A young physician was appointed by the management to
attend any guest
who might require his services, and Uncle John had a
talk with him and
sent him to Myrtle's room to give her a thorough
examination. This he
did, and reported that the girl's present condition
was due largely to
mismanagement of her case at the time she was
injured. With care she
would get better and stronger rapidly, but the hip
joint was out of
its socket and only a skillful operation would serve
to permanently
relieve her of lameness.
"What she needs just now," continued the doctor, "is
a pair of
crutches, so she can get around better and be in the
fresh air and
sunshine as much as possible. She is a very frail
little woman at
present and must build up her health and strength
before submitting
to the operation I have mentioned. Then, if it is
properly done, she
ought to recover completely and be as good as new."
"I must inform you," said Uncle John, "that Myrtle
Dean is just a
little waif whom my nieces picked up on the train. I
believe she is
without friends or money. Such being the
circumstances, what would you
advise?"
The doctor shook his head gravely.
"Poor thing!" he said. "She ought to be rich, at
this juncture,
instead of poor, for the conditions facing her are
serious. The
operation I speak of is always an expensive one, and
meantime the
child must go to some charitable institution or wear
out her feeble
strength in trying to earn enough to keep the soul
in her body. She
seems to have a brave and beautiful nature, sir, and
were she educated
and cared for would some day make a splendid woman.
But the world is
full of these sad cases. I'm poor myself, Mr.
Merrick, but this child
interests me, and after you have gone I shall do all
in my power to
assist her."
"Thank you," said Uncle John, thoughtfully nodding
his bald head.
"I'll think it over and see you again, doctor,
before I leave."
An hour later Myrtle was fitted with crutches of the
best sort
obtainable, and was overjoyed to find how greatly
they assisted her.
The Major, a kindly man, decided to take Myrtle out
for a drive, and
while they were gone Uncle John had a long
conversation with Beth and
Patsy.
"Here is a case," said he, "where my dreadful money
can do some good.
I am anxious to help Myrtle Dean, for I believe she
is deserving of
my best offices. But I don't exactly know what to
do. She is really
_your_ protege, my dears, and I am going to put the
affair in your
hands for settlement. Just tell me what to do, and
I'll do it. Spend
my money as freely upon Myrtle as you please."
The girls faced the problem with enthusiasm.
"She's a dear little thing," remarked Patsy, "and
seems very grateful
for the least kindness shown her. I am sure she has
never been treated
very nicely by that stony-hearted old aunt of hers."
"In all my experience," said Beth, speaking as if
her years were
doubled, "I have never known anyone so utterly
helpless. She is very
young and inexperienced, with no friends, no money,
and scarcely
recovered from an accident. It is clearly our duty
to do something for
Myrtle, and aside from the humane obligation I feel
that already I
love the child, having known her only a day."
"Admitting all this, Beth," returned her uncle, "you
are not answering
my question. What shall we do for Myrtle? How can we
best assist her?"
"Why not take her to California with us?" inquired
Patsy, with sudden
inspiration. "The sunshine and roses would make a
new girl of her in a
few weeks."
"Could she ride so far in an automobile?" asked
Beth, doubtfully.
"Why not? The fresh air would be just the thing for
her. You'll get a
big touring car, won't you, Uncle John?"
"I've bought one already--a seven-seated
'Autocrat'--and there will be
plenty of room in it for Myrtle," he said.
"Good gracious! Where did you find the thing so
suddenly?" cried
Patsy.
"I made the purchase this morning, bright and early,
before you were
up," replied Mr. Merrick, smilingly. "It is a fine
new car, and as
soon as I saw it I knew it was what I wanted. It is
now being fitted
up for our use."
"Fitted up?"
"Yes. I've an idea in my head to make it a movable
hotel. If we're
going to cross the plains and the mountains and the
deserts, and all
that sort of thing, we must be prepared for any
emergencies. I've also
sent for a chauffeur who is highly recommended. He
knows the route
we're going to take; can make all repairs necessary
in case of
accident, and is an experienced driver. I expect him
here any minute.
His name is Wampus."
"But about Myrtle,"' said Beth. "Can we make her
comfortable on a long
ride?"
"Certainly," asserted Uncle John. "We are not going
to travel day and
night, my dear, for as soon as we get away from this
frozen country we
can take our time and journey by short stages. My
notion is that we
will have more fun on the way than we will in
California."
"Myrtle hasn't any proper clothes," observed Patsy,
reflectively.
"We'll have to shop for her, Beth, while Uncle is
getting the car
ready."
"Are you sure to leave to-morrow, Uncle John?"
inquired Beth.
"To-morrow or the next day. There's no use leaving
before the
'Autocrat' is ready to ship."
"Oh; we're not going to ride in it, then?"
"Not just yet. We shall take the train south to
Santa Fe, and perhaps
to Albuquerque. I'll talk to Wampus about that. When
we reach a good
climate we'll begin the journey overland--and not
before."
"Then," said Patsy, "I'm sure we shall have time to
fit out Myrtle
very nicely."
Mr. Wampus was announced just then, and while Uncle
John conferred
with the chauffeur his two nieces went to their room
to talk over
Myrtle Dean's outfit and await the return of the
girl from her ride.
"They tell me," said Mr. Merrick, "that you are an
experienced
chauffeur."
"I am celebrate," replied Wampus. "Not as chauffeur,
but as expert
automobilist."
He was a little man and quite thin. His legs were
short and his arms
long. He had expressionless light gray eyes and
sandy hair cropped
close to his scalp. His mouth was wide and
good-humored, his chin long
and broad, his ears enormous in size and set at
right angles with
his head. His cheek bones were as high and prominent
as those of an
Indian, and after a critical examination of the man
Uncle John was
impelled to ask his nationality.
"I am born in Canada, at Quebec Province," he
answered. "My father
he trapper; my mother squaw. For me, I American,
sir, and my name
celebrate over all the world for knowing automobile
like father knows
his son." He paused, and added impressively: "I am
Wampus!"
"Have you ever driven an 'Autocrat' car?" asked Mr.
Merrick.
"'Autocrat?' I can take him apart blindfold, an' put
him together
again."
"Have you ever been overland to California?"
"Three time."
"Then you know the country?"
"In the dark. I am Wampus."
"Very good, Wampus. You seem to be the man I want,
for I am going
to California in an 'Autocrat' car, by way of the
Santa Fe Trail
and--and--"
"No matter. We find way. I am--"
"I know. Now tell me, Wampus: if I employ you will
you be faithful and
careful? I have two girls in my party--three girls,
in fact--and from
the moment you enter my service I shall expect you
to watch over our
welfare and guide us with skill and intelligence.
Will you do this?"
The man seemed somewhat offended by the question.
"When you have Wampus, what more you want?" he
inquired. "Maybe you
not know Wampus. You come from far East. All right.
You go out and ask
automobile man about Wampus. Ask ever'body. When you
have inquire you
feel more happy. I come again."
He started to go, but Mr. Merrick restrained him.
"You have been highly recommended already," said he.
"But you cannot
expect me to have as high an opinion of you as you
have of yourself;
at least, until I know you better. Would you like to
undertake this
engagement?"
"Yes. Just now I free. My business is expert
automobilist. I am
Wampus. But perhaps you want cheap man. My price
high."
"What is your price?"
"Fifty dollar week. You eat me an' sleep me."
"I do not object to your price. Come out with me to
the garage and I
will show you my car and explain what is being done
to it."
Although all the automobile men seemed to defer most
respectfully to
Wampus, Mr. Merrick did not neglect to make proper
inquiries in regard
to the man. Locally he really was "celebrate" and
Uncle John was
assured on all sides that he was fortunate to get so
intelligent and
experienced a chauffeur as this same Wampus.
"He seems to have instinctive knowledge of all
machinery," said one
informant, "and can handle perfectly any car that is
made. The only
trouble with the fellow is that he is conceited."
"I've noticed that," returned Mr. Merrick.
"Another thing," said the gentleman; "don't believe
implicitly all
that Wampus tells you. He has a habit of imagining
things. But he is a
faithful, honest fellow, for all that, and will
handle your car better
than any other man you could get in Denver--or
anywhere in the West, I
imagine."
So Wampus was engaged, and putting the man's
references and
indorsements all together Mr. Merrick felt that he
had gained a prize.
When the big Major, returning from his drive,
escorted Myrtle Dean to
the elevator, the girl was joyously using her new
crutches. Patsy and
Beth met her and said they had important news to
communicate. Not
until she was in her own room, seated in a
comfortable chair and
gazing at them anxiously, did they tell the poor
waif of the good
fortune in store for her.
"Uncle John," announced Patsy, "has invited you to
join our party and
go to California with us."
Myrtle stared a moment, as if trying to realize what
that meant. The
tiny Mumbles, sitting beside the chair with his head
cocked to one
side, suddenly made a prodigious leap and landed in
Myrtle's lap,
where he began licking her chin and wagging his
stumpy tail as if
seconding the invitation. As the girl stroked his
soft hair her eyes
filled with tears.
"Oh, you are all so kind to me!" she sobbed, losing
her composure.
"But I can't go! Of course I can't go."
"Why not?" asked Beth, smiling.
"It would be an--impersition!" Poor Myrtle sometimes
stumbled over big
words. "I know that. I can't let you burden your
happy party with a
poor cripple, just because your hearts are kind and
you pity me!"
"Nonsense!" said Beth. "You're not a cripple, dear;
you're just an
invalid, and will soon be as strong as any of us. We
have invited you,
Myrtle, because we all like you, and shall soon
learn to love you. We
are selfish enough to want your companionship. It
isn't pity, at all,
you see."
"I'm mighty glad," added Patsy, "your Uncle Anson
ran away from
Leadville. If he hadn't done that we should have had
to give you
up; but now we may keep you as long as we wish, for
you haven't any
particular engagement to interfere with our plans."
All this was said so frankly and unaffectedly that
little Myrtle was
led to abandon her suspicion and grew radiant with
delight. Indeed,
she hugged and squeezed the squirming Mumbles until
he resented such
strenuous fondling and escaped to Patsy's more
moderate embraces.
Myrtle had never yet ridden in an automobile, and
the prospect of
a long journey across the country in a big touring
car, with
California's roses and sunshine at the end of it,
was certainly
alluring enough to intoxicate one far more
accustomed to pleasure than
this friendless, impoverished girl.
After the cousins had explained all their plans to
Myrtle and assured
her she was to be their cherished guest for a long
time--until she was
well and strong again, at the least--they broached
the subject of
her outfit. The poor child flushed painfully while
admitting the
meagerness of her wardrobe. All her possessions were
contained in one
small canvas "hold-all," and she lacked many
necessities which her
callous aunt had suggested that Uncle Anson might be
induced to buy
for her once she had joined him in Leadville. Uncle
John's nieces grew
more and more indignant as they discovered the
details of this selfish
woman's crime--for Patsy declared it was nothing
less than a crime to
send a helpless child far into the West to search
for an unknown uncle
whose whereabouts were only conjectural.
That very afternoon Beth and Patsy began shopping
for Myrtle, and
presently all sorts of parcels, big and little,
began to arrive for
their new protege. Myrtle was amazed and awed by the
splendor of her
new apparel, and could scarcely believe her good
fortune. It seemed
like a fairy tale to her, and she imagined herself a
Cinderella with
two fairy godmothers who were young and pretty girls
possessing the
purse of Fortunatus and the generosity of Glinda the
Good. At night,
when she was supposed to be asleep, Myrtle crept
from her bed, turned
on the electric light and gloated over her
treasures, which she had
almost feared might vanish into thin air and leave
her as desolate as
before.
Next morning, as soon as breakfast was over, the
girls took Myrtle out
with them to some of the shops, fitting her to shoes
and gloves and
having her try on some ready-made gowns so that they
might be quickly
altered for her use. Patsy also bought her a set of
soft and pretty
furs, thinking she might need them on the journey if
the weather
continued cool, and this seemed to cap the climax of
Myrtle's
happiness.
"What 'stonishes me most," gasped the child, trying
to get her breath
between the surprises she experienced, "is how you
can think of so
many things to do for me. Of course I know you are
rich; but I've
never before heard of rich people being so very
generous to poor
ones."
"Once," said Beth, gravely, "we were poor ourselves,
Patsy and I, and
had to work hard for our living. That was before our
Uncle John came
and gave us a share of his money, together with his
love and sympathy.
Isn't it natural, my dear, that we should now be
eager to share our
good fortune with you, since we have more money than
we can use
otherwise, and you are to be our little friend and
companion?"
"Perhaps so," replied Myrtle, smiling gaily and much
comforted by the
explanation. "But, oh dear! I'm so glad you found
me!"
"We are glad, too," said Patsy. "But here it is,
time for luncheon,
and we've wasted the whole morning in shopping. I'm
sure the Major
will be cross if we do not hurry back to the hotel."
