"Jennie!" Katherine whispered, amazed, "what are you doing here at this unearthly hour of the night?"
"Hush! don"t give me away for the world," said the girl, laying a nervous hand upon her arm. "There"s something going on in yonder-- it"s the fun I told you about a while ago. I"m not in the plot, but I"m bound to be in at the finish, for it"s going to be a hot time, I can tell you."
"Really, dear, you are better out of it altogether," Katherine gravely returned. "You know what we were talking of yesterday, about breaking rules and spoiling one"s record."
"Aren"t you breaking rules, too?" retorted Jennie, aggressively.
"No; I have just come from Miss Reynolds" room."
"Well, I"m going to see this through, now I"ve started in. I"ve had to pinch and pound myself for the last two hours, though, to keep awake, and I"m not going to miss the "racket" after all that bother," declared the girl, clinging tenaciously to her purpose.
"Hark!" she added, a moment later, in a startled whisper, as a t.i.tter of irrepressible mirth was borne to their ears from somewhere beyond them.
It seemed to proceed from the landing at the head of the stairs which led to the second story, but was quickly suppressed and all was still again.
"Well," said Katharine, after listening a. moment, "I must go on to my room, and my advice to you, Jennie, is to return at once to yours. Good-night," and, leaving the willful "racket"-lover to her fate, she stole softly away.
She paused at the foot of the stairs to listen again, when the swish of garments fell on her ear, then a voice, which she immediately recognized, whispered:
"Be sure you tie your end tight, Carrie."
Katherine moved lightly up a step or two and heard the answer:
"I have; now, Rose, scud up to the next floor and give the signal, while I go for my cymbals," and a smothered laugh followed.
Again there was a rustle of garments and the soft slipping of unshod feet over the upper flight of stairs, while Katherine as noiselessly sped over the lower one.
On reaching the landing she looked about her to ascertain, if possible, what mischief was brewing.
The hall was very dimly lighted by a window at each end, and, as the moon had not yet got around to that quarter, it was almost impossible to discern anything; but, lower down the hall, she thought she could detect two lines, stretched across from opposite doors, about three feet from the floor.
Not wishing to get involved in the prospective mischief, and as her room was just at the head of the stairs, she softly turned the handle of the door and slipped inside.
Scarcely a minute elapsed after she had closed and locked it, when there came a deafening crash and bang, mingled with the blowing of whistles, horns and combs, that seemed sufficient to awaken the "Seven Sleepers" in their cavern of refuge.
"Oh, heavens! Whatever is the matter?" screamed Sadie, starting up in affright. "Are you there, Katharine?"
"Yes."
"What was that noise? Did you hear it?"
"Indeed I did."
They listened for a moment or two, but there was no sound.
Then it seemed as if some commotion had arisen somewhere, and a medley of m.u.f.fled voices was borne to their ears.
Presently steps were heard on the stairs, whereupon Sadie sprang out of bed, slipped on a wrapper, and, opening her door a crack, saw the watchman with his lantern just mounting into view.
Then the voice of one of the teachers--Miss Clark--rang out excitedly, while she vainly tugged at her door which had been connected with the one opposite by a piece of clothesline:
"Young ladies, what is the meaning of this outrage? Release me immediately."
"Ye"ll just hev to wait a minute, marm," said the watchman, with an audible chuckle of amus.e.m.e.nt as he comprehended the situation, while he put down his lantern and plunged his hand into various pockets in search of his knife.
Looking farther down the hall, Sadie saw that Miss Williams had been imprisoned in the same manner, while a promiscuous a.s.sortment of tin pans, covers and plates lay in a heap upon the floor, and telling their own story regarding the recent crash.
There was not a person, save the watchman, in sight.
But, presently, doors were cautiously opened and tousled heads appeared in the apertures, while timid voices made inquiries as to what had happened.
The watchman--who had been making his rounds, as was his custom at midnight, hence his timely appearance upon the scene--soon had the indignant teachers released, and then went on to the next floor, where similar conditions prevailed.
On being given their liberty, Miss Clark and Miss Williams immediately bestirred themselves to ferret out the culprits; but, of course, everybody was innocent and as eager as themselves to ascertain "who could have been guilty of so daring an escapade at that hour of the night."
Poor Jennie, however, was destined to pay the penalty of her temerity.
A moment or two after Katherine left her, she had also stolen cautiously up the stairs, but on moving farther down the hall had run against one of the ropes.
Like a flash she comprehended something of the nature of the joke, and, hearing steps and smothered laughter above, turned back and slipped into a closet at the end of the hall, where she shrank into a corner and waited with eager ears and bated breath for the denouement.
When it came, however, she heartily wished she was anywhere else in the world; but there was nothing for her to do except to wait quietly in her place of concealment until the breeze blew over, when she hoped she could steal away, un.o.bserved, to her room. If the watchman had not appeared upon the scene so opportunely, she would have made a break immediately after the crash; but, hearing his steps, she knew that her escape was cut off in that direction.
She could not even mingle with the other girls, when they began to gather in the halls to "help investigate," and so find protection in numbers; for she belonged in the other wing, and her presence in the west wing would at once warrant the worst possible construction being put upon her appearance there.
So she shrank closer into her corner and stood motionless, hoping no one would think of looking there.
Vain hope, however, for Miss Williams, having closely questioned various ones without gaining any satisfaction, walked straight to the closet and opened the door, when the light from her candle flared directly upon Jennie"s white, frightened face and shrinking figure.
"Ah! Miss Wild! so you are implicated in this disgraceful escapade!" the teacher sternly exclaimed, as she laid a forcible hand upon her arm and drew her from her hiding place. "What was your object and who were your accomplices? for, of course, you could not have carried it out alone," she concluded, sharply.
Miss Clark now joined them, while many of the students gathered around and regarded Jennie with blank and wondering faces.
"I---I don"t know-there wasn"t--er--anybody," stammered Jennie, too confused and overcome with fright to speak connectedly.
"Don"t tell me that! It is impossible that you could conceive such a plot and execute it without help, and I am going to sift it to the bottom," was Miss Williams" sharp retort; for she by no means relished being aroused at midnight by such a frightful bedlam, to find herself a prisoner in her room.
"Truly, Miss Williams, I wasn"t in it at all," Jennie affirmed, with more coherence, and lifting an appealing look to the incensed woman.
"Miss Wild, don"t add falsehood to your other offenses. What were you hiding here for, if you had nothing to do with it? But"-- suddenly cutting herself short--"I think we will defer further investigation until to-morrow. Go to your room at once, and remain there until I come to you in the morning. Young ladies, retire-- all of you--and those who, in any way, have partic.i.p.ated in this affair, prepare to make open confession, for I a.s.sure you it will not be dropped until you do."
She waved them imperatively away, and they immediately vanished with cheerful alacrity from her austere presence, while Jennie also sped away without one backward glance.
Miss Williams then turned to the watchman and observed more calmly:
"Mr. Johnson, it seems we were all more frightened than hurt. My first impression was that there had been a terrific explosion, and the sensation of being fastened in one"s room at such a time isn"t at all agreeable. I am glad you were at hand to help and rea.s.sure us."
"Ye were in rather a ticklish box, mum; fur, by the powers! "twur like a pan-dom-i-num let loose," replied the man, stooping to recover his lantern and to conceal a broad grin of appreciation, for it was well known he enjoyed a joke as well as anyone, even to the point of sometimes abetting the perpetrators. "But what"ll we do wid all the truck?" he added, glancing at the pile of tinware on the floor.