The Merriweather Girls and the Mystery of the Queen's Fan. Edholm Lizette M.
always being left out of the group. And the other girls can't take pictures to suit me."
"Is this the same idea that is used in photographing wild animals?" asked Colonel Baxter.
"It's the same principle, but a little wire or spring is touched by the animal and this releases the shutter and for night pictures sets off a flash powder as well. I'm going to get one of those attachments by winter time, as the camera company has offered a prize for wild animal pictures."
"Aw, come on, Shirley," called Joy. "You're an old slow poke. You finished that picture long ago."
But Shirley delayed still longer to put her large camera carefully away. The small one she tucked under her arm to take with her to the river.
It was Kit's first trip to the little beach belonging to Bet's father. The bath house with its tiny dressing rooms pleased her immensely. "Imagine," she exclaimed, "building a house to dress and undress in. A clump of mesquite bushes always served my purpose."
Kit could not pretend to be other than she was. Fearing that these girls, whose homes were so elegant, might look down upon her, she had planned to keep her affairs to herself, but whenever anything unusual came up, she was startled by the contrast and blurted out the queer makeshifts that they had in her crude home in the desert.
She had no need to fear. The girls were as interested in Kit's description of her home life as they were in the exploits of the cowboys that she loved to talk about.
"I'd just love to eat out under a cotton-wood tree by the stream. That must be a lovely way to live," exclaimed Bet.
"I don't think you'd enjoy it for long, after what you're used to. You'd want to get back to all that lovely glassware and beautiful dishes. You'd miss your Manor."
"Of course I'd miss the Manor if I was away from it, but I'd love the other, too, I know I would."
They had just come in sight of the broad Hudson and Kit stopped short to gaze upon that wide flow of water.
"And oh, look at that lovely boat out there! Whose is it?"
"That's Dad's motor boat. I'm not allowed to run it, although I know I could just as well as not. Dad seems to think I'm still a baby and a girl baby at that."
They had reached the beach and Bet was opening the door of the boat house as she spoke and when Kit saw the little green canoe, she was speechless. She looked at it with glowing eyes.
"Isn't it a dear? It's mine!" said Bet.
"Can you go out with it whenever you want to?"
"Yes, any time."
"I've never been in a boat in my life!" Kit's breath came in excited little gasps. "Could we go out in it today?"
"Never had a boat ride!" exclaimed Joy. "How funny! What did you do with yourself?"
"Well, mostly I rode Powder, my cowpony. That was fun. Horseback riding is great sport!"
"You're the lucky one! I've never had a horseback ride in my life."
"What!" cried Kit. "Never had a horseback ride? How funny!"
And everybody laughed, for what was a common-place happening for one was in the nature of an adventure for the other.
"After lunch we'll go out in the canoe!" declared Bet. "I'll be mighty proud to give you your first boat ride."
Kit looked at the brightly-painted little canoe many times before the lunch was finished and Bet declared herself ready to go.
The egg sandwiches and stuffed olives were eaten without much thought by Kit. Apple turnovers and fudge slipped down as if she were in a dream, for Kit's mind was racing ahead to the thrill of getting out on the Hudson in a boat.
The girls helped Bet to drag the canoe out of the boat house and to the edge of the water. Joy and Shirley decided not to go. Shirley was trying to get some good pictures of the gulls today and Joy wasn't in the mood.
"Anyway," laughed Joy, "in a canoe, two is company, three's a crowd. Trot along and enjoy yourselves."
Kit took her place in the boat and Bet shoved it off the sandy beach with her paddle, and in a moment Kit felt it bobbing on the water. Living up to its name, "The Arrow," it shot gracefully out to the stream, guided by Bet's capable hands.
Kit held on to both sides of the boat at first. She felt quivery and half frightened.
Bet was using the paddle vigorously. She wore no hat and her blond hair was tousled as usual. It seemed impossible for Bet to keep her unruly locks in order at any time, but now as the breeze ruffled it, she looked like some half-wild elfin creature.
She was tall for her age but slender and her pink and white coloring gave her an appearance of frailty, but when she used her paddle, Kit was fascinated to watch the swelling of the muscles of her arms. She seemed made of springs as she plied the paddle first at one side then the other, with quick, sure, strokes.
"Have you ever been across the Hudson?" asked Kit. "Across the Hudson! Doesn't that sound romantic? It's a long way, isn't it?"
"Only about a mile, I think."
"And have you ever paddled over there?"
"Heaps of times! We've been everywhere on this river. We used to go out and get in the wash of the river steamers. That was lots of fun. Once we almost got upset and Dad made me promise I'd never do that again."
"Well, if you don't mind, Bet, you can dispense with all the extra thrills today. For this is giving me heart trouble as it is."
"Why, what's the matter? You're not frightened, are you?"
"Of course I'm frightened. Scared stiff!"
Bet stopped paddling to laugh at her friend. "Kit Patten, you're the funniest girl I've ever seen."
Then with long sweeping strokes, The Arrow shot out into the channel, sending sparkling drops into the air as it cut its way through the current.
Kit's brown eyes were shining with excitement and the sense of danger that she imagined was there. "Why, Bet Baxter, this is the most thrilling thing I've ever done in my life. It's more fun than horseback riding. It's a perfect day. It was good of you to take me."
The canoe was now headed toward the beach, having reached the quieter waters of the farther shore, and as soon as the boat touched the sand, Bet sprang out and with practised hand drew the bow up on the beach.
"Here you are, Kit. Now you've been across the Hudson. It's not often a person has a chance to have her wishes granted so quickly."
"Isn't it wonderful!" gasped Kit. "I've never had such a gorgeous time in my life."
The girls stretched themselves out on the sand for a few minutes.
"Doesn't Lynnwood look beautiful over there? And just see how very romantic the Manor is from here."
"I think we'd better start back at once," exclaimed Bet suddenly. "It's getting cloudy over that way again, and as we've had a thunder storm every day for a week, we may have another this afternoon."
They lost no time in getting into the boat, for already there was a distant peal of thunder. It was miles and miles away, but Bet didn't intend to take chances. Her hand worked in a steady rhythm that sent the boat ahead like a flat stone skimming the water.
But as they reached the middle of the river, the wind struck them suddenly and with violence. It seemed to the girls as if the canoe had been lifted and turned over. Kit gave a little cry of terror, but Bet's look of reproach was sufficient. At a signal from Bet, the girl slid to the bottom of the boat, and remained still.
The storm was upon them. A fierce wind shook the little craft as if a hand had clutched it.
Bet kept the bow of the boat head-on to the heavy rollers that threatened to capsize it. The quiet river had suddenly become a regular sea, choppy and vicious, and Bet strained at the paddle, her face white and tense.
Kit crouched in the bottom of the boat. She was anxious to help but did not know what to do. During a little lull she cried: "Oh, Bet, can't I help? You must be tired. Let me try