Twelve o"clock had just been struck by the tall clock in the lower hall, when a white figure walked slowly down the corridor. Her hair fell in long, waving ringlets far below her waist, her pretty white hands were outstretched in front of her, and the great eyes, wide open, stared straight before her with a strange, unseeing stare. As she walked along she whispered softly to herself, but the words were hardly audible. On she went, through the long corridor, down the little side hall, which led to the pantry below, still muttering in that uncanny manner.
It had long been a standing joke in the school that Mrs. Stone slept like a cat, with one eye open and one ear alert for every sound, for she was continually hearing burglars, or marauders of some sort or other. So it is not surprising that before that ghost had gone very far another white figure popped its head out into the hall and uttered a smothered exclamation at sight of number one.
"Dear me! dear me!" she murmured, "my suspicions were not amiss. Poor, dear Marion, is so very self-confident. I was sure the last night"s folly would lead to something else. Such is invariably the case," and she followed rapidly after the figure which was just vanishing around the turn in the lower hall.
"Those children are certainly planning another supper, and, what is far worse, are adding to the discredit of such an act by resorting to dishonest means of procuring the wherewithal for it. Oh, it is shocking, shocking! And yet Marion cannot be convinced that her girls are capable of deceit. Poor child, poor child, it is fortunate for her that there is someone at hand to come to her rescue at such a crisis," and Mrs. Stone reached the bottom of the stairs just as the evil-intentioned ghost slipped into the housekeeper"s pantry.
"Really, I must be quite sure before I speak, or I may bring about still greater trouble. But what _can_ she want here at this hour of the night if it be not some of Mrs. Store"s provisions?" and she wrung her hands in despair.
A dim light burned in the lower hall, rendering everything there plainly visible from above; and if Mrs. Stone had not been so distressed by that which was before her, she might have been aware of certain happenings just above her. Why did not some good fairy whisper in her ear just at that moment: "An" had you one eye behind you, you might see more detraction at your heels than fortune before you," but there were apparently none out of Dream Land.
As her foot touched the lower step, five or six heads peered over the banister railing above, and what mystery of gravitation prevented as many bodies from toppling over after them I am unable to say.
"Do look! Do look! She is after her full tilt, girls," whispered Cicely.
"Didn"t I tell you it would be the funniest thing you ever saw?"
"Sh! She"ll hear us, and the whole thing will be spoilt," said Ethel.
"No, indeed, she won"t," answered Ruth, "she is too intent upon catching Toinette."
"O, why _can"t_ I stretch my neck out a yard or two so that I may see what is going on in that pantry? Come on girls, I"m going downstairs if I die for it," and down crept Lou, followed by all the others, for there was no lack of bedroom slippers at Sunny Bank.
Meantime Toinette had entered the store-room, and, going straight to the corner where some smoked hams and bacon were hanging, took a monstrous ham from its hook, then, muttering, "Crackers, too, crackers, too," opened the cracker box and drew forth a handful.
Mrs. Stone was thoroughly scandalized, but, just as she was about to speak, Toinette turned full upon her and said:
"Yes, I will have some mustard, and a beefsteak, and baked beans, please.
Mrs. Stores had some on the table to-night."
By this time Mrs. Stone began to realize that the girl was not accountable for her actions, for never was there a better bit of acting for an amateur. Yet she dared not wake her, for stories of the serious harm which had befallen somnambulists, when wakened suddenly in unfamiliar surroundings, flashed through her brain, and she was nearly beside herself with anxiety.
"What shall I do? what _shall_ I do?" she said aloud in great distress; and, as though in answer to her question, Toinette answered:
"Go, tell Mrs. Stone that she isn"t up to snuff as much as she thinks she is."
This was too much, and, laying her hand gently on Toinette"s arm, she said, softly:
"My dear child, hadn"t you better come back upstairs with me?"
Without changing her expression, Toinette replied:
"How oats, peas, beans and barley grow, nor you, nor I, nor Mrs. Stone knows," and began to dance around in a circle with her ham tightly clasped in one arm, and the crackers scattering from one end of the pantry to the other.
Now thoroughly alarmed, and almost in tears, Mrs. Stone said:
"Oh, my dear, dear little girl, won"t you come back to your room with me?"
and, grasping hold of Toinette"s arm, endeavored to lead her from the pantry.
[Ill.u.s.tration: "GO, TELL MRS. STONE SHE ISN"T UP TO SNUFF."]
But my lady was having altogether too good a time to end her frolic so soon, while the audience upon the stairs were nearly dying from their efforts not to scream. So, without changing that dreadful stare which she had maintained throughout her performance, she said, as though repeating Mrs. Stone"s own words:
"Come back--come back--come back, my Bonny, to me," and turned to leave the pantry. She had barely gotten outside the door, however, when she paused, and, muttering something about lemons and pickles, slipped away from Mrs. Stone"s grasp and disappeared within the pantry again.
Trembling with excitement, Mrs. Stone stood for one instant, and then saying, "Miss Preston must be called, Miss Preston must be called," turned and literally flew up the stairs, for once too lost to everything but the matter in hand to be aware of anything else, which was certainly fortunate for the white-robed figures, which nearly fell over each other in their scramble to escape.
CHAPTER XII
"HAVE YOU NOT BEEN DECEIVED THIS TIME?"
When Miss Preston arrived upon the scene Toinette was serenely making her way upstairs, her burdens still in her arms, but supplemented by several lemons and a bottle of pickles. She took no notice whatever of the new arrival, but walked straight to her own room, and, placing her treasures upon her bed, covered them carefully with her bedclothes. At this covert act poor Mrs. Stone gasped despairingly, and, grasping Miss Preston"s arm, said, in a most tragic whisper: "Marion, Marion, what did I tell you?"
But "Marion" was very much alive to the situation, and, had not a slight quiver about Toinette"s mouth while Mrs. Stone was speaking confirmed her suspicions, some very audible giggles from the rooms close at hand would have done so.
Having tucked her ham snugly to bed, Toinette proceeded to tuck herself there, and, with a sigh as innocent as a tired infant"s, she closed those staring eyes and slipped off to the land of dreams.
"Well, I think the first act is ended," said Miss Preston, with the funniest of smiles, "and we shall not have the second to-night, at any rate. But this one was certainly performed by a star," and, stepping to Toinette"s bedside, she quietly drew from beneath the covers the "dry stores" there sequestered, placed them upon the table, and then smoothed the clothes carefully about her.
Mrs. Stone began to gather up the articles Miss Preston laid upon the table, and, consequently, did not see her slyly pinch the rosy cheek resting upon the pillow nor the flash of intelligence which two big brown eyes sent back.
They then left Toinette to her slumbers (?), and, after carrying the pilfered articles back to the housekeeper"s pantry, returned to Miss Preston"s room, where Mrs. Stone dropped into the first chair that came handy. She was as near a nervous collapse as she well could be, and came very close to losing her temper when Miss Preston seated herself upon her couch, clasped her hands before her, and laughed as poor Mrs. Stone had never known her to laugh before.
"Why, Marion! Marion!" she cried. "_Have_ you taken leave of your senses?"
It was some seconds before Miss Preston could control her voice enough to reply, and, when she did, it proved the very last straw to complete Mrs.
Stone"s discomfiture, for her words were:
"Mehitable Stone, had anyone told me that I was sheltering beneath my roof-tree such a consummate actress, I should have been the most surprised woman in Montcliff. Upon my word I never saw anything better done."
"Acting!" exclaimed Mrs. Stone, aghast. "You do not for one moment imagine that poor child was acting? Impossible! Why, she was as sound asleep as she ever was in all her life, and there was not the least sign that she was conscious of my touch when I took hold of her arm to lead her from the pantry. Do you suppose it would have been possible for her to dissemble to that extent? _Never!_"
Miss Preston did not answer, but laughed softly again.
It was too much for Mrs. Stone; rising suddenly to her feet, she said, with asperity: "It is useless for us to discuss the matter further to-night, nay, _this morning_," looking at the tiny clock ticking away upon Miss Preston"s desk, "but I trust that in broad daylight you may see more clearly. For my part, nothing will ever convince me that that child was deceiving me; my knowledge of girls is too perfect. It was a most p.r.o.nounced case of somnambulism, the outcome of last night"s injudicious eating, and, in my opinion, a very alarming condition, as one can never tell to what it may lead. Her digestion may be seriously impaired. It is quite unsafe to leave her alone to-night, for she may be seized with another attack at any moment. I shall spend the remainder of the night upon the couch in her room," and away she went to take up her sentinel duty.
"It is quite unnecessary," called Miss Preston after the retreating figure, but no heed was given to the words, and when Toinette waked in the morning what was her surprise to find Mrs. Stone bending over her asking, in the most solicitous of voices, if she were feeling quite well.
For a moment Toinette was unable to take in the situation, but her wits got into working order pretty quickly, and only her quivering lips would have betrayed her to a more discerning person. Mrs. Stone, however, saw nothing but an inclination to weep, and, stooping over Toinette, said, soothingly: "There, there, dear, don"t hurry to rise, you are a little nervous this morning and ought to rest."
But Toinette was at the breakfast table as promptly as anyone, and as she took her seat she gave a quick glance toward Miss Preston; but that astute woman was pouring cream into her coffee-cup. An hour later, when all were scurrying about getting ready for the walk to the schoolhouse, which was situated several blocks from the home house and its adjacent cottages, Toinette came face to face with Miss Preston in one of the upper halls.
Both stopped short, looked each other squarely in the eyes, and said nothing. Then Miss Preston"s eyes began to smile, and her mouth followed their example, and, placing one finger under Toinette"s chin, she said:
"I am forced to admit that it was one of the funniest things I"ve ever seen, and extremely well done, but it scared Mrs. Stone nearly to death; so, please, don"t favor us with the second act."
And that was the only allusion ever made by Miss Preston to the midnight ramble, nor was it ever repeated for Mrs. Stone"s benefit, although nothing could ever have persuaded the good lady that she had been the victim of a hoax that night.