“My dear!” she reproved in a tone that told Minnie that she certainly was anything but dear just then. “How in the world did this happen? I had no idea that you were in this part of the world, or could possibly come at the present time. And of course it’s quite impossible for you to stay here now, we are full up to overflowing.”
“Oh, that’s quite all right, Aunt Jessica,” laughed Minnie brightly. “I don’t mind sleeping in the old nursery at all. And of course being a relative it’s quite the right thing to put me here. Though I would have enjoyed being over next to Sydney. In fact I did go over there and found that little stick of a college mate of Syd’s had preempted the best room, so I decided I’d better room with her. But when I had had my bath and came out into the room I found she had gone, and your officious maid ordered me back here, so I came. But it’s all right. I don’t mind in the least, Aunt Jessica.”
Minnie seldom called the Hollises aunt and cousin unless she had some axe to grind, but she was using the strained relationship for all it was worth now, and smiling blandly into the desperate eyes of the bride’s mother.
“Oh, but Minnie, you don’t understand!” she said. “We have had a difficult time getting everybody provided for, and we can’t even spare you this room. If you had only sent me word you were coming I would have arranged some place for you to stay till the wedding was over. And we’ll try to find a place now for you to go. You see there won’t even be room for you at the table. Every place is filled and it will make things very awkward indeed to have an extra one come in. it is quite impossible. Get on your hat and coat, my dear, and we’ll call up Mrs. Fremont. She has plenty of room and is always willing to help out. I’m sorry I can’t send you over in the car. It has gone to the station for the bridegroom but we’ll have a taxi here in a minute or two. Please get ready as soon as possible. I’ll send the maid to help you put your things back in your suitcase if you have unpacked, because we haven’t much time, you know, and ought to be sitting down to the table very soon.”
Minnie Lazarelle’s face suddenly took on a deeply injured expression, and then grew hard and determined.
“Well, that certainly is a strange way to look at it,” she said. “One would have supposed you would have sent me an invitation to my cousin’s wedding. As close as we have always been—”
“Why, Minnie, child, what can you possibly mean?” said Mrs. Hollis in astonishment. “You and Sydney have never been close. In fact you’ve scarcely seen one another through the years, except once or twice when you were passing through the city and wrote asking if you might stop here. Of course we are not really related at all, except by marriage—and courtesy. You are the stepdaughter of the woman whose first husband was a second cousin of my husband’s. Of course we always want to be kind and courteous to everyone, and are usually ready to put ourselves out when another person is in an emergency, but this is an occasion that involves previously invited guests, and it isn’t at all possible to have you here. We will see that you are well cared for however. Get your hat on quickly, please. I haven’t much time. I should be down in the reception room right now. Did you unpack yet?”
“No!” said Minnie with a toss of her arrogant head. “I hoped you’d give me a better room, and I didn’t want to hang up my dresses till I was sure where I was to be. I didn’t trust that impudent maid of yours, and I hoped you’d let me room with Sydney.”
“Oh, my no! That would be unthinkable! Sydney must have her room to herself the last night before her wedding!”
“Well, at least you might put me in the room next to Sydney’s”
“No!” said Mrs. Hollis firmly. “The rooms are all apportioned and the arrangement cannot be changed.”
“Well, why can’t I room with Rae Silverthorn? I certainly belong as much as she does. She doesn’t pretend to be a relative. I never saw what Syd saw in her anyway. She’s a little cheap skate, that’s what I call her!”
“Minnie! That will be all from you!” said Mrs. Hollis with a gleam of real battle in her eyes. “This is our house and we will run its affairs without your assistance. I have no more time to discuss the matter. Here comes Thelma. Thelma, will you call up the taxi office and ask them to come at once to the service entrance and pick up Miss Lazarelle. At once, Thelma! He’ll understand. He promised to have a taxi ready for instant service if I should need it. And then, Thelma, come right back here and help Miss Lazarelle to pick up all her things, and take her down to the side door, immediately! It’s important to get this matter attended to quietly before they all get here. Yes, Sydney, I’ll be down in just a moment.”
Mrs. Hollis turned back to the angry young woman who hadn’t made a move to get her hat on. Her eyes were flashing and her lips were contemptuous.
“I didn’t think you’d be actually rude to me,” she said in a tone of suppressed fury. “I thought you prided yourself on always being so genteel and courteous.”
“You don’t seem to realize that you have transgressed all rules of courtesy in coming here uninvited and unannounced,” said Mrs. Hollis. “Come! It is imperative that you go down at once, unless you want me to call my husband to deal with you.”
“Well, I don’t want to go to some old frump’s house. I wanted to come to this party and have a good time.” Minnie put on an aggrieved look and quivered her mocking little lips, but Mrs. Hollis, alive to new voices down in the front hall, turned away without answering, nearly distracted.
“Take her down to the taxi at once,” she said in a low tone to Thelma who had returned from the telephone and was gathering up the would-be guest’s brushes and lipstick and powder.
“I’d be willing to stay up in the attic while you eat your old dinner!” said Minnie with a sullen look. “Then Thelma could bring me up some scraps that were left over.”
“I am sorry, Minnie, that you are taking that attitude. I’ll try to find time to see you day after tomorrow if you decide to stay that long, but I really must go at once!”
“I think they’ve come,” motioned Thelma with a lift of her eyebrows and a movement of her lips, meaning the bridegroom and his party had arrived.
“I must go!” said the bride’s mother in great haste. “I’m leaving this with you to look after,” she murmured to the maid and departed swiftly, turning the key in the lock as she closed the door behind her, reassured as she dimly heard the sound of the taxi arriving at the side door.
Swiftly she sped down to greet her guests, some of whom had already entered the large living room, and were standing about in that awe that precedes weddings and funerals before the hostess arrives.
“Good evening, Steve, and Curlin! It’s so good to see you again. Reeves, it’s so nice you could come down. We were quite anxious when you said you might be detained till tomorrow. Oh, and here’s Luther! Link, did your sister come down with you? I haven’t seen her yet.”
“No, I think she came down on the train. I’ve been at the office all day, you know.”
“Why yes, of course. And— Where is Paul? Hasn’t he arrived yet?”
“Present!” said Paul appearing from the hall with a grin on his pleasant lips.
“Then you’re all here!” said Mrs. Hollis with relief, wondering if that was the taxi going down the drive or a car arriving with the bridegroom. “Ah! There come the girls!”
There was a soft rustling on the stairs.
Frances Ferrin was the first to enter, saucily with a quick look around.
“Why, they’re all here, Syd!” she said in a comical whisper. “Even Lute Waite has come! Who accomplished that?”
Luther Waite arose.
“I’ve reformed!” he announced gravely, and with one hand on his heart bowed gravely before her.
“Isn’t that grand!” said Fran laying her hand on his bowed head in the manner of one conferring an accolade.
Into the midst of the festivity the groom arrived, looking as handsome and happy as any bridegroom should look, and there were cheerful greetings of those he
already knew and introductions to those he had not met. In the meantime Mrs. Hollis with troubled glance consulted Thelma.
“Hasn’t Miss Silverthorn come yet? Are you sure she isn’t up in the guest room? Hadn’t you better run up and be sure, because it’s really time we sat down to dinner. Why did she go away?”
“Why, I don’t know, Mrs. Hollis,” said Thelma with a troubled look. “She said she had forgotten to give her mother something, but I couldn’t help thinking Miss Lazarelle had something to do with it. She had her suitcase in her hand and as she went out the door she called me and told me that Miss Lazarelle was up in her bathroom taking a bath. And when I got time to run up I found she was there dressing and she asked me what had become of Miss Silverthorn. I told her that she must come out of that room right away. That you had given me directions about it, and she was to go in the nursery till you came—”
“Oh! That girl! I wonder what started her to coming. What time did she arrive? Before Miss Silverthorn?”
“Yes, about half an hour, and I thought she was taking a nap or something. I wondered if you knew she was coming.”
“No, Thelma. What did she say when she arrived? Who did she ask for?”
“She asked for Miss Sydney, and when she found she wasn’t here she said, ‘Well, I’ll just go up to a guest room and get a bath and take a rest,’ and she was quite nasty about going to the nursery.”
“Well, I’m thankful she’s out of the way for the evening. But keep a sharp lookout for her. I don’t trust her. She’s liable to turn up again in the morning. There! Isn’t that the doorbell? Perhaps Rae has arrived. We mustn’t keep the dinner waiting, because we have to be early at the church. If it’s Miss Rae tell her to hurry. Help her if she needs help. It never takes her long to dress, however.”
Chapter 3
But Rae Silverthorn did not need the assistance of a maid to help her dress for she was already attired.
Thelma met her at the door, and she handed her her suitcase and the hat and wrap she had been wearing.
“Please take them up to my room, will you, Thelma? I can go right in. I’m all ready. Does my hair look all right?”
“Just lovely, Miss Rae,” said Thelma happily. “And you needn’t to worry about that Minnie girl. She’s gone!”
“Gone?” said Rae with startled eyes.
“They sent her away to some friend’s house. And Mrs. Hollis says ye’re to keep the room you had. My, but you look nice, Miss Rae! That’s a pretty dress! Now you can go in and dinner will be announced at once.”
They greeted her with joy as she entered the room where they were all laughing and talking. There was great relief on the faces of the hostess and the bride. Then almost at once they went in to the table.
Lincoln Silverthorn watched his pretty sister with satisfaction in his eyes. He knew he had been extravagant with regard to that dress, but he was glad he had done it. Of course it had set him back a little in his intentions about that new car which he had all but persuaded himself he was going to buy, but it was worth it. Rae was young and needed pretty things. Of course she wasn’t a girl who spent her time running around to parties, but on the few occasions when she did go it was right that she should look her best. It was due their family that she should, and he was proud that he had been able to provide this successful dress for her tonight. He watched her with contented eyes. He was pleased to see that the fellows were all admiring her. They should. She was the grandest kind of a girl. He was her brother and he knew. He didn’t know any girl who was at all her equal, unless perhaps it was Carey Carewe, and he wasn’t sure about her.
As they arranged themselves about the table looking for their place cards he saw that Carey was almost beside Rae. She seemed to admire Rae, and Rae had said she liked Carey. That was another point in Carey’s favor.
Carey had red-gold hair and a dress like the green in a sea wave. Her eyes too were sea green. Then he looked back to his sister. Would her dress have been better some other color? No, for that dark blue brought out the pink tints in Rae’s cheeks. Her face stood out in the dark setting like a lovely flower, and she was tall and slender like a willow wand, graceful as a feather in the long slim skirt! Then he snapped his mind back to the practical. Such thoughts as these were sentimental froth. But it was his first venture into the world of fashion, so perhaps he could be pardoned for being pleased that it had been successful.
The table was as lovely as a table Mrs. Hollis had planned was expected to be, and the little gasp of appreciation that went round the room fully repaid her for all her care and thought. A sudden memory of the way she had just expelled that impudent girl so summarily from the house filled her with satisfaction, touched just the least bit with compunction that any girl had to be shut out from this happy time, when she wanted so much to be a part of it. But it was her own fault of course. If she hadn’t been so selfish and disagreeable, and almost uncannily cunning in inventing effective ways to make other people uncomfortable, she might have been welcomed wherever she went. But the fact remained that she was most unpopular, a perfect killjoy wherever she chanced to be, and it was therefore a great relief to be rid of this unexpected trouble so easily
Then she turned her attention to the lovely table, and the bright faces around it. Her own dear girl, Sydney, with her handsome bridegroom seated in the center facing her. She smiled a loving look toward her, resolutely putting away the thought of how soon she was to be separated from them.
The merry company had finished the fruit course and progressed to the delicious soup, when suddenly the doorbell bimmed out in a series of successive and frantic rings, as if the bell had gone mad and couldn’t stop.
The guests were laughing and talking and at first didn’t notice it, but Mrs. Hollis looked with a startled glance out into the hall. Thelma, who knew the butler was busy serving, hurried from the back hall toward the front door. But the bell went right on insistently ringing with all its might. Suddenly the guests became aware of it and ceased their chatter and laughter, looking up wonderingly, pausing with spoons halfway to their lips. And the bell went right on ringing.
Then the front door opened rather frantically and the bell stopped ringing, though its echoes still lingered hovering in the air, as if the sound had gathered such momentum that it could not quickly be suppressed.
Heavy young footsteps came swiftly toward the dining room in spite of Thelma’s attempted interference, and a wild young voice burst in upon the bright scene.
It was Minnie! Her hat awry, her coat wide open and half trailing behind her, real tears making little rivulets down the powder on her cheeks, lipstick all over her delicate handkerchief, her smeary lips quivering wide like a frightened child’s.
She stayed not on the order of her going. She came straight to the dining room table and stood there looking at Mrs. Hollis wildly, and as Luther Waite expressed it afterwards, she “turned on the works and began to bawl right off the bat!”
“Oh, Aunt Jessica!” she gasped. “I’ve had such a frightful experience! I thought I should die before I ever got back here!”
She punctuated her sentences by ducking her face into her handkerchief to dash away the tears.
“There was nobody home! Can you imagine it? The house was absolutely dark! Not even a light in the hall as people usually arrange it. And there was somebody evidently breaking into the house. Someone with a flashlight going around inside, a little dot of light appearing, wavering across an inner wall, and then appearing somewhere else. It was weird! I couldn’t understand it, and I was scared to death but I didn’t know what to do. The taxi man said he couldn’t wait. He had to get back for another call. So I got out and went up the steps. But just as I was reaching out to push the bell, a hand came out of the darkness and gripped me by the wrist, and tried to draw me into the dark vestibule. The man had a mask over the lower part of his face, and a gun in his hand! I began to scream with all my might, and jerk away from him, and I guess I frightened him, for his hold r
elaxed a little and I jerked my hand away so hard I fell backwards down the four steps to the sidewalk and rolled over into the shadow, and the man backed into the vestibule and I heard the door slam. By that time the taxi was goon and as soon as I could I got up and began to run. I ran as hard as I could, and I thought I never would get here. I’m so frightened I don’t know what to do. Oh, Aunt Jessica, please, please don’t send me away again! I’ll stay anywhere. I can sit right down here at the corner of the table. I won’t take up much room! You’ll let me bring up a chair here beside you, won’t you?” and she lifted a tearful appealing face toward Lincoln Silverthorn who was sitting at one corner of the table.
Link with a sternly severe face was on his feet at once, drawing out his chair for her.
“Just take my place,” he said courteously, stepping back to the edge of the doorway into the wide hall.
“Oh! Thanks awfully!” said Minnie with a quick shift to a giggle. “I was sure there would be one gentleman among you!”
“Oh, really, Minnie!” said Mrs. Hollis in what was mean to be a low annoyed tone of reprimand, though it didn’t register with Minnie. Her tears were forgotten, and she was seraphically happy now, sitting down serenely in Link’s chair and gazing up at him like a queen thanking a lowly subject.
Mrs. Hollis with darkened countenance half rose from her seat, hesitantly, not knowing just what to do with this unparalleled situation. Bur Mr. Hollis looked at his aspiring relative with disgust.
“Nonsense, Minnie!” he exclaimed as he rose precipitately from his seat, laying a detaining hand on his wife’s arm.
“Sit down, Jessica, I’ll handle this!” he said in a low tone, and Mrs. Hollis relaxed into her chair again. Mr. Hollis was a man of quick action and she had utmost faith in his judgment.
He took a couple of quick steps across to where Link stood by the door and spoke to him in a low tone: “Link, could I ask a favor of you? Will you take this young woman over to Mrs. Fremont’s and see that she stays there? You can see I can’t be spared here and no servant could manage her. That story about the house being dark is all nonsense. We telephoned Mrs. Fremont before we sent her, and they are expecting her over there. You are the only one of the crowd I know well enough to trust with this. It ought not to take you long, perhaps five minutes. Do you mind?”