! Come here quick!"
"What is it?" cried Barbara, hastily running over to join her sister.
"My! The sun has just touched those snow-covered peaks! I never saw anything so dazzlingly beautiful!" sighed Eleanor, lost in contemplation of the sight.
Barbara also stood watching the sun-beams glancing over the towering peaks, and then she said apologetically:
"I never said the _scenery_ wasn"t wonderful. It is! But one cannot thrive on mountains, or a.s.sociate with views."
"Still, it goes a long way towards creating environment, while the atmosphere and friendships are up to the individual," retorted Eleanor.
"Oh, well, you have the knack of making friends with any one, but I am more reserved and ideal in nature, so I simply cannot accommodate myself to such people and places as this!"
"No, but you can accommodate yourself to some empty-headed society youth who hangs over your hotel-piazza chair and tells foolish fibs to feed your vanity!" scorned Eleanor.
Another sisterly scene might have ensued had not Anne entered the room at this critical time.
"Girls, better hurry and finish dressing as breakfast is almost ready to serve," said she, after a pleasant morning greeting.
"How long have you been up?" asked Barbara.
"Oh, an hour or more. I succeeded in working out a scheme I had to make things pleasanter for every one, and I want you to hurry and approve of it."
CHAPTER VII
A LITTLE SCHEME THAT WORKED
Anne lay with closed eyes for a long time revolving many plans for the ultimate harmony of that summer, and when she finally allowed herself to sleep, she had a scheme that she was going to try the next day.
As she came from her room early in the morning, she spied Polly sitting disconsolately on the porch-steps. She went over and sat down beside her.
"Polly, I cannot blame you for wishing we had never come, but now that we are here, let us see if we cannot make something out of the tangle of disappointments. Eleanor will love the place at once, as she is so much like you in nature, dear, but Bob always grumbles over things at first. No matter where or what it is, she feels that she is not showing her superiority if she is not condemning what she comes in contact with. It really is a disease, Polly, and I have tried to cure her of it this last year. I am hoping for great things for her during this season, but I feel that I must confide in you to let you know just what the trouble is. Bob will make a fine woman if this hateful tendency is uprooted in time."
Polly smiled wanly, and Anne, wise young teacher, changed the subject then.
"What a pity one has to waste such glorious views and delightful weather while sitting at breakfast in the kitchen!"
"Where would you eat it?" laughed Polly, looking with amus.e.m.e.nt at her companion.
"Why, under that lovely group of oaks, to be sure," replied the teacher, pointing at the trees that shaded the well-kept gra.s.s plot and flower-beds at the side of the house.
"Under the trees!"
"Certainly; what do you suppose they were grown for if not for our uplift and joy?"
"Why, Miss Stewart, how funny of you! Who ever heard of having meals out-of-doors--except at picnics," laughed Polly.
"Every one who can now prefers out-of-doors to a stuffy room on summer days," replied Anne, calmly, but watching the effect of her words.
Satisfied with Polly"s expression, she added: "Didn"t you ever read about the garden parties of society people, and the present-day trend to live on wide porches and out-of-doors at every opportunity? Your magazines ought to be full of such accounts."
"Oh, yes, in magazines, but I never dreamed it was true. I"ve studied every plan and picture I"ve seen in the magazines, and I loved to picture the beautiful places and furnishings they speak of."
Anne had heard from Polly"s brother John, how his sister studied every item on decorating that could be found in papers or periodicals. But Anne did not know that Polly really had a latent talent in this line nor how ambitious she was to express art and beauty in the home.
"That is what I"d like to try here. Have our meals out under those trees. It won"t make much extra work as the spot is very convenient to the kitchen door, but we will avoid the heat and steam from the stove and cooking, and have much more room, too."
"I don"t suppose it makes much difference where we eat as long as we get it over with as soon as possible," returned Polly.
"That"s just the trouble with most people. They merely eat because they feel they have to, but they never stop to make of the habit an opportunity to improve themselves and enjoy a social meeting with each other. We may as well be Zulus and eat with our fingers. Maybe the Zulus would prove more ideal for their home teachings than we really are."
Polly laughed again at Anne"s words, but the latter added:
"It"s true, Polly. How many people trouble themselves to eat politely, and act or talk from the highest motives? The Zulus follow traditional customs. If we did we would follow the refined court manners of our English and Dutch ancestors. Instead, we are in such haste to eat and get back to the business of making money, that we lose all the pleasure along the way there."
Polly listened anxiously and understood that Anne was gently criticizing what she saw and heard in the kitchen the night before.
Anne watched Polly"s face and knew she comprehended, then she continued:
"If we have breakfast in the open air it will be much cooler for every one, and Sary need not stop her routine work on account of our being in her way in the kitchen. If we help and wait on ourselves Sary need not be delayed by our tardiness in appearing at table."
"Miss Stewart, I think you"re right. And one good thing about eating out here is that we won"t feel crowded together with nothing to look at but each other. At least we have the mountains, if we make the oak-trees our new dining-room."
Anne laughed at the manner of Polly"s approval and said: "Yes, Polly, the mountains are great and wonderful and so silent, besides."
"Let"s go now and ask Maw what she thinks of the plan."
"In a moment, Polly. You know I am anxious to help you in every way, and to teach you if you express yourself poorly?"
"Yes; that"s the only good thing about this awful visit," admitted the girl.
"Then allow me to correct an error in speech. If you wish to go to Denver High this fall, I want you to use refined expressions."
Anne looked at her companion and smiled kindly, and Polly said: "Oh, I"ll be so glad to correct any mistakes. Tell me what?"
"Just now you called your mother "Maw." And I have heard you call your father "Paw." They are western terms, but they are not considered correct or refined, elsewhere. The name of Father or Mother is a term of respect and loving reverence from the children. I would like to have you accustom yourself to the use of these t.i.tles for your parents and see how the very sound of it will cause you to _feel_ more affection."
Polly weighed this news thoughtfully but she was surprised at the information that her customary "Maw" and "Paw" were not the most desirable terms to use. She knew that Anne Stewart knew better than she what was the proper manner of speech and she thanked her for her interest in helping her.