Four Girls and a Compact | Page 8

It's a kind of a secret between me and the
Lord. He knows I've made believe Amelia. I've always been kind of
lonesome, an' she's been a sight of company to me. She's been a good
daughter, Amelia has!" Now it was a smile. "We've set an' sewed
patchwork together, ever since she grew up. When she was little--there,
deary, hear me run on! But you remind me so much of Amelia. You
can laugh just as much as you want to at me runnin' on like this about a
little girl that warn't ever born--mebbe laughin' will help your foot."
She took up the empty cup and went away, but she came back and
stood a minute in the doorway.
"There's this about it," she laughed, in a tender, little way, "if she warn't
ever born, she won't ever die. I sha'n't lose Amelia!"
* * * * *
To the three girls waiting at the B-Hive came a letter. They read it,
three heads in a bunch:
"Eldorado, June 26.
"Come whenever you want to. Directions enclosed."

CHAPTER III.
There was a postscript. It was like T.O. to put the most of the letter into
the postscript.
"P.S.--Never call me the Talentless One again" (as if they ever had!),
"when I came straight to the Eldorado--tumbled right into it. I've
decided to stay here until you come--please tell my substitute so. I
know she'll be so glad she'll throw up her hat. Bring your sheets and
pillow-cases. Come by way of the X. & Y. R.R. to a place called Placid

Pond."
The three readers, bunched together over the letter, uttered a cry of
delight. "Placid Pond!"--of all the dear, delightful, placid names! The
very look of it on paper was restful; it sounded restful when you said it
over and over--"Placid Pond. Placid Pond. Placid Pond."
"Oh, she's a dear--she's an _artist!_" cried Laura Ann, who measured
all things by their relationship to art. This was an own cousin!
"Read on--somebody hold the letter still!" Billy cried excitedly. And
they read on: "Take the only road there is to take, and keep on to a
house that's painted green. It will be Emmeline's house, though they
might have named her Sophia, she says, by accident. But you will be
glad she is Emmeline. She has a beautiful daughter that never was born
and never will die--oh, girls, come as quick as ever you can!"
Yours, "The Talented One."
"P.S. No. 2.--Don't climb any stone walls. The stones are not stuck on."
For a tiny space the three girls looked at each other in silence. The
letter in Loraine's hand was a masterpiece, full of enticing mysteries
that beckoned to them to come and find the "answers." What kind of an
Eldorado was this that was called Placid Pond, and was full of
mysteries? How could they wait! They must pack up and go at once!
"'Talented One,' indeed!--she's a genius! See how she's left us to guess
things, instead of explaining them all out in a nice, tame way--oh,
_girls_"--Laura Ann's eyes shone--"won't we have the greatest time!"
"What I want to know is, who is Emmeline--"
"Yes, who is Emmeline?"
"And who can her daughter _be_? She sounds so lovely and ghostly!"
"Everything sounds lovely and ghostly. When can we go, girls?" This
from practical Loraine. "I can't till after the Fourth."

"Nor I," groaned Billy, dolefully.
"I could, but I shall not--I shall wait for you two," Laura Ann said
quietly.
Loraine turned upon her. "You needn't," she said, "now that you've
signed the compact--you can do whatever you want to now, you know.
Needn't think of anybody but yourself."
"The privilege of being selfish doesn't begin till we get to Eldorado,"
laughed Laura Ann. "You'll see what I do then!"
It was arranged that they should start on the fifth of July. "With our
sheets and pillow-cases," appended Billy. No one thought of writing to
T.O. for further particulars. No one wanted further particulars. The
uncertainly and mystery that enveloped Eldorado was its greatest charm.
They speculated, to be sure, at odd moments, as to the identity of the
person who might have been Sophia but was Emmeline, and they
wrestled a little with the hidden meaning of Postscript Number Two.
Why were they especially bidden not to climb stone walls? And why
was the Talented One "staying over" till they came?
"Why? Why? Why?" chanted Billy, "but don't anybody dare to guess
why! Who wants to know!"
"Not me!" echoed ungrammatically Laura Ann.
While they waited and speculated mildly, and packed and repacked
their things, T.O. lay on the bed in Emmeline Camp's little bedroom
and winced with pain whenever she moved her wounded foot. But she
was very happy. "Peace is in my