After a few minutes’ pleasant conversation the three girls said good-bye and walked on.
“What charming girls,” remarked Arline Thayer.
“Did you ever see a sweeter face than Madge Morton’s?” asked Elfreda.
“She is beautiful,” agreed Grace; “not only that, but she has such a vivid personality. One loves her on sight.”
“She is from the South, isn’t she?” inquired Miriam. “She has a decided southern accent.”
“Yes, she was born and brought up in Virginia. Her father was a naval officer and was court-martialed when she was a baby for something he didn’t do,” related Elfreda. “He left home in disgrace and her mother died soon afterward. He never came back to claim her, so her aunt and uncle brought her up. Every one believed her father was dead, and so did she until she grew up; then a perfectly hateful girl, whose father was a naval officer, told her the story of her father’s disgrace while she was visiting Mrs. Curtis at Old Point Comfort. You see, Madge and her friends had a little houseboat that they fixed over from an old canal boat. They used to spend their vacations on it, and one of the teachers from the boarding school which Madge attended used to chaperon them. They called their boat the Merry Maid, and Madge, the ‘Little Captain.’ They had all sorts of adventures, and Madge always said that she knew her father wasn’t dead and that some day she’d find him. The reason I know so much about her is because Ma has known Mrs. Curtis for years. Tom and I used to play together when we were youngsters. Tom is her son.”
“Did Miss Morton ever find her father?” asked Ruth Denton eagerly. “I know just how she must have felt about him.”
“Yes, she found him and proved his innocence. He lived for years under another name and supported himself by translating foreign books into English. He had a dear friend, an old sea captain, who lived with him in a funny little house at Cape May. This friend had lots of money, so when Madge found her father he bought a yacht and took them for a trip around the world.”
“It sounds like ‘Grimms’ Fairy Tales,’ doesn’t it,” smiled Miriam.
“It’s gospel truth,” assured Elfreda.