CHAPTER XX
THE WORST FRIGHT OF ALL
It was growing dusk--the sunset seemed in a great hurry to get away, andday time was evidently going to the same party. The Mantons failed toinduce Nora to accompany them on a "bug hunt," Jerry's term for Ted'smoth expedition. Vita too seemed in haste to get somewhere, andaltogether the evening was especially popular to make escapes in.
Nora was going over to camp, she announced, and would be there longbefore dark. The girls would come home with her, she had assured theprudent Ted.
So everything was settled and the Nest would be unoccupied, with Cap asguard, for that evening.
Not a smile broke the serious look on Nora's face. It was evident theprogram for the evening included something very important.
"Goodbye," called out Ted. "Be sure to go over to camp, right away, orthe dark will--catch you."
"Yes'm," echoed Jerry, "and Mr. Dark knows no distinctions at Wildwoods.He throws a big black blanket over the whole kaboodle."
Nora replied, but even the joke did not cheer her. A few minutes latershe stood at the foot of the attic stairs, drew a long breath; thendashed up.
Over to the chest that contained the costumes long ignored, sheliterally dashed, yanked up the lid and dragged out the Lord Fauntleroyoutfit.
She counted the pieces, waist, jacket, knickers, sash--where was thecap?
Nervously she fumbled over the tangle of garments, but did not find it.
"I had better dress first," she decided, "and come up again for the cap.I am--so--nervous----"
No need to make the confession, for even her hands, young and usuallysteady, actually dropped the velvet coat right on the dusty attic floor.
No time for looking in the mirror. The knickers were kept up with roundgarters now, a Scout acquisition, and the thin white blouse that wentunder the jacket, went under very quickly--fullness and strings jabbedin wherever space allowed.
In a remarkably short time she was inside the entire outfit. One glimpsein the glass assured her she was again garbed as the fickle prince. Thenfor the cap.
"I have time to run and get it," she assured herself. "Of course, I musthave that cap."
Back to the attic, now a shade darker, and then again into the mysteriesof the costume chest, she rummaged.
"Oh, dear," she sighed. "I'll be--here it is! Thank goodness!" She justjabbed it on her head. A sound startled her. She stood still, everysense alert.
"What was it?" she instinctively asked.
Again. It--was--a low--moan!
Pausing only long enough to make sure her nerves were not fooling her,Nora heard again, distinctly, a sound, a human or inhuman moan! Then sherushed down the stairs, kept on rushing until she reached the streetdoor, and realizing no person was upon the premises, ran down the road,straight for Chickadee Camp.
No thought of her appearance concerned her; she must get the girls tocome back and find out what was in the attic!
Only once she stopped, just to make sure the cap was not going to falloff her yellow head.
Voices and laughter came to meet her. That was Thistle and Wyn----
Gulping back a choking, nervous gasp, she rushed on. The next minute shedashed into Chickadee Camp and stood before an amazed group of Scouts.
"The prince!" went up a shout.
"My prince!" corrected Alma.
"Why, it's Nora----"
"Girls!" gasped the intruder. "Listen, please, I am no prince----"
"You are indeed. Just look at the dandy outfit. Alma, we most humblyapologize----"
"Wyn," shouted Thistle, "please listen! Can't you see there is somethingthe matter?"
"Oh, there is really, girls," panted Nora. "Come quick! There issomeone--dying in our--attic!"
"Dying?"
"I was up there--getting these things, and I--heard the awfulestmoans----"
"Maybe it was Cap," suggested Treble. Her eyes had not wandered from thesurprising spectacle.
"Oh, no, he was outside," said Nora, "and no one is home, not even Vita.Oh, please do come! I know someone is in agony," and her voice trailedoff into agony of her own.
"I'll lead," volunteered Thistle. "Come along, every one. Alma, you cantake care of your--prince," she could not resist injecting.
"Oh Alma," sighed Nora. "I was planning to come to explain to you----"
"You don't need to," and a most affectionate and all encompassing lookwent from Alma to Nora. "I know all--about it now, and you are myprince, just the same."
"Come along, you two lovers," ordered Thistle the leader. "You had a'crush' on Nora from the first, Alma. Now we all know why. Fall inthere, Betta. No need to wait for guns----"
"I am not going without some weapon of defense," declared Betta. "Noraknows her own attic, and she knows when someone is moaning. It may be alunatic. There is always an asylum in a pretty place like this."
"Oh, is there?" cried Nora. "I would be afraid to face a--lunatic inthat big, dark, attic----"
"I should think you would, lunatic or just plain, human being," agreedLaddie. "You look delectable enough for anyone to just eat you up----"
"Can't you girls realize this is an emergency, not a debate?" snappedThistle. "We don't suppose Nora is dying of fright just for fun. Betta,run over and tell Becky."
"Oh, don't let's have her along," interrupted Treble, bent on making themost of the adventure. "You know she would have to do something wewouldn't."
"Right," agreed Wyn. "Come along Scouts! 'Jeuty' calls us."
They had been "coming along" all the time. These expressions merely gavevent to pent up energy.
Nora, although thoroughly frightened, was thankful that the dark helpedhide her dismay. Alma had her arm, and Alma was thinking in terms of"prince," even the pretender was conscious of that.
The girls giggled and talked, as they always did, and as Betta took timeto remark, "they would be apt to do it at their own funerals." There wasno suppressing Wyn, and Treble fell but a peg below in volubility.
"Look out there!" called Thistle.
Everyone halted.
"What?" demanded Wyn.
"A puddle," replied the heartless leader. "And I'm responsible for theshine on your shoes, lunatic or no lunatic," she declared loudly.
"When my turn comes to lead for a week I'll have that wretched girl upevery day at dawn," threatened Betta. "She has the cruelest way ofraising one's hopes."
"Had you hopes for the lunatic in the mud puddle?" demanded Laddie.
"You had better get your sense valve working," suggested Doro. "We arealmost there."
"Right," added Treble. "I can see the gate light now."
"How ever will we go up there in the dark?" Nora asked Alma. "I will beafraid to go into the house."
"Don't you worry, dear," Alma was still under the influence. "We willall go in together, and Thistle isn't afraid of man or beast."
Arrived at the Nest Nora was confronted with a light at the back of thehouse.
"Someone home?" suggested Thistle.
"There shouldn't be," declared Nora. "Everyone is out for the evening."
"Where is Vita?" asked the same leader. They had stopped at the naturalhedge, and now stood under the picturesque, homemade arc light--Jerry'slantern with the red globe.
"Vita went out somewhere. She often does, and you see I was going overto camp, so there was, really, no one at home."
"Your dying princess has come down stairs to die," suggested theirrepressible Wyn.
"Princess?" scoffed Nora.
"Or was it merely a maid in waiting--excuse me, your _man_ in waiting."
"Wyn," shouted Laddie, "can't you see you are making yourself ridiculousat a time like this?"
She probably couldn't for she went off into a gale of laughter and hadto go behind a bush to enjoy it.
"There is someone in the kitchen," declared Treble. "Here she comes!"
She did; she came right out and greeted them.
It was Vita!