Elsie at Ion

by Martha Finley

  CHAPTER XI.

  THE next day was Sunday, always religiously kept by every family in theconnection. They all met at church in the morning, and most of the Ionand Woodburn people again in the afternoon; first at the school-houseon the captain’s estate, where an hour was spent in the instructionof the poor whites of the neighborhood, then in the Ion school-houseappropriated to the same use for the colored race of the vicinity.

  Mary Keith, Harold, Herbert, and their old friend Croly attended andtook part in the exercises of both schools; for they were all earnest,active Christian workers, full of zeal for the Master’s cause andanxious to win souls for him.

  Harold and Herbert dearly loved to talk over with their mother theirplans for future usefulness and the necessary preparation for it, and,to their supreme content, contrived to get her to themselves for a timeon their return from the scene of that afternoon’s labors. The call totea broke up their conference.

  The evening was spent in Bible study, religious conversation, andsacred song.

  It had been a day of rest from earthly cares and pleasures, and allrose on Monday morning refreshed and strengthened in mind and body.

  That day was spent at the Laurels, very much as Saturday had been atthe Oaks; Tuesday at Fairview. Violet claimed her right to be the nextentertainer of the connection, so all were invited to spend that day atWoodburn, where preparations for their entertainment had been going onfor several days.

  Eager, impetuous Lulu was almost wild with delight. “O papa,” she said,when she and Grace had exchanged with him their usual affectionategood-morning, “I do just hope we’ll give the folks the grandest goodtime they’ve had anywhere yet. It’s a splendid day, and our groundsnever looked more beautiful. I could hardly get dressed for gazing atthem through my bedroom windows, and I thanked the Lord over and overagain for giving me such a lovely home and dear, kind father,” puttingher arms round his neck and giving him a second ardent kiss.

  “Yes, daughter,” he returned, holding her close, “the goodness of ourheavenly Father to us is far, far beyond our deserts. I thank him everyday for the ability he has given me to make such a delightful home formy wife and children.”

  “Yes, papa,” said Grace, leaning up affectionately against him on hisother side, and slipping a hand into his, “I often think how very, verygood God has been to us children in giving us such a good, kind father,when so many poor children have cross, drunken fathers who beat andabuse them for just nothing at all, and don’t care whether they arecomfortably fed and clothed or not.”

  “It is a sad truth that there are such fathers in the world,” hereplied, “and some who with all their efforts cannot comfortably feedand clothe their little ones.”

  “And other poor little ones who have no father or mother,” added Grace.“Oh, I do hope God will let me keep my dear father as long as I live.”

  “Do not allow yourself to be anxious and troubled about that,daughter,” the captain responded tenderly, “our heavenly Father knowsand will do for each one of us just what is best.”

  “Papa,” said Lulu coaxingly, “don’t you think you could excuse us fromlessons to-day? There will be so much going on that I know I shall findit very difficult to give my mind to lessons, and I’m sure it will bejust the same with the others.”

  “If I thought it for your good, daughter,” he said in reply, “I shouldcertainly say yes; but I do not. If you are diligent you can be readyto receive your young guests by eleven o’clock.”

  “But I think it will be almost impossible to give my mind to tasks whenit is so full of all that’s to be done and enjoyed through the day,”she sighed.

  “I am sure you can if you will exercise sufficient determination,” hereplied; “you have a strong will, and can put it to good use in forcingLucilla Raymond to resolutely put aside distracting thoughts and giveher mind for a time wholly to her appointed tasks. Show her that if shewants to do right and please her heavenly Father, she will do it forthat reason; and if she loves her earthly one as dearly as she says,she will do it to gain his approbation and make his heart glad that hehas so good and dutiful an eldest daughter.”

  “So I will, papa,” she said, giving him another affectionate hug, “foroh, I do want to make you glad that I am your very own child, yourvery, very own, and don’t belong to anybody else in the whole world.”

  “And that I am, papa,” Grace said, lifting to his eyes full of ardentfilial love. “I am every bit as glad to belong to you as Lu is.”

  “And I quite as glad to own you, my own darling little girl,” heresponded, drawing them both closer into his embrace.

  The breakfast-bell rang, and taking a hand of each, he led them down tothe lower hall, where they met Violet coming in from the veranda whereshe and her two little ones had been taking the air.

  Pleasant greetings were exchanged with them and with Mr. Lilburn andMarian, who presently joined the family in the breakfast-room. Then allseated themselves, the blessing was asked, and the meal began.

  “Cousin Ronald,” said Violet, “I hope you will help to entertain ourguests to-day by the exercise of your ventriloquial powers, which havenot yet been discovered by either Cousin Mary Keith or Mr. Croly.”

  “I should like to oblige you, cousin,” replied the old gentleman, “butI fear I cannot think of anything new in that line.”

  “Well,” she said, “we will hope some bright thoughts may occur to you.”

  “Perhaps you might borrow a bugle again, sir,” remarked Lulu with alittle laugh. “I don’t believe they’ve found out yet who that buglerwas who played near the lakelet at Ion, when they were in the boat onit.”

  “No,” said Marian, “from something that was said yesterday, I am surethey have not.”

  “Such being the case, perhaps the fellow may take it into his head tovisit the wood here this afternoon or evening,” Mr. Lilburn remarked ina quiet tone.

  “Oh, I hope he will!” exclaimed Lulu, “and that he’ll play longer thanhe did at Ion. I wonder if he couldn’t sing us a song too,” she added,smiling archly into Mr. Lilburn’s eyes.

  “Now perhaps he may if I tell him that a daughter of our entertainersmakes the request,” returned Mr. Lilburn gravely. “I’ll try myinfluence with him, my dear.”

  “Oh, thank you, sir!” she exclaimed with a merry laugh. “I am quitesure he will not be able to resist that.”

  “I just wish we had Maxie here,” said Grace, “for then we might haveone sing and the other play at the same time.”

  “That would be fine,” laughed her father, “but unfortunately we cannothave Max.”

  “Oh!” exclaimed Marian with a look of surprise and pleasure, “now Iknow who was the ventriloquist at Minersville!”

  “There now!” cried Grace with a look of dismay, “I ought to be ashamed.I never meant to tell that secret.”

  “Don’t look so troubled, daughter,” said the captain, smiling kindlyupon her, “there is no great harm done. Marian would probably havefound it out before long without any help from you.”

  “And I’ll try to make no bad use of my discovery,” added Marian.

  “You and papa are very kind,” returned Grace, with a slight sigh ofrelief.

  “I suppose this is to be a holiday for the children, captain?” remarkedViolet with an inquiring look at her husband.

  “Quite a mistake, my dear,” he returned pleasantly. “I do not think itgood for my pupils to have too many holidays, and have no doubt theywill enjoy play all the more for having done a little work first.”

  “Yes, sir, no doubt we shall,” said Marian cheerfully, “and I for oneshould be very loath to miss the lessons. I enjoy them, and am verygrateful to you for taking the trouble to teach me.”

  “You are as welcome as possible,” he returned in the kindest of tones.“Your companionship in her studies is of advantage to my daughter Lulu,and makes very little more work for me.”

  “You are very kind indeed to look at it in that light, sir,” wasMarian’s r
esponse, while Lulu gave him a most grateful, loving look.

  Then a voice that seemed to come from the doorway into the hall said:“You are the very best of fathers, sir, always ready to take anyamount of trouble for the benefit of any of your children.”

  “Maxie! where is you? Tum and det some breakfus,” exclaimed baby Ned,as he and all the others turned their heads in the direction of thesounds.

  But no one was to be seen there.

  “Where is Maxie?” queried Ned, almost ready to cry. “Papa tell Maxietum eat his breakfus.”

  “Maxie isn’t there, son,” said the captain pleasantly. “It was CousinRonald talking in Maxie’s voice.”

  “Papa,” said little Elsie, “maybe Maxie is there, hiding behind thedoor.”

  “Do you think so?” returned her father with a smile. “Well, you may goand look, if you wish, and if you find him tell him papa says for himto come immediately to his breakfast.”

  At that Elsie made haste to get down from her chair, and ran to thedoor calling, “Maxie, Maxie, papa says, come right to your breakfus disminute.”

  Not finding Max at the door, she ran on down the hall, out upon theveranda, looking searchingly from side to side, back again and throughthe different rooms, calling, “Max, Max, where are you? Papa says, cometo your breakfus.”

  Then on into the breakfast-room she came again, saying with abewildered look, “Papa, I can’t find Max. Where did he go?”

  “Don’t you remember that papa told you he was not there, daughter?”returned the captain pleasantly. “It was Cousin Ronald who spoke,making his voice sound like Max’s.”

  “Oh, I wish it was Maxie, ’cause I love him and want to see him,”returned the baby girl, tears springing to her eyes.

  “Never mind, papa’s dear little girl,” the captain said, lifting herinto her chair again; “we may hope to see dear brother Max here one ofthese days; and then how glad we shall all be!”

  “Oh, yes, papa; please write Maxie a letter and tell him Elsie wantshim to come soon,” she said, smiling through her tears.

  The moment family worship was over, Marian, Lulu, and Grace hastened tothe school-room, where they were joined a few minutes later by EvelynLeland, Rosie and Walter Travilla. The lessons had all been thoroughlyprepared, so that recitations proceeded rapidly, and by eleven o’clockall were dismissed with permission to spend the remainder of the day insuch sports as suited their inclination.

  The guests had already begun to arrive, and directly the most of themwere scattered through the beautiful grounds exploring every nook andcorner of them. Then games were played—lawn tennis, croquet, and otherssuited to different ages and tastes. A grand dinner followed in dueseason, after which they sat on the verandas or under the trees orwandered slowly through the wood and the shaded alleys.

  Tea was over, the sun near his setting, and somewhat weary with theirsports almost all were seated in or near the verandas, when the soundof a bugle broke the stillness, coming apparently from the wood where anumber of the young people had been straying only a half-hour before.

  “There he is again!” cried Croly, starting to his feet. “Harold,suppose we hurry out yonder and see if we can catch sight of thefellow.”

  “Oh, not yet,” said Grandma Elsie; “let us enjoy his music for a littlefirst. Hark! he is beginning the Star-spangled Banner.”

  “Very well done,” commented Mr. Dinsmore as the last notes died awayon the air. Croly looked at Harold and half rose from his chair; butthe bugler began again. This time it was a Scottish air, and Marianabsently, and scarcely above her breath, sang the words:

  “‘Scots wha’ hae wi Wallace bled, Scots whom Bruce hath often led, Welcome to your gory bed, Or to victory.’”

  The notes of the bugle died away, and all was quiet for a moment; thenWalter broke the silence:

  “So that’s a Scotch tune, is it, Marian? I heard you singing Scotchwords to it—about Wallace and Bruce—and there’s scarcely any story Ifeel more interest in—unless maybe tales of our own Revolution. Theywere brave fellows, and I like to think I come of the same stock onmamma’s side at least.”

  “Yes, it’s a good stock to come of,” she answered, her eyes kindling;“none better in my esteem; they have always been a liberty-loving,God-fearing race—the great mass o’ them at least. But hark! there’s thebugler at it again; nearer, and playing quite another tune.”

  It was a simple little air, played as a prelude, and presently thebugle ceased, and a man’s voice sang:

  “Thimble scolding, wife lay dead, Heigh-ho, says Thimble. My dearest dear, as Defunctum said, Death has cabbaged her, oh she’s fled, With your rolly-pooly, gammon and spinnage, Heigh-ho, says Thimble.

  “Thimble buried his wife last night, Heigh-ho, says Thimble, It grieves me to bury my heart’s delight With a diamond ring on her finger so tight, With your rolly-pooly, gammon and spinnage, Heigh-ho, says Thimble.

  “To cut off her finger and get this ring, Next came the sexton; She rose on an end and she gave him a fling; ‘You dirty dog, you’ll do no such a thing, With your rolly-pooly, gammon and spinnage,’ Off ran the sexton.

  “She stalked to her home and she made a great din, Heigh-ho, says Thimble; He poked out his head and he said with a grin, ‘You’re dead, my dear duck, and I can’t let you in, With your rolly-pooly, gammon and spinnage,’ Heigh-ho, says Thimble.”

  All had listened intently, and for a moment after the song ceased, noone moved or spoke. Then Croly started up, saying: “I’m bound to seethat fellow. Come, Harold and Herbert, will you go with me, or must Isearch for him alone?”

  “Oh, I have no objection to going with you,” returned Harold with aslight laugh. “I hardly think he can be dangerous, and if he is I musttry to defend you, Will.”

  “And in that case you may stand in need of my services also,” saidHerbert, joining them as they hurried down the veranda steps and alongthe drive in the direction from which the sounds of the bugle and thevoice had come.

  “I hope they won’t find him a dangerous fellow,” remarked Rosie with agleeful laugh.

  “No, indeed, I hope not,” said Mary Keith, in a slightly anxious tone.“Have you gentlemen any idea who he may be?”

  “The bugler, do you mean, cousin?” asked Edward Travilla. “I won’tsay certainly, but I have an idea that he is a perfectly harmless oldfellow who occasionally haunts this neighborhood.”

  “A crazy man?” she asked.

  “No, not that, but one who enjoys surprising and mystifying those whoknow little or nothing about him or his arts.”

  “Well, I am glad to hear that he is harmless,” she said in a tone ofrelief, “for knowing that, one can enjoy listening to his playing andsinging.”

  “Do you think they will find him, Cousin Ronald?” asked Marian, in atone that sounded slightly mirthful.

  “I, lassie?” he returned; “what should I ken aboot the folks o’ thisneighborhood?”

  “Oh, you have visited here a good deal, and so I thought you might havegained some knowledge of so odd a character.”

  “More than that possessed by any o’ these cousins who live in theneighborhood, lass?” he asked with a good-humored laugh. “Truly youare paying your auld kinsman a high compliment.”

  “I could not possibly pay you one that would be higher than yourdeserts, Cousin Ronald,” she returned.

  “Oh, hark!” exclaimed Rosie, “the bugler is at it again!” as a fewnotes floated on the air; then the same voice they had heard beforesang again, apparently coming from a tree-top not many yards away:

  “Green grow the rashes, O, Green grow the rashes, O, The sweetest hours that e’er I spend Are spent amang the lasses, O.”

  “He seems to be very fond of the lasses, but has nothing to say of thelads,” laughed Walter.

  “And they, it seems, can’t find him,”
said Edward, as the three youngmen were seen returning toward the house. “Well, lads, what success?”he called to them.

  “None as yet,” replied Harold, “but we are not quite in despair. Surelywe heard his voice a moment since, nearer the house than when he gaveus his Thimble song.”

  “Yes, it seemed to me to come from the top of that magnolia, andhe must be very quick in his movements if he has got down from italready.”

  “What you doing? what you ’bout?” came just at that instant in a loud,harsh scream, apparently from the same tree-top. “Breakfast-time. Pollywants a cracker. Polly wants a cup of coffee.”

  The three young men stepped close to the tree and gazed upward amongits branches.

  “The parrot again!” exclaimed Croly. “Do you see her, boys?”

  “Not I,” replied Herbert, “but it is quite dark up there where thebranches and leaves are so thick.”

  “So it is,” said Croly. “Hi there, Polly! show yourself.”

  “Go ’way!” screamed the harsh voice.

  “Come down, Polly; we won’t hurt you,” said Harold.

  “Polly’s hungry; Polly wants a cracker,” responded the harsh voice.

  “Come down, and if you are the good bird you seem, you shall have acracker and a cup of coffee,” he promised; but the only reply was asound as of the fluttering and flapping of wings that seemed to leavethe tree and go farther away till lost in the distance.

  “Gone!” said Croly; “and I did not catch so much as a glimpse of her.Did anybody else?”

  “And you haven’t found the bugler either,” remarked Mary Keith.

  “No,” laughed Calhoun Conly, sitting beside her, “they are not verysuccessful hunters.”

  “Do you think you could do better, Cal?” asked Herbert, as he and histwo companions came leisurely up the steps into the veranda.

  “Well, I hardly think I should do worse,” returned Calhoun lightly.

  “Then suppose you start out on the quest, find that bugler, and coaxhim to give us another tune.”

  Some soft, low notes came to their ears at that moment, as if in reply;they seemed to issue from the depths of the wood, and the listenersalmost held their breath to catch them. As they died away Croly spokeagain.

  “He seems to have made quite a circuit to escape us; and why on earthshould he? for he surely has no reason to fear we would do him harm.”

  “Bashful, perhaps,” suggested Edward. “But why care to see him? Is nothearing enough?”

  “If Mr. Croly were a woman, I would suggest that he was probablyactuated by curiosity,” laughed Mary Keith; “but since he belongs tothe other sex, it must be supposed to be something else.”

  “Dear me, Miss Keith, who would ever have dreamed you could be sosevere? You who belong to the gentler sex?” returned Croly, in afeignedly mortified tone.

  “Hark! there he is at it again!” exclaimed Maud Dinsmore, as distantbugle notes once more came softly to the ear. “If you want to catchhim, I advise you to hasten in the direction of those sounds, Mr.Croly.”

  “Hardly worth while, since he is so adroit at getting out of the way,”sighed Croly, sinking into a chair as if quite exhausted with theefforts already made.

  “Never say die, Mr. Croly,” laughed Rosie Travilla. “Gather up yourstrength and pursue the investigation. ‘Try, try, try again,’ is anexcellent motto.”

  “Yes, Miss Rosie, in some cases, but perhaps not in this, where thegame seems to be hardly worth the candle.”

  “Oh!” exclaimed Walter, “the music seems to be coming nearer! Hadn’tyou fellows better start out and try again to catch the player? Youmight be more successful this time. I wouldn’t like to give it up so ifI were in your place.”

  “Then suppose you put yourself in our place, and start out in quest ofhim,” suggested his brother Harold.

  “I’ve no objections; I’m not afraid of him,” returned Walter, jumpingup; “but if you’d like to go with me, Cousin Ronald?” turning towardthe old gentleman, as if with a sudden thought, “I’d be very glad tohave you.”

  Mr. Lilburn rose as if to comply with the request, but Mrs. Travillainterposed.

  “Oh, no, my son,” she said; “Cousin Ronald must feel tired after allthe exertion he has made to-day.”

  “And I offer myself as a substitute,” said Dr. Conly, rising. “If thefellow should happen to be vicious enough to knock you down, Walter, itmight be well to have the doctor along to see to your hurts.”

  “Pshaw! I’m not a bit afraid of him,” said Walter.

  “But your lack of fear is no positive proof that he is entirelyharmless; so I think it would be as well for you to have an elderbrother along,” remarked Herbert, following them down the veranda steps.

  “Oh, come along then, and if the fellow attacks us, I’ll do my best todefend you,” laughed Walter; and the three set off together for thewood.

  “Is this the bugler’s first visit to your place, captain?” asked Croly.

  “I really do not remember having heard his bugle about here before,”was the reply in a meditative tone, “but I do not imagine him a personlikely to do any harm.”

  “Why, there is the hack from Union turning in at the great gates!”exclaimed Lulu. “We must be going to have a visitor.”

  It came rapidly up the drive and paused before the entrance; the doorwas thrown open, and a rather young-looking man alighted, the captainat the same time rising from his chair and stepping forward to greethim.

  “Captain Raymond?” the stranger said inquiringly, lifting his hat as hespoke.

  At that Mr. Lilburn sprang to his feet and came forward, exclaiming,“What, Hugh, my mon, is it you?” grasping the young man’s hand andgiving it a hearty shake. “It’s one o’ my sons, captain,” turning glad,shining eyes upon his host. “I was not expecting him, for he had givenme no warning of his coming.”

  “You are very welcome, sir,” said the captain, taking the hand of theyoung man in a cordial grasp.

  At that Grandma Elsie, Mr. and Mrs. Dinsmore, and Violet hastenedforward with like greetings and expressions of pleasure at seeinghim again after the lapse of years since their weeks of friendlyintercourse at the sea-shore.

  “But you should be my guest, cousin,” said Mrs. Travilla. “We shall begoing home presently, and will be most happy to have you accompany us.”

  “Oh, no, mother, it will not do for you to rob us of our guest sopromptly,” said Captain Raymond.

  “No, indeed, mother dear, we must have Cousin Hugh here with hisfather, at least for the first few days,” Violet hastened to say; andso it was settled after a little more discussion, and a servant wasdispatched to the village for Hugh’s baggage.

  Just as that matter was fairly arranged, Dr. Conly, Herbert, and Walterreturned to the house.

  When they and Hugh had been introduced and had exchanged greetings,Croly inquired if they had succeeded in catching the bugler.

  “No, we didn’t get so much as a glimpse of him,” returned Walter. “Butthen you see it was growing quite dark in the wood, so that it wasn’tso very difficult for a nimble-footed fellow to make his escape.”