However, it seemed the best plan, and after lighting the end of the twisted string, the girls ran into the house and shut the door.
Such a racket as followed! The crackers went off all at once. The box flew off, and the tin pan tumbled down, and the little veranda was a sight to behold!
It sounded like Fourth of July, but to the two girls, watching from the window, there was no effect of celebration.
But their desperate plan succeeded. Carter heard the racket, and did not mistake it for thunder; but, strangely enough, realized at once what it was.
"It"s them crazy children in their tree-house," he exclaimed; "but what the mischief do they be settin" off firecrackers for, in the pouring rain? Howsomever I"ll just go and see what"s up, for like as not they"ve burned their fingers, if so be that they haven"t put their eyes out."
As Carter started from the greenhouse, where he had been working, the torrents of rain that beat in his face almost made him change his mind, but he felt a sense of uneasiness about Marjorie, and something prompted him to go on. In a stout raincoat, and under a big umbrella, he made his way across the field through the storm toward "Breezy Inn."
"My land!" he exclaimed, "if that ladder ain"t disappeared. What will them youngsters be up to next?"
But even as he noticed the broken ladder, the door flew open, and Marjorie and Molly popped their heads out.
"Oh, Carter!" Marjorie screamed; "do get a ladder, and hurry up! Ours is broken down, and Stella is struck by lightning, and, oh, Carter, do help us!"
Carter took in the situation at a glance. He said nothing, for it was no time for words. He saw the broken ladder could not be repaired in a minute; and, turning, he ran swiftly back to the barn for another ladder. A long one was necessary, and with Moses to help him they hurried the ladder across the field and raised it.
Another fortunate effect of the firecracker explosion had been to rouse Stella. Partly owing to the noise of the explosion, and partly because the effect of the shock was wearing away, Stella had opened her eyes and, realizing what had happened, promptly made up for lost time by beginning to cry violently. Also, the reaction at finding Stella herself again, and the relief caused by the appearance of Carter, made Molly and Marjorie also break down, and when Carter came bounding up the ladder he found three girls, soaking wet as to raiment, and diligently adding to the general dampness by fast-flowing tears.
"What is it, now?" he inquired, and if his tone sounded impatient, it was scarcely to be wondered at. For the battle-scarred veranda and the drenched condition of the room, together with a broken ladder, surely betokened mischief of some sort.
"Oh, Carter," cried Marjorie, "never mind us, but can"t you take Stella to the house somehow? She was struck by lightning, and she"s been dead for hours! She only just waked up when she heard the firecrackers! Did you hear them, Carter?"
"Did I hear them! I did that--not being deef. Faith, I thought it was the last trump! You"re a caution, Miss Midget!" But even as Carter spoke he began to realize that the situation was more serious than a mere childish sc.r.a.pe. He had picked up little Stella, who was very limp and white, and who was still sobbing hysterically.
"Struck by lightning, is it? There, there, little girl, never mind now, I"ll take care of ye."
Holding Stella gently in his arms, Carter looked out of the window and considered.
"I could take her down the ladder, Miss Midget, but it"s raining so hard she"d be drenched before we could reach the house. Not that she could be much wetter than she is. Was she out in the rain?"
"No, that"s where we threw water on her to make her unfaint herself.
Can"t we all go home, Carter? Truly we can"t get any wetter, and we"ll all catch cold if we don"t."
"That"s true," agreed Carter, as he deliberated what was best to do.
Though not a large man, Carter seemed to fill the little room with his grown-up presence, and the children were glad to shift their responsibility on to him.
"The thunder is melting away," he said at last, "and the lightning is nothin" to speak of; and a drop more of wet won"t hurt you, so I think I"d better take ye all to your grandma"s as soon as possible. I"ll carry little Miss Stella, and do ye other two climb down the ladder mighty careful and don"t add no broken necks to your distresses."
So down the ladder, which Moses on the ground was holding firmly, Carter carried Stella, who, though fully conscious, was nervous and shaken, and clung tightly around Carter"s neck.
Midge and Molly followed, and then the procession struck out across the field for home.
"I s"pose," whispered Midget to Molly, "it"s perfectly awful; but now that Stella"s all right, I can"t help thinking this is sort of fun, to be walking out in the storm, without any umbrella, and soaking wet from head to foot!"
Molly squeezed her friend"s hand. "I think so, too," she whispered.
"The thunder and lightning were terrible, and I was almost scared to death; but now that everything"s all right, I can"t help feeling gay and glad!"
And so these two reprehensible young madcaps smiled at each other, and trudged merrily along across soaking fields, in a drenching rain, and rescued from what had been a very real danger indeed.
During all this, Grandma Sherwood had been sitting placidly in her room, a.s.suming that Marjorie was safely under shelter next door.
Molly"s mother had, of course, thought the same, and Stella"s mother, finding the girls nowhere about, had concluded they were either at Molly"s or Marjorie"s.
Owing to the condition of the party he was bringing, Carter deemed it best to make an entrance by the kitchen door.
"There!" he said, as he landed the dripping Stella on a wooden chair, "for mercy"s sake, Eliza, get the little lady into dry clothes as quick as you can!"
"The saints presarve us!" exclaimed Eliza, for before she had time to realize Stella"s presence, Midge and Molly bounded in, scattering spray all over the kitchen and dripping little pools of water from their wet dresses.
Stella had ceased crying, but looked weak and ill. The other two, on the contrary, were capering about, unable to repress their enjoyment of this novel game.
Hearing the commotion, Grandma Sherwood came to the kitchen, and not unnaturally supposed it all the result of some new prank.
"What HAVE you been doing?" she exclaimed. "Why didn"t you stay at Stella"s and not try to come home through this rain?"
Marjorie, drenched as she was, threw herself into her grandmother"s arms.
"Oh, if you only knew!" she cried; "you came near not having your bad little Mopsy any more! And Stella"s mother came nearer yet! Why, Grandma, we were in the tree-house, and it was struck by lightning, and Stella was killed, at least for a little while, and the ladder broke down, and we couldn"t get down ourselves, and so we sent off rockets of distress, I mean firecrackers, and then Carter came and rescued us all!"
As Marjorie went on with her narrative, Grandma Sherwood began to understand that the children had been in real danger, and she clasped her little grandchild closer until her own dress was nearly as wet as the rest of them.
"And so you see, Grandma," she proceeded, somewhat triumphantly, "it wasn"t mischief a bit! It was a--an accident that might have happened to anybody; and, oh, Grandma dear, wasn"t it a narrow squeak for Stella!"
"Howly saints!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Eliza; "to think of them dear childer bein"
shtruck be thunder, an" mighty near killed! Och, but ye"re the chrazy wans! Whyever did ye go to yer tree-top shanty in such a shtorm? Bad luck to the botherin" little house!"
"Of course it didn"t rain when we went there," said Marjorie, who was now dancing around Eliza, and flirting her wet ruffles at her, in an endeavor to tease the good-natured cook.
But even as they talked, Mrs. Sherwood and Eliza were taking precautions against ill effects of the storm.
Mrs. Sherwood devoted her attention to Stella, as the one needing it most, while Eliza looked after the other two.
The three children were treated to a hot bath and vigorous rubbings, and dry clothes, and in a short time, attired in various kimonos and dressing-gowns from Marjorie"s wardrobe, the three victims sat in front of the kitchen range, drinking hot lemonade and eating ginger cookies.
As Marjorie had said, there had been no wrongdoing; not even a mischievous prank, except, perhaps, the breaking down of the ladder, and yet it seemed a pity that Stella should have suffered the most, when she never would have dreamed of staying at the tree-house after it began to look like rain, had it not been for the others.
However, there was certainly no scolding or punishment merited by any one; and Grandma Sherwood was truly thankful that the three were safe under her roof.
After the storm had entirely cleared away, Carter carried Stella home, and Mrs. Sherwood went with them to explain matters. Molly went skipping home, rather pleased than otherwise, to have such an exciting adventure to relate to her mother.
When Uncle Steve came home he was greatly interested in Midget"s tale of the tragedy, and greatly pleased that small heroine of the occasion by complimenting her on her ingenuity in using the firecrackers. The breaking of the ladder, he declared, was an accident, and said a new and stronger one should be put up. Furthermore, he decreed that a telephone connection should be established between "Breezy Inn" and Grandma"s house, so that victims of any disaster could more easily summon aid.
"That will be lovely," said Marjorie, "but they say telephones are dangerous in thunderstorms; so, perhaps, it"s just as well that we didn"t have one there to-day."