CHAPTER VI
A PRINCE IN HIDING
When Nora wrote to Barbara she drew word pictures of the beauties atWoodland Wilds. She shed a tear of real joy when writing about CousinJerry and Captain, and when she fondly recited the virtues of Cousin Tedshe felt she put more in that one word "Motherly" than could otherwisehave been conveyed.
It was in the writing of that letter that she took account of her actualself, for in wording it she had naturally summed up.
"I am not just sure whether I entirely suit or not," she told Barbara."Sometimes I feel so different. Of course they all love me, even Vitathe cook, and I love them fondly, but don't you know, Babs, you alwaystold me I saw 'foohey' and you would not explain what it was to be thatway? But I guess I am, whatever it is, for a lot of alterations havealready been ordered," she wrote.
"My new outdoor clothes have arrived," the letter ran, "they are ofbrown cloth" (she avoided the use of the word khaki) "and they willstand a lot of hard wear. Cousin Jerry says we get them that color andso we won't scare the birds and other woodland creatures. They aresupposed to think we are part of the landscape."
Nora then told of the attic, and its chest of treasures, and added sheexpected to try on a couple of outfits the very first day she was freefrom accompanying the surveying party.
All of which showed the visitor was "taking root," as Jerry would havesaid.
A long tramp out in a marshy territory was to be undertaken by the twoveterans, Ted and Jerry, but because of the bad footing Nora was notasked to go along. This provided the very opportunity Nora had beenwaiting for, and hardly had the reliable old flivver "fluvved" away,then she hurried up to the attic in search of a costume.
"Come on, Cap," she whispered, eluding Vita, but unwilling to go up inthe attic alone. She had not forgotten the suspicions of her firstnight.
Too glad to obey, Cap led the way, and presently Nora forgot even the"spook cabinet" in her interest over the open costume chest.
Things were mussed and musty, rumpled and wrinkled and crinkled; butwhat colors and what a lot of bright tinsel!
"Oh joy," she exclaimed, dragging from the tangles a real Fauntleroycostume. "I have always wanted to see how I would look dressed in thissort of outfit," she thought, for the black velvet "knickers," thelittle velvet jacket, and the lace blouse were all there, and yes, therewas a wonderful, bright silk scarf to go around the waist.
The cap was prettiest of all, and it was resting on Nora's yellow curlsbefore Cap could possibly make out what the whole proceedings meant. Hestood over in his corner and blinked, but Nora insisted on having hisopinion.
"Isn't it wonderful, Cap? And don't you like Nora in it?" she demanded.He gave one of his peculiar exclamations rather louder than she hadexpected, and to prevent the sounds from reaching Vita's ears, Nora putboth arms around Cap's neck and hugged him into silence.
She was very much excited. Ever since her arrival at the Nest she hadbeen planning a private masquerade, and now the time had come for her toindulge in it.
Fanciful dream child that she was, the character of little LordFauntleroy had always strongly appealed to her, and as for most girlsthe boy's costume had a peculiar charm for her heroic ventures into theworld of make-believe.
"We'll take them down stairs," she told Cap. "We can dress much morecomfortably in my room."
Poking her head out to make sure Vita was not around, she tucked thevelvets and laces into her arms and hurried to the next floor. Seldomhad she locked the hall door, but she did so now, dismissing Capperemptorily, for there was no need of his protection on the secondfloor.
"I suppose it's too big," she reasoned, when the little knickers werepulled up as high as the button and button hole line. Yes, it was big,this costume had been worn by a gay lady at a big country club dance,and little Nora was scarcely a sample of the personality for which thejaunty outfit had been created.
But mere size did not worry her. It was effect that she craved. The lacyblouse fell into place quite naturally, and it did look boyish, whilethe overblouse of black velvet completed the Fauntleroy picture.
"If the buckles would only stay buckled," she sighed, trying for thethird time to fasten the knee straps and keep them that way. It was notpretty at all to have them slink down below her knees, like an untidyschoolboy; and a pin had no possible effect on the heavy, velvetyfinish.
"I know," breathed Nora, "I'll roll them." And she did that skillfully;for in the season just past many and many a sock had she rolled and theyhad stayed, although Barbara never could acquire the same knack.
It was all finally finished, and she inspected herself in the mirror,slanted to the very last angle to show the full length. A pat of thecap, a brash of the tie and a swish of the flying scarf gave thefinishing touches.
Really Nora made "a perfectly stunning" little Lord Fauntleroy. Had shebeen more accustomed to the sayings of the day she might well haveexclaimed, "All dressed up and no place to go," but her culture admittedof no such expressive parlance. Instead, she asked herself in thelooking glass: "Wonder if I dare go outside? It is so comfortable towear this style"; and she skipped around as every other girl on earthhas ever done the very moment she felt relieved of the trammel ofskirts.
The morning was unusually quiet. Vita must be away picking greens, thesurveyors were miles out, and there was no one but Cap to criticise. Whyshouldn't she stroll out grandly in her princely costume?
She did. The birds twittered and the rabbits scurried and the petsquirrel stood up and begged. But Nora was not feeding the animals thismorning, instead, she flounced her lace sleeve in a most courtly gestureand passed on to the cedar tree grove. Cedars seemed more appropriatefor velvets than did the other wild trees; besides, no underbrush grewin the cedar grove, and it was much safer for costly finery.
On the rustic seat Nora felt exactly as she had felt the day Miss Bailytook her to sit for her picture, except that she crossed her legscomfortably now, whereas, then, she was not even allowed to cross herhands.
Presently the actress removed her (his) cap and poised it on the arm ofthe chair. Did Lord Fauntleroy go out in his grounds alone? Perhaps sheshould have called Cap to go along.
Then came thoughts of Nannie. Why must she, little Nora, always be sofar away from that pretty mother? And why did the picture life--themake-believe--charm her like some secret failing? Did other girls reallylike the horrid brown uniforms never pictured in books, that is, never,until very lately? So raced her unruly thoughts.
Everything was so still, but Nora was not lonely--her own reflectionskept her such noisy company that isolation had no terror for her. Justoutside the cedar grove a strip of road waited for traffic. Few personspassed, but even woodlands must have roads, just as skies must haveclouds.
Feeling more at home in her costume every moment, Nora stepped proudlyoutside the grove into the clearance. A fat little hoptoad crossed thepath, but otherwise the prince was lord of all he surveyed. The wholeworld was busy, evidently, and even a visiting prince attracted noattention in the wild woodlands.
Nora wanted to whistle. She felt a prince, with hands in pocketsinspecting his domain, would surely whistle, but she had never made muchof a success at the wind song--it was Barbara who did all the whistlingfor both. Still, she tried now, and the sound wasn't any worse than thecracked call of the blue-jay, except that it did not carry so far.
What would Barbara say to this game of characters? A companion would addto the possibilities of good times, Nora secretly admitted, but whatcompanion could she find in these wilds?
Just as a sense of loneliness came creeping over her she heard theleaves somewhere crackle. The next moment a girl appeared a few paces upthe road, and called to her quickly: "Oh, I say boy! Have you seen theGirl Scouts----"
The voice stopped as suddenly as it had started. The girl in uniformlooked so surprised, Nora was conscious of scrutiny, even at thedistance between them. She turned her head instinctively and so evaded adirect look; but presently the girl
called again:
"I am looking for the girls who are going over to the Ledge. Did youhappen to see them pass this way?"
"No," faltered Nora, in a voice not her own. "I just came along. I'mlooking for a car----"
"Oh, I saw one. It drove down the turn----"
"Thanks," jerked out Nora, taking the cue to escape, and waving her handin lieu of further conversation. She dodged behind the heavy elderberrybush and almost gasped in fright. What would a Girl Scout think of herin such a costume? Of course, she had no possible opportunity of seeingher face, and she surely could never recognize her again. Makingpositive she could get back to the Nest without again stepping out intothe roadway, Nora sped back as quickly as her feet could carry her. Itwas always these Scouts; a sense of humiliation was now added to that ofdislike. Would they all talk about her? Perhaps make fun of her or thinkher odd and foolish?
Too inexperienced to realize that the entire blame was her own, Noracrept up to the flap-jack path that led directly to the cottage door.
Here she was stopped again, for Vita sat out by the big stump, eithercounting or selecting something from her apron. So engrossed was she inher task she did not hear Nora's footfall, and this gave the "prince"another chance to escape detection. She darted back into the arbor andwaited. The only other way to enter the house was at front and she mightmeet almost anyone in that way.
Her game was losing its charm. She would have given much to be free ofthe finery and garbed again in her own simple clothes. It was rathermortifying to be considered queer, and that one saving grace, a sense ofhumor, was entirely lacking in the girl's make-up. Otherwise she mighthave jumped down from a tree and frightened Vita out of her wits, thusmaking a lark out of a difficulty.
She waited impatiently. What could Vita be doing that so held herattention? Then the attic memories flashed back to Nora's mind and shewondered.
"Cousin Ted leaves too much to that maid," she was deciding. "I might beable to help by keeping a lookout."
But for what? Vita was surely trustworthy and even extremely kind toNora, the intruder.
A burr pricked the knee that refused to hold fast to the buckled finery.It must have been rather a nuisance to dress like that. Nora rolled theband tighter and lost her fancy hat in the effort.
Voices!
Girls' laughter. The Scouts, of course, and coming back toward thecottage!
Without waiting to consider Vita's opinion, Nora sprang from her hidingplace and darted up the path into the cottage.
Voices within as well as without!
Cousin Ted was back from the woods and had company. How could Nora reachher room without being seen?
She crouched behind the kitchen cabinet, hoping the voices would leavethe hall and enter the living room, but, evidently, there was a reasonfor delay, and the big seat was right at the foot of the stairway!
Now Vita's flat slippers patted the stones and she was coming into thekitchen.
Disgusted with the entire affair, Nora turned into the back stairway.She had never mounted those stairs, they were used only by the maid, butjust now there seemed no other avenue of escape. She heard the shufflingfeet of Vita as she climbed the bare treads.
They were narrow and dark, only a small window cut in an openingsomewhere allowed enough light to penetrate to make sure the steps werethose of stairs. A narrow landing marked the line where the second floormust be. Then there was another turn, a sort of sharp twist in the queerladder-like climb.
Nora was too far up now to hear Vita's step in the kitchen.
"But this must lead to the attic," she reasoned. "I may as well go on upas to go--down."
Cobwebs a-plenty here. She jerked back from their tangles, fearingspiders and other crawling things.
"Oh," she exclaimed. "I do wish I had not come this way. It'sso--spooky!"
At every step the darkness increased and the light dwindled. Reaching agood-sized platform, Nora stood, thankful to draw an easy breath. Shecould just about see that she had only one short flight of steps to goto reach a door.
"I would never have believed this house was so high," she pondered. "Ifeel as if I came up from a cellar to a tower."
Then, resolutely, the pilgrim started on again. Only a few steps and shefound herself face to face with two doors. They were unpainted and eachstood at angles from the landing.
"Which?" she asked instinctively; for, while she wanted to reach theattic, she was careful to remember which way she had come in thiscrooked, gloomy place. Besides this, the attic was a mysterious part ofthat pretty house, Nora realized.
"It must be all right to go in here--all of the rooms are ours andCousin Ted said they were all kept clean."
With this caution she pushed open one of the unpainted doors and steppedinside.
She gasped! The place was in almost total darkness!