CHAPTER XV
LOCKED IN THE ATTIC
The next morning was rainy. Nell came over to the Van Meter farmbetween showers, but late, and Jannet declared that it was a shame howmuch it rained in the country, where it ought always to be bright.
Nell laughed at that and told Jannet that nothing would grow for themwithout the rain. "We have nothing but good showers, Jannet, mostly, atleast. Besides, what fun it will be up in the attic, listening to the'rain upon the roof.'"
"That is so, Nell, and it will be cooler up there, too, if it rains."
Jannet led the way to the attic as soon as Nell had laid aside herraincoat. Rather timidly Nell entered, when with a flourish Jannetthrew open the attic door. "Behold the mysterious abode of ghosts, andour ancestral treasure house!"
"Well, it _looks_ innocent enough, Jannet!"
"It certainly does, but back in the shadows beyond our ghosts may havetheir lurking place!"
"Don't, Jannet; you give me the creeps!"
"All right, Nell, we want to have lots of fun to-day. I'm crazy to showyou some of the things I've peeped at, and I hated to get out too much,too, without somebody after me. But we'll have no interruptions thisafternoon, with everybody away that would bother us, though Cousin Di,Andy and Uncle Pieter won't leave the house till a short time beforesupper. Will you mind if I get supper for us? Daphne will haveeverything ready."
"It will be fun, Jannet. I'll help you. You didn't know that I'm a veryfine cook, did you? Honestly, Jannet, I'm learning to do _some_ thingsvery well, Mother says."
But while the merry tongues ran on, it was more interesting to get tobusiness. Jannet pointed out some of the trunks and told what she hadseen by peeping into them. Her grandmother's trunk was "sweet," shesaid; but she had felt almost as if she were opening a grave to disturbthe things folded away so carefully after her grandmother's passing. Itwas different with her mother's, she felt, and a big trunk, old, but ingood condition was full of old silk dresses and costumes that Jannethad only had time to discover, much less examine. "I'm a gregariousbeing, Nell, after being with such a lot of girls most of my life, andit wasn't enough fun to get these things out by myself."
Jannet opened the window and propped it as before. Fresh, misty aircame in to sweeten the close attic atmosphere. There was only a gentlepatter of drops upon the roof so close to their heads and Nell saidthat it was an ideal day for old attics. Jannet disclosed her plan,which was to see everything first that looked interesting and thenafter dinner to dress up in old costumes and explore the rest of theattic, unless Nell would rather not do that.
The big trunk came first in order. Jannet, with her big bunch of keysfound the right one and opened it. She spread some papers, which shehad brought with her, over the bulging top of the little bed and itsbundles and upon the top of the large chest. Paulina's housekeeping wasnot to be criticised, but attics were very likely to gather dust. Thenshe began to take out the neatly folded garments, some to be looked atand laid aside on the papers, others to be exclaimed over. "O Jannet!"Nell exclaimed. "If your uncle gives these things to you, I'd fix someof them up and wear them, though it would be a pity to change them!"
But Jannet shook her head. "Uncle has a daughter, though I suppose thatI have as much right to these things as any one. I may have some ofmother's dresses fixed for myself, because I'd love to wear them, butthese ought to stay as they are. I wonder if we can't have a realcostume party some day, Nell,--look here!"
Jannet held up and shook out a gay silk costume, with skirt, blouse,sheer and thin, and a laced velvet bodice. That was not very old, thegirls thought. Perhaps Jannet's mother had worn that some time. Therewas a funny clown's costume and a velvet colonial suit in gray andblue, with silk hose and buckled shoes and a three-cornered hat. Jannetsaid that it was almost the prettiest thing there.
A gypsy outfit included a tambourine and when Jannet danced around overthe attic floor with it, she stopped the performance to see Cousin Distanding in the attic door and laughing at her. The light clapping ofCousin Diana's hands was the only announcement of her presence.
"O Cousin Di, come in!" called Jannet, running to that lady and drawingher within. "_Can_ we have a party and dress up some time?"
"You can and you may," promptly answered Cousin Diana, interested. Sheremained long enough to see some of the main treasures, telling thegirls that they had found some excellent relics of a day gone by. Whilesome of the costumes had been made for special occasions, most of thetrunk's contents were dresses of former days actually worn by the womenof the family. Gayly figured lawns and chintzes, light or heavy silkswith queer waists and sleeves and tight-fitting linings, trailed longlengths and voluminous skirts about the delighted girls. A squarepasteboard box was found to contain a host of beads and otherdecorations used with the fancy costumes.
As Cousin Di had suggested that they dress up in something for dinner,Jannet declared that they would change the original plan and surprisethem all by doing it.
Nell rather demurred at first. "Won't we feel silly, Jannet? And whatwill your uncle Pieter say to us?"
"I'm not afraid of Uncle Pieter any more, and he'll just see that I amdoing what he gave me permission to do. I just love that ducky littlesilk costume with the blue velvet laced bodice. I think that it is ashepherdess costume and I think that Mother must have worn it. Wouldyou like that?"
"No, indeed. That is just your color. I'll wear the gypsy suit."
"Fine, you carry the tambourine and I'll take the shepherd's crook ifthere is any." But Jannet did not find one.
Uncle Pieter was not at dinner, as it happened, which fact relievedNell of the slight embarrassment she felt. Cousin Diana and Cousin Andyadmired the result, though the costumes would have been considerablyimproved by pressing. Vittoria, who waited upon the table, lookedcuriously at the girls, so pretty in their new characters, and Jannetcaught one look that was not very friendly. Perhaps poor Vittoria was alittle jealous. It must be hard not _ever_ to be in things! But Jannethad too many pleasant things to think about to be disturbed by theopinion of Vittoria. Remembering what Paulina had said, Jannet askedMrs. Holt after dinner how old she supposed Vittoria was. "Probablyabout thirty," said Mrs. Holt. "She is engaged to a young man who worksin the village. I think that they are to be married as soon as he getshis house built. He is building it himself, as he has time, and hopesto finish it this summer."
The rain had stopped by noon. Jannet and Nell walked around outside fora little while and went into the kitchen to show Daphne their finery.Paulina gave them a comprehensive glance, but made no comment. PerhapsPaulina remembered times when those costumes were worn before this.
Lazily the girls rested in the swing for perhaps half an hour beforethey felt like returning to the attic. But by that time their pristineenergy had returned. Jannet had a bright idea and collected cookies,then decided that fudge and lemonade would be good to take up withthem, "so we'll not have to run downstairs every time we get thirsty,or hungry, Nell."
That seemed sensible. They spent some time making fudge, a little inmaking lemonade, and went up the two flights about two o'clock, the iceclinking in the pitcher. Nell had been advised to bring her flashlight,in case they discovered the perhaps imaginary secret passage, andJannet had one which was a recent purchase. But they had so much fundressing in the various garments and were so hot, that they drank upall their lemonade and went down again about four o'clock to make more.Not a soul was around, but the house was locked, they found. Theywashed off their dingy hands, for handling the trunks had soiled them,though they had managed to keep the dresses from being harmed.
After "splashing around" in Jannet's bathroom, they went to thekitchen, where they not only mixed fresh lemonade, but made sandwicheswhen they found that Daphne had left them some delicious ham in thinslices. "At this rate, Jannet, we'll not need any supper," said Nell,but Jannet thought that they would "after doing our real work of theday," Jannet said. And
, indeed, the search was just to begin.
Into the far corners, under the eaves, soon went the flashlight rays.What they disclosed was innocent enough, chiefly cobwebs and dust.Shrouded shapes of the few old things left around lay here and there.Most of the central part was floored. In a few places the girls wereobliged to be careful where the boards seemed to be laid acrossloosely. Jannet said that the ghost had laid the track for itself, andNell remarked that they could follow the trail, then.
Jannet had expected to see some evidences of some one's walkingthrough dust, but the boards had been swept since she was first inthe attic, she thought. "I tell you what, Nell, I ought to have donethis right at first, before the 'ghost' had a chance to cover upher--his--its--tracks."
"Probably you ought, Jannet."
They were obliged to look out for bumps upon their heads in places, butfinally they reached what was Jannet's chief objective, the greatchimney between her room and the front bedroom. There were the bricks,rough and red. But that whole end of the attic was boarded off with arough partition. "I _thought_ so!" exclaimed Jannet. "Now for a door!"
But there was no sign of a door in the boards. Certainly, if there hadbeen a secret passage there, it could not have been concealed, thegirls thought. "If Jan or somebody got in your room, Jannet, it musthave been by the window," said Nell.
"All the same," declared Jannet, "there is _something_ in my wall. Itmay not connect with the attic. I suppose now that it doesn't. But Ibelieve that if _we_ can't find it out, Uncle Pieter will let acarpenter take away the panels on that side, to satisfy me, andhimself, too. He looked awfully interested, Nell."
"The queer thing," said Nell again, "is that it all seemed to begin inthe attic and then come nearer. Could it _really_ be ghosts, that cango in or out of walls?" Nell half believed it, Jannet thought.
"What ghost would carefully take a blue comforter through walls andfinally deposit it neatly, well folded, in the closet where it belongs?"
"Well," laughingly declared Nell, "Paulina told you that ghost _did_take one once, you said."
"Yes, she did," Jannet acknowledged.
It took some time to go over the attic, although if there were someconnection between the attic and Jannet's room, it could only be in acertain part, the girls thought, and there they spent some time. Theylooked dubiously at various piles of boards not far from the partition.Some old carpet close to it Jannet with great effort drew aside tillshe could see how the floor looked at the angle. The girls grew alittle tired. What was the use of doing it all to-day? Jannet suspectedthe big cupboard that stood against the partition, but their combinedstrength could not move it, and there was no indication of a waythrough it and the partition.
"Let's go down, have our supper, and give this up till to-morrow, Nell.We had too much fun dressing up first. Besides, we ought to have someone help us move the heavy stuff. I'll ask Uncle Pieter."
Nell, who was quite ready for something different, assented. Graduallythey made their way back to the trunks, though they did pause again toexamine anything that seemed worth while to know about. If their handshad been soiled before, they were "filthy" with the "dust of ages,"Nell declared,--"with all apologies to Paulina, Jannet."
Again jingling her keys, Jannet went to the door, which she had closedbefore they began their search in the other part of the attic, thoughwhy Jannet scarcely knew. Surely there was no one to watch them. "Why!"Jannet exclaimed, "it doesn't open!" She looked at Nell, startled. "Tryit for yourself!" Nell shook the door and they looked at each other indismay.
"Could Paulina have locked it by mistake?" asked Nell.
"Some one very likely has locked this on purpose," declared Jannetpresently. The two girls stood by the door, puzzled, slightly alarmed."This _is_ a mess, Nell. It doesn't look as if I'd get you that goodsupper we were going to have."
"Perhaps we can call to some one from the window."
"Perhaps we can. But the tenant house is where all the eveningactivities are, unless some one has an errand here. Paulina said thatshe would be back about seven o'clock, unless she took a notion to goto prayer-meeting with her sister. They drive to the village church.Daphne doesn't sleep here. No telling how soon the girls will comeback,--but _who_ locked us in, then?"
"Never mind, Jannet. We have cookies, the fudge and something to drink.Your guardian angel must have told you to bring those up. Do yousuppose we'll have to be up here after _dark_?"
Jannet shook her head regretfully. "You be sister Ann, Nell, and watchthe window for any one that might come. Paulina is the most likely onebefore dark, and it does not get dark early, fortunately. I'm going tosee if I can't open the door. I will know enough to lock the doormyself the next time I am up here, and leave my key in the lock on thisside. That's what she has done, you see, and I can't get my key in. Ileft it on the ring with the rest, or--"
"You say 'she,'--how do you know that it isn't 'he'?"
"I don't know it, I just think it."
Nell asked nothing more but sat on a box by the low window, to watchlike the sister of Bluebeard's wife. Jannet tried to poke the key,which was on the outside, and force it out, but with no success. Thenshe shook the door and called. "The trouble is," said she, "if Paulinahears a racket in the attic, she will think it the ghost, and Hepsy andVittoria sleep over in the new part. But there is no use in calling orgoing into hysterics over it. If the one who locked us in is here, verynaturally she wants us to stay." Jannet thought of burglars, but didnot mention that theory. It was bad enough for Nell as it was. She hadheard the family car drive off some time before.
Jannet worked at the key, trying to force it out. She found a bit ofwire and she used the smaller keys; but when one became wedged in sotightly that she had difficulty in getting it out again, she gave it up.
Nell did her best to be cheerful, but Jannet could see that it was aneffort. She took Nell's place at the window and they ate what cookiesand fudge were left and drank lemonade with less than their customaryflow of conversation. It was, indeed, a gloomy prospect, that ofspending the night in the attic.