"Your trip to New York, daughter," began Major Dale, slily smiling at Aunt Winnie, "will be your _debut_, so to speak, in the world."

Dorothy answered nothing, but continued to smooth away the hair from Roger's brow.

"What are you thinking of?" her father asked musingly, not having received an answer to his first remark.

"Oh, nothing in particular," sighed Dorothy, "except that I don't see why I should make a _debut_ anywhere. I don't want to meet the world,-that is, socially. I want to know people for themselves, not for what they're worth financially or because of the entertaining they do. I just like to know people-and poorer people best of all. They are interesting and real."

"As are persons of wealth and social position," answered Aunt Winnie, gently.

"I'm going to be a soldier, like father," said Joe, "and Dorothy can nurse me when I fall in battle."

"Me, too," chirped little Roger, "I want to be a soldier and limp like father!"

"Oh, boys!" cried Dorothy, in horror, "you'll never, never be trained for war."

"What's that?" asked Major Dale. "Don't you want the boys to receive honor and glory in the army?"

"No," said Dorothy decidedly, "I'll never permit it. Of course," she hastened to add, "if Joe must wear a uniform, he might go to a military school, if that will please him."

The major scoffed at the idea. Joe straightened his shoulders, and marched about the room, little Roger following in his wake, while the major whistled "Yankee Doodle."

The sound of the _Fire Bird_ was heard coming up the driveway, and in another second Nat, Ned and Ted rushed into the room.

"We can't have the trunk without the check," explained Nat, breathlessly, "where is it?"

"Tavia discovered the check after you left, and she followed you down to the station," explained Aunt Winnie.

"We took a short cut back and missed her, of course," said Nat, dejectedly.

"We won't have any time to spare," declared Aunt Winnie, walking to the window, "the train leaves at seven-thirty, and it is after six now,"

Dorothy followed her to the window. They both stood still in astonishment.

"Boys!" cried Dorothy, "come quick!"

The boys scrambled to the window. There was Tavia, coming up the drive, serenely seated on top of her trunk, in the back part of a small buggy, enjoying immensely the wind that brushed her hair wildly about her face, while the driver, the stoutest man in North Birchland, occupied the entire front seat.

"I found it," she cried lightly jumping to the ground, "and this was the only available rig!"

"Never mind," said Dorothy, "nothing counts but a place to pack the gowns!"

"And catch the train for New York City," cried Tavia, from the top landing of the first flight of stairs. "Everybody hurry! We have just time enough to catch the train!"

CHAPTER X SIXTY MILES AN HOUR

The station at North Birchland was just a brown stone building, and a small platform, surrounded by a garden, like all country town stations.

But a more animated crowd of young people had rarely gathered anywhere.

Dorothy, Tavia and Aunt Winnie were noticeable among the crowd, their smart travelling suits and happy smiling faces being good to look upon.

Ned, who was to accompany his mother, stood guard over the bags, while they were being checked by the station master. Nat, Ted and Bob, who had come to see them off, pranced about, impatient for the train, and altogether they were making such a racket that an elderly lady picked up her bag and shawls, and quickly searched for a quieter part of the station. It was such a long time since the elderly lady had been young and going on a journey, that she completely forgot all about the way it feels, and how necessary it is to laugh and chatter noisily on such occasions.

Nat looked in Tavia's direction constantly, and at last succeeded in attracting her attention. He appeared so utterly miserable that instinctively Tavia slipped away from the others, and walked with him toward the end of the station. But this did not make Bob any happier. He devoted himself to Dorothy and Aunt Winnie, casting longing glances at Nat and Tavia. Dorothy was charming in a travelling coat of blue, and a small blue hat and veil gracefully tilted on her bright blond hair, a coquettish quill encircling her hat and peeping over her ear. Tavia was dressed in a brown tailored suit, and a lacy dotted brown veil accentuated the pink in her cheeks and the brightness of her eyes.

A light far down the track told of the approaching train. Joe and Roger were having an argument as to who saw the gleam first and Major Dale had to come to the rescue and be umpire. As the rumble and roar grew nearer, and the light became bigger, the excitement of the little group became intense. With a great, loud roar and hissing, the train stopped and the coach on which they had engaged berths was just in front of them.

"The _Yellow Flyer_," read Joe, carefully, "is that where you will sleep?" he asked, looking in wonder at the car.

"Yes, indeed, Joey," said Dorothy, kissing him good-bye, "in cunning little beds, hanging from the sides of the coach."

Dorothy held out her hand to Bob. "Good-bye," she said. Tavia, just behind Dorothy, glancing quickly up at Bob, blushed as she placed her slim hand in his large brown one.

"You're coming to New York, too, with the boys?" she asked, demurely.

Bob held her hand in his strong grip and it hurt her, as he said very stiffly: "I don't know that I shall." With a toss of her head, Tavia started up the steps of the coach, but Bob following, still held her hand tightly, and she stopped. All the others were on the train. She looked straight into his eyes and said: "We're going to have no end of fun, you know." Bob released her hand. Standing in the vestibule, Tavia turned once more: "Please come," she called to him, then rushed into the train and joined the others.

When the cars pulled out, the last thing Tavia saw was Bob's uncovered head and Nat's waving handkerchief, and she smiled at both very sweetly.

Then they waved their handkerchiefs until darkness swallowed up the little station.

The girls looked about them. A sleeping car! Tavia thrilled with pleasant antic.i.p.ation. It was all so very luxurious! Aunt Winnie almost immediately discovered an old acquaintance sitting directly opposite. The lady, very foreign in manner and attire, held a tiny white basket under her huge sable m.u.f.f. She gushed prettily at the unexpected pleasure of having Aunt Winnie for a travelling companion. Tavia thought she must be the most beautiful lady in all the world, and both she and Dorothy found it most disconcerting to be ushered into a sleeping car filled with staring people, and be introduced to so lovely a creature as Aunt Winnie's friend. The beautiful lady whispered mysteriously to Aunt Winnie, and pointed to the hidden basket and instantly a saucy growl came from it.

"A dog," gasped Dorothy, "why, they don't permit dogs on a Pullman!"

"Let's get a peep at him," said Tavia, "the little darling, to go travelling just like real people!"

Immediately following the growl, the lady and Aunt Winnie sat in dignified silence, and stared blankly at the entire car.

"They're making believe," whispered Tavia, "pretending there isn't any dog, and that no one heard a growl!"

"I'm simply dying to see the little fellow!" said Dorothy, unaware that the future held an opportunity to see the dog that now reposed in the basket.

"Well, Dorothy," said Tavia, "according to the looks across the aisle 'there ain't no dog,'" Tavia loved an expressive phrase, regardless of grammatical rules.

"Did Ned get on?" suddenly asked Dorothy. "I don't see him."

"He's on," answered Tavia, disdainfully, "in the smoker. Didn't you hear him beg our permission?"

After an hour had pa.s.sed Aunt Winnie came toward them and said:

"Don't you think it best to retire now, girls? You have a strenuous week before you."

Dorothy and Tavia readily agreed, as neither had found much to keep them awake. Many of the pa.s.sengers had already retired, some of them immediately after the last stop was made. Tavia could not remain quiet, and happy too, where there was no excitement. She preferred to sleep peacefully-and strangely, the Pullman sleeper offered no fun even to an inventive mind like Tavia's.

"Ned might have stayed with us," sighed Dorothy. "Boys are so selfish."

"Wouldn't you like to go into the smoker too?" suggested Tavia.

"What! Tavia Travers, you're simply too awful!" cried Dorothy.