Dainty's Cruel Rivals; Or, The Fatal Birthday

by Mrs. Alex. McVeigh Miller

  CHAPTER XVI.

  THE GHOST ALARM.

  Mrs. Ellsworth turned from her task of chafing Dainty's cold hands, andglared scornfully at the black mammy, exclaiming:

  "How can you listen to such silly lies, Love? The old woman is in herdotage!"

  Love gave her a cold glance of rebuke and made no reply, motioning theold woman to continue.

  With her big eyes rolling in her ashy-pale face, and her toil-worn blackhands nervously clasping and unclasping each other, the old woman wenton:

  "I'se sorry, Massa Love, but I cudn't git up as quick as I ought to goober to dat poor chile's aid, kase I was kinder struck dumb wif terroran' 'sprise; an' whiles I was settin' an' watchin' her, all to onct Iseen a figger come glidin' from back o' me somewhar to de bedside, an' Iseen 'twas dressed in a long black gownd, wif string o' beads down deside, an' a li'l black skull-cap on his haid, an' his face white like acorpse, an' glarin' eyes dat struck terror to my soul!"

  "Nonsense!" Mrs. Ellsworth cried, testily; but mammy paid no heed; sheonly looked at Love, and went on with her story.

  "When I seen dat figger all in black, I t'ought sure 'tis de debbilhese'f, an' I got to sabe Miss Dainty from his clutches. I seen him leandown, I seen him look in her pale face, an' I hear her low, stranglin'moan o' fear, an' I pray, 'Lord he'p us!' den I rise to my feet an'start to'ard de baid, dough shakin' lak a leaf; but jest den de brackvilyun swoop down lak a hawk on a li'l chick, an' grab her up in hisarms an' run to de do', me a-follerin' an' screamin' at de top o' myvoice. Out de do' we dash, de good Lord givin' strength to my laigs, sodat in de hall I catch holt o' dat black gownd, an' hang on a-screechin'an' henderin' de debbil, so dat he hab to let go and drap de honey-chileon de flo'. But de owdacious vilyun clapped me a lick onter my haid, an'I seen so many stars as I fell ober Miss Dainty, dat he got away safeenough befo' yo' all come rushin' out from yo' rooms--umme!" concludedmammy, groaning, for her old gray head ached with the force of the blowshe had received in her plucky defense of her beautiful young charge.

  At that moment the old physician, Doctor Platt, was ushered into theroom, and Love turned to greet him, saying anxiously:

  "Some one has played ghost and frightened Miss Chase into such a longspell of unconsciousness that I fear for her life."

  The old doctor looked very grave when he saw his patient lying like onedead among the pillows, in spite of all that the women were doing torevive her, and he muttered in his irascible way:

  "The person that was mean enough to frighten this sensitive young girlinto such a state deserves lynching."

  And having delivered this frank opinion, he turned all his attention toDainty, and by his skill succeeded after some time in restoring her toconsciousness again, though it was indeed a pale, woeful face thatlooked up at the anxious group around the bed.

  "You are better, dear!" cried Love, gladly; and he took her little handand kissed it before them all in his great joy, heedless of hisstep-mother's angry frown.

  "Yes, she is better; but I shall stay and watch by her a little while,"said Doctor Platt; and he did not go till the pale dawn glimmeredthrough the windows.

  By that time Dainty was vastly improved, and able to corroborate mammy'sstrange story of the abduction by the mysterious visitor that hadappeared to her imagination no less a person than his satanic majesty.

  Doctor Platt was most indignant; but he laughed at the idea of asupernatural visitant, and concurred in Love's belief of some maliciousperson in the house playing ghost.

  When he started home, leaving Dainty in a deep sleep from the effect ofa sedative he had administered for her nerves, he talked quite seriouslyto Love as they stood on the steps in the struggling light of earlymorn.

  "It would seem as if Miss Chase has a malignant enemy who is trying tofrighten her into death or insanity," he said. "Another such experienceas this of to-night would probably effect her enemy's purpose. She is ofa very nervous physique, and this shock told most terribly upon her. Iwarn you that the perpetrator should be discovered at once, and severepunishment meted out for the offense. If this proves impossible, why notsend the young girl home to remain until her wedding-day?"

  "I am loath to do so, because the weather in Richmond is so hot at thisseason," Love replied; adding: "I shall take such measures, however,that it will be impossible for this thing to occur again!"

  The stern tone of his voice and the flash of his eyes assured DoctorPlatt that he would keep his word, and he went away much comforted, forall his sympathies had been keenly enlisted by Dainty's misfortunes.

  The young girl herself slept on heavily till noon, when she awoke,refreshed by her long rest, and was able to meet the family at luncheon,though her pallid cheeks and wistful eyes were enough to strike remorseto the hearts of her bitter enemies, if they had not been hard and coldas stone.

  But her lover's looks and smiles were warm enough to atone for theindifference of the rest, and the soft color flew to her cheeks again ashe took her hand tenderly, saying:

  "Get ready, darling, and I shall take you for a long drive into thecountry this evening."

  Ah! how Olive and Ela envied her the bliss of the long tete-a-tete driveas they watched the lovers going away in the elegant phaeton behind thespirited gray ponies, the sunshine resting so lovingly on Dainty's curlylocks beneath the simple white hat. When they returned, in the last rosyglow of sunset, Dainty seemed to have received a new baptism of beauty,she was so changed from the pale, nervous girl of a few hours ago. Nowher cheeks and lips glowed rosy-red, and her eyes were bright withhappiness--the happiness of loving and being loved. It made her cousinsso angry they could have killed her in their jealous spite, for itlacked but two weeks to the wedding now, and it seemed as if nothingthat spite or malice could invent had any power to break off theconsummation of the engagement.

  They were so furious they would willingly have poisoned her, but forfear of being found out.

  No words could tell how they hated that fair face and golden hair, thatrosy mouth, those blue eyes and dimples that had rivaled them in theprize they longed to win.

  The sight of the happy lovers was gall and wormwood to their envioushearts.

  They were indignant, too, because they could see, beneath the surface ofLove's coldly courteous manner, that he vaguely suspected them of havinga hand in the mysterious plot to frighten his timid betrothed.

  To-day he had carried matters with a high hand, interrogating all theservants carefully, and offering a reward of a hundred dollars to anyone who should discover the identity of the person playing ghost.

  Their greed thus excited, every hireling was anxious to earn the reward,and it would certainly be dangerous for any one to attempt again thecruel role of ghost, for detection seemed almost certain.

  The young man had also made some investigations that resulted in showinghim how very easy it had been for the malicious enemy of Dainty tointrude on her whenever it seemed desirable to do so.

  The room adjoining hers was an unused bedroom that communicated withhers by a narrow curtained door back of her bed. How easy it had beenfor the intruder to enter the vacant room, imitate the monk's coughthere to the heart's content, then glide through the curtained door tothe bedside, alarming the sleeping girl by a cold touch or hackingcough, and escaping before she could give any alarm!

  Love even found that a small hole had been bored in the wall between thetwo rooms, thus affording an opportunity for the use of chemicals indisplaying the grisly green light whose weird play upon the walls andabout the room had so alarmed the victims of the cruel joke.

  "How careless I have been! I should have discovered all this long ago ifI had believed it was aught but a girl's nervous fancies; but mammy'scorroboration assures me it was reality. Now I shall take such stepsthat she will never be annoyed again," he said, sternly; and suited theaction to the word by giving up the room next his own, an airydressing-room, to Dainty's use, making it perfectly safe by having in acarpenter to attach a wire to the young girl's b
ed, that, running alongthe ceiling, passed through into his own room, with a large bell at theend.

  The whole household was made aware of this unique ghost alarm, and Lovesaid, sternly:

  "At the least disturbance in Miss Chase's room, she has but to touch thewire by her bed, and the communicating bell will ring close to me, sothat I can fly to her rescue. I do not need to say that the practicaljoker will fare badly at my hands."

  Poor, nervous, shaken black mammy had been sent home to rest.

  Dainty would not need any one, now that she had her ghost alarm, theyoung man said, smilingly; and every one understood his determination toprotect his love at every hazard. The guilty party must have felt ratherdisconcerted at the turn affairs had taken.

  Black mammy had not told any one yet that she had a clew by which shehoped to win the reward Love had offered for the detection of theimpostor; but after she had grappled with the wretch who was bearing offDainty, she had found in the claw-like grasp of her fingers some bits oftorn torchon lace that might have been clutched forcibly from the sleeveof a night-dress.

  She kept the fragments carefully, determining to find the garment theymatched.