She took down the grater.
"On dis side it grates things small and on dis side big."
She hung it in its place again.
"It looks wicked to me," said Hortense. "I shouldn"t like to meet it wandering around the house at night."
"Laws, chile, how yo" talks," Aunt Esmerelda exclaimed startled. "Yo"
gives me de fidgets. Wheh yo" git ideas like dat?"
"Things look that way," said Hortense. "Some look friendly and some unfriendly. There"s the cat and the teakettle. They aren"t friendly.
They say all sorts of sly things. Sometime I"m going to hear what they are. The grater would run after you and sc.r.a.pe you on his sharp sides if he could."
Aunt Esmerelda shook her head uneasily. From time to time she stared at Hortense.
"Yo"s a curyus chile," she muttered. "I don" know what yo" ma means a-bringin" yo" up disaway, scaihin" po" ole Aunt Esmerelda. Lan"s sakes, if I ain"t done forgit de pertatahs! An" dey"s all in de stoh"room!"
"Where"s that?" Hortense asked much interested.
"In de bas.e.m.e.nt," said Aunt Esmerelda, "an" it"s powahful dark down deh."
"I"ll go with you," said Hortense eagerly. "I"d like to see it."
Aunt Esmerelda lighted a candle and, taking a large pan, opened the door leading to the bas.e.m.e.nt.
It was a large bas.e.m.e.nt, and the candle was not sufficient to light its more remote corners. They pa.s.sed a huge dark furnace with its arms stretching out on all sides like a spider"s legs. In front of it was a coal bin, large and black.
Aunt Esmerelda opened the door of the storeroom. Within were barrels and boxes, and hanging shelves laden with row upon row of preserves in jars and regiments of jelly gla.s.ses, each with its paper top and its white label.
Aunt Esmerelda filled her pan with potatoes from the barrel and led the way from the storeroom. Closing the door, she led the way back upstairs.
A sudden noise of something falling and of little scurrying feet led her to stop abruptly. Hortense drew close to her. Aunt Esmerelda was shaking, and by the light of the candle Hortense could see the whites of her eyes gleaming as she looked all about her.
They started again for the cellar stairs. When they had reached the furnace, a sudden gust of wind blew out the candle. In a far corner of the cellar something rattled.
Aunt Esmerelda started to run, and Hortense ran after her. A faint light from the kitchen shone on the head of the cellar stairs. Aunt Esmerelda hurried up the stairs, panting, with Hortense at her heels.
At the top Aunt Esmerelda slammed and bolted the door; then she sank into a chair and mopped her perspiring face.
"Do you think it was the "ha"nt"?" Hortense asked much excited.
"Don" speak to me "bout no ha"nt!" exclaimed Aunt Esmerelda angrily.
"Yo" sho" scaihs me. Run along and git ready fo" dinnah."
Though Hortense lingered, Aunt Esmerelda would not say another word, and finally Hortense went to change her dress.
CHAPTER III
"_They could hear the soft pat-pat of padded feet in the hall._"
Dinner was served in the large dining room. Friendly cl.u.s.ters of candles stood on the round mahogany table and made little pools of light on its bright surface. Mary waited on them.
"I wonder what"s the matter with Aunt Esmerelda to-night," said Grandpa after the soup. "These potatoes aren"t done, and the roast is burned."
"I think she was frightened at something in the cellar," said Hortense.
"What"s that?" Grandpa questioned, and Hortense told him of the noise and the candle going out.
"A rat probably," said Grandpa. "Weren"t you frightened?"
"A little," Hortense replied truthfully, "but I think it was because Aunt Esmerelda was so afraid."
Grandpa looked at her, smiling under his bushy eyebrows.
"Would you go down to the storeroom and get me an apple if I gave you something nice for your own?" he asked.
"Don"t, Keith," said Grandma sharply. "You"ll frighten the child."
"I don"t want her to be afraid in the dark," said Grandpa. "This is a big house and much of it is dark."
Hortense was silent, thinking.
"I"ll go," she said.
"Good," said Grandpa. "Bring me a plateful of northern spies."
Hortense arose from the table and walked to the door. As she went out, she heard Grandmother say, "You"ll frighten the child----" The rest she didn"t hear.
In the kitchen Hortense found Aunt Esmerelda seated in her chair, gazing gloomily at the kitchen range.
"May I have a candle, Aunt Esmerelda?" Hortense asked.
"What fo" yo" wants a candle?" Aunt Esmerelda demanded.
"I"m going to the storeroom to get Grandpa some apples," said Hortense.
Aunt Esmerelda stared at her without speaking for some moments.
"All by yo"se"f"?" she demanded at last.
"All by myself," said Hortense.
Aunt Esmerelda shook her head and muttered, but rising, found a candle and lighted it.
"Ef yo" say yo" prayahs, mebbe nothin"ll git yo"," she said ominously.