CHAPTER X
Claire and Rosanna lingered after the meeting, talking with the Captainand Mrs. Horton, but presently Colonel Maslin came for them, and theysaid good-night and went away, Rosanna feeling as though she was doingsomething quite out of the way and rather dreadful in going off withanother girl at that time of night. It must have been at least nine!
The two girls sat with the Colonel while he ate the lunch set before himby the Chinaman--a cracker and a glass of buttermilk it was--and thenthey said good-night and went laughing upstairs to Claire'ssitting-room. In the pretty bed-room Rosanna found her clothes laid outneatly and the two took off their trim Scout uniforms and slipped intocomfy kimonos.
Rosanna found that when Claire was not brooding, she was as gay andbright as any girl, and happiness transformed her face into a beautiful,glowing countenance that made Rosanna happy just to look at it.
"I wish you always felt like this," she said after a funny story ofClaire's had sent her into gales of laughter.
"Like what?" demanded Claire quickly.
Rosanna was sorry that she had spoken. "Why, so jolly and merry," shesaid.
The cloud settled over Claire's face again.
"Perhaps I should not have said that, dear Claire," continued Rosannagently, "but you don't know just how you _do_ look a good deal of thetime."
Claire shot a quick glance at her, and then looked away. "How do Ilook?" she asked abruptly. "I thought I looked like most every girl."
"Well, you don't," said Rosanna. She studied the beautiful, unhappy faceof her friend, finding trouble in choosing her words. "It is hard for meto tell you just how you look, only it hurts me when I see it."
"Try to tell me," urged Claire as though the subject interested herdeeply.
Rosanna floundered on.
"I don't know just how to explain to you, but you seem to be listeningto something that I cannot hear, and way down deep in the bottom of youreyes there is a horror."
As Rosanna spoke, looking full at Claire, she trembled to see the horrorleap from the depths of those jade green eyes and blaze out.
"Why, what is it? What can it be?" she stammered, clasping Claire in herwarm arms. "Oh, dear Claire, there _is_ something that frightens you!Tell me what it is. Does your father know? Oh, Claire, we are bothScouts; let me help you!"
For a long moment Claire seemed not to breathe. She did not move. Thenwith a gasping sigh, she gently unclasped Rosanna's arms and stood up.She commenced slowly to unbraid her red hair. She did not speak, and insilence Rosanna watched the gleaming, shining masses, released fromtheir prim daytime fashion, fall like a royal garment around Claire'sshoulders. Far below her waist hung the rippling locks. Claire inclinedher head as though she wished to hide herself and her troubles beneaththat veil. Then suddenly, proudly she flung up her head and lookedstraight at Rosanna with cold, level eyes.
"No one can help me," she said quietly. "I will not deny that there _is_something that troubles me, but that is all that I can tell you. I amsorry I have let you see this much. I could tell you if I were any othergirl, but I cannot."
"I only want to help you, dear Claire," said Rosanna. "I hope that youfeel as though you can trust me."
"Indeed I do," protested Claire, her eyes filling with tears. "I neverhave trusted _any_ girl so much."
"Then that is all right," said Rosanna, with her sweet smile. "I justwant you to promise me one thing and that is that if ever you feel asthough you wanted to tell anyone, or if you feel as though anyone couldhelp you, I want you to come to me."
"I will indeed promise that," said Claire, "but I do not think that thattime will ever come. I _want_ to tell you, but I cannot. And no one onearth can help me."
"I don't believe I would say that, Claire," said Rosanna musingly. "Younever _can_ tell just who can help you until the time comes when youneed help, and then there it is, just as though you had called for it."
"I shall not call," smiled Claire stubbornly. "And please, Rosanna, letus talk of other things."
Rosanna brightly changed the conversation.
"What I am crazy to talk about is, whatever is it you are putting on?"
"This?" asked Claire, holding out a fold of the gorgeous embroideredgarment she had slipped on. "It is a Mandarin coat; a real one. A realMandarin gave it to me. I was quite a little girl. It was while daddywas stationed in China, and he and mother had a great many friends amongthe really high-class Chinese.
"When we came away, the Mandarin sent a box by a half-dozen bearers. Itwas a sort of chest with trays. There was a wonderful robe for mothermade of silk as shimmery and delicate as a cobweb. It is crusted withgold embroidery and there are tiny shoes to match. Then there was a setof real jade--hair ornaments, a necklace, pins, and this ring."
"I have noticed it," said Rosanna. "It is too lovely! And it is lovelyof your mother to let you wear it until she gets well."
Claire was silent for a moment, then went on: "In a lower tray there wasthis robe for me, and dozens of the most wonderful toys and playthingssuch as the royal children in China have, and which we over here neversee. Everything but this coat is packed away. Dad says the toys are mostof them really museum pieces, they are so beautiful and so rare."
"You ought to save them for your children," said Rosanna.
"When I grow up I shall give them to the Institute in Washington,"Claire said with a frown. "That is the place for them."
Rosanna shook her head. "You are more generous than I could be," shelaughed. "What else was there in the chest?"
"Something queer; as queer as China itself," said Claire. "All wrappedup in my Mandarin coat was a package with my name written on it. Weopened the wrapper and found a little case or casket sealed up tightwith wax and bearing the impression of the Mandarin's signet ring. Thereis an inscription on the box. Chinese, of course, but daddy could readit. It said, 'Some far day, one will give you a gift beyond all price.Give them, in return, this casket as a token of your gratitude andmine.'"
"What was in it?" asked Rosanna breathlessly.
"Why, we don't know," said Claire. "It was sealed, as I said, and I mustnot break it, of course. I suppose the curious thing will go to themuseum, too, because no one will give me a gift 'beyond price.'"
"Oh, Claire, _don't_ be so unbelieving! You don't know what mighthappen," cried Rosanna. "I never heard anything so exciting and somysterious! What do you suppose is in the box?"
"I can't guess," said Claire. "I shook it, but nothing rattled. It is ina safe deposit vault. Perhaps it is just the box, because that is goldand perfectly beautiful."
"How large is it?" asked Rosanna.
"About like that," said Claire, measuring off a space the size of acommercial envelope.
"Well, I think I never heard anything so mysterious and exciting. Ishould think you would just go around waiting to have someone give yousome wonderful present just so you could have the fun of giving them thebox so you could see what is inside."
"Dad says there is a catch about it somewhere, that people likeourselves do not go around giving presents beyond price and that it isexactly like a Chinaman to do something like that. The box, I mean. Allsorts of queer things happen in China."
"Tell me some more about what you did over there," begged Rosanna. "Isuppose we ought to go to bed, but I am so excited that I don't feel asthough I could ever sleep again."
So, curling up in a big chair, Claire told Rosanna stories of thestrange, mysterious East. Rosanna, thinking how very, very soon she toowould see that strange side of the world, sat shivering with delight.Claire talked on and on. She was a good story-teller and everything wasas clear and real as though they were wandering hand and hand down thosestrange and ancient ways.
Then Claire skipped lightly out of China into Honolulu, and thrilledRosanna with pictures of that fairy island of Hawaii. Rosanna forgotChina, forgot the mysterious box as though they had been wiped quiteneatly out of her mind.
"Oh, I'm CRAZY to go there!" she cried finally. "I
t must be _too_lovely!"
"It is," declared Claire, and started off on a description of thewonderful bathing at Wakiki, when:
"Well, well, what's this?" rumbled in the door.
Both girls shrieked and jumped and stared wildly at Colonel Maslin,standing in the doorway.
"And I told the little Captain that I would take good care of her girlif she could come over here to visit Claire," he said, shaking his head."I don't see how I am going to explain this. Of course, I will have to'fess up and what she won't do to me--"
"She won't mind for once," said Rosanna. "It will be grandmother whowill mind. She always minds dreadfully when I stay up late."
"And I am awfully afraid of your grandmother," declared Colonel Maslin.
"I will protect you," Rosanna promised, laughing.
"You will both protect me by hopping into bed this minute," said theColonel. "In exactly two minutes I will return and put out the light,and I want to see both girls with their eyes tight shut and fastasleep." He turned and left the room and when he entered again the redhead and the black were snuggled down, each in her soft pillow, and twopairs of eyes were tight shut, nor did they open when he dropped a lightkiss on each round cheek and tiptoed out.
Rosanna fell into a restless sleep, filled with fantastic visions andpresently she awoke. For a little she could not place herself. Thefeeling of a strange bed confused her. Then she heard a queer muffledsound, and sat up quietly. It did not come from the twin bed beside herown. She reached cautiously over and touched the spread. Claire was notlying there. The muffled sobs were farther away. Rosanna's eyes grewaccustomed to the darkness and she could make out a blur of white lyingnear the window on the dark rug. Claire was lying there on the rug, andClaire was crying; crying as though her heart was broken. Rosanna'sfirm little jaw set itself still more firmly. She slid from her bed andran across the room. As she approached the sorrowing girl she breathedsoftly:
"Claire, dear, dear Claire, I cannot stand it! You need not tell me whyyou are so sad if you do not want to, but you must, _must_ let me loveyou and comfort you."
The touch of Rosanna's tender arms, the loving kiss, and her heartfeltwords seemed to break down Claire's icy reserve. To Rosanna's surpriseand relief, she turned, wound her arms around Rosanna's neck, andwhispered brokenly:
"Oh, Rosanna, I _will_ tell you! I _must_ tell someone or I will die!"
"Of course, you must tell me," soothed Rosanna. "Come away from thiscold place first."
"No, no! I want to lie right here!" cried Claire.
"Why, of course you don't, dear," said Rosanna. "Please! Make believe Iam your really truly sister tonight, as well as your Scout sister, andlet's get into my bed and you can cuddle close and tell me all aboutit."
Claire commenced to sob again, but Rosanna tenderly coaxed her into bedand clasped her tight.
Claire did not speak; she lay in Rosanna's arms sobbing as though herheart were broken.
Rosanna did not speak, and at last Claire controlled herself.
"I was sure you were sound asleep," she said, "or I would have gone downinto the study, but I hate to go around the house in the night. Itfrightens me."
"I should think it would," said Rosanna, staring into the dark andhugging Claire closer.
"But I get to thinking and I can't sleep. I suppose that is why I am somuch paler than most of the girls. I am awake so much, because I am toounhappy to sleep."
"But that is all wrong," said Rosanna. "Why are you so unhappy, Claire?"
"Can't you guess, Rosanna?"
"Is it your mother?" asked Rosanna.
Claire shivered violently. "Yes," she breathed.
"Oh, Claire!" said Rosanna, her own tears wetting Claire's forehead."Oh, Claire, is it as bad as that? Is your mother so _dreadfully_ ill? Ithought she just had nervous prostration or something like that. That iswhat most people have, isn't it? I am so sorry! So dreadfully sorry!Perhaps there is a mistake. Sometimes doctors think people are awfullysick and going to--going to die, and then they get well as ever."
Claire laughed a sudden, jangling, harsh laugh that frightened Rosannamore than her sobs. She turned her lips close to Rosanna's ear, asthough she hated to breathe aloud the words she struggled to utter.
"Mother is not going to die," she said finally. "She is insane!"