CHAPTER IX
ANOTHER GHOSTLY VISITATION
That evening, at the Clydes' country home, Nell called up some of herfriends and asked them to drive over for an evening of good times.Perhaps half a dozen girls and boys came, initiating Jannet into thepleasures of country life. It was a new atmosphere to Jannet and sheliked it. They were all a little stiff at first, pleasant, but waitingto see what the girl from the city school was like. Soon, however, whenNell and Chick started some games and they found Jannet throwingherself into everything with a real delight, the party waxed merry.
The next morning Jannet and Jan rode home. Jannet heard Jan and Paulinain more than one mild argument as she tried to pack for him and heobjected to her packing. "Of course I'm going to take that, P'lina.That is one of the most important things. If you can't get that in,I'll tumble the whole mess out and pack it all over myself. What's theidea? Do you think that you have to do it?"
"Now, Jan, your ma--" but Jannet shut the door to hear no more. Shesupposed, as she smiled over what she had heard, that some treasurelike a bat or a ball glove or mask had been omitted. She was beginninga diary, suggested to her by her mother's having kept one. But Jannetdecided that she would never destroy hers, because it would be such agood history for her children, if she had any.
Jannet spent a good part of the morning in this way, after a good visitwith Mrs. Holt. Then Paulina came in to sweep and clean her room. Therewas another servant to help with this sort of thing, but Paulina, whoalmost felt that she had part ownership in the place, liked to takecare of this old part of the home herself. Paulina was "queer," Jannetthought. She could not tell what Paulina thought of her, but she ratherhoped that Paulina did not hate her, for "Old P'lina" was a familyinstitution, it seemed. She grew older and older in Jannet's thought,for Paulina's face was much more lined than Uncle Pieter's, in spite ofthe dark hair. Nell said that P'lina must dye her hair, but Jannet knewthat Nell was wrong.
Nell and Chick Clyde did not arrive until long after supper and saidthat they had company at home, unexpected company for supper. But theyenjoyed the evening together, Mrs. Holt keeping her promise of the"party," which meant something good to eat at the proper time.
Jannet wondered if Uncle Pieter would have approved, for they hadchicken and biscuits, with other accompaniments, for a first course,and Paulina's delicious angel food cake with a whipped cream "salad"over it or "by" it, as Jannet put it. Nuts, maraschino cherries andpineapple made this toothsome. But this was Jan's last evening at home.Sometime the next day he was leaving for school. "Yes, Nell," said he,"hard-hearted Uncle Pieter is responsible for my leaving; but after allChick could scarcely get his lessons without me, and it will be fun tosee the other boys."
After the refreshment the boys were restless. It was not far frombedtime and Jan suggested that Chick go with him to the attic den tosee his latest invention.
"You might invite us, too, Jan," said Jannet, with a freedom which shewas beginning to feel in this new environment.
"Oh, girls wouldn't understand, and besides, it doesn't work yet. Iwant to get Chick's ideas about it. Then the attic is where the ghostusually begins, you know."
"Honestly, Jan, did you ever hear or see anything strange?"
Jan looked mysterious, then laughed. "'Honestly,' Jannet, I think mostof the noises might be from some ordinary cause. But once I did--oh,well, there are lots of odd sounds and things in an old house. But noghost has ever come into my attic den so far as I know."
"I wouldn't go up there after dark for worlds!" Nell declared.
"Silly!" So her brother commented. "Jan's den is a real room, at agable, and used to be a bedroom, Paulina says. There's a rambling sortof hall, and a door, that Paulina keeps locked, into the rest of theattic, which isn't all floored, she says. Paulina says 'Keep Out,' inlarge letters, doesn't she, Jan?"
"Yep," answered Jan, with a look at Chick which was intended to mystifythe girls.
"Maybe P'lina is the ghost, then," Nell suggested, and Jannet thoughtto herself that it was not impossible.
"I'll tell P'lina that I want to see if any of my mother's boxes ortrunks are up there, and perhaps she will give me the key!"
"You wouldn't _dare_, Jannet!"
"Yes I would, Nell!"
"_Much_ you would," and Jan's disbelieving eyes laughed into Jannet'ssparkling ones. "Wait till I come home again anyhow," he added.
"Perhaps I will, Jan," his cousin conceded.
The boys said goodnight, leaving the two girls in the quaint oldkitchen, where they had made taffy in one of the old kettles, by theexpress permission of Mrs. Holt, and under her supervision, for Paulinahad not wanted to have the "trouble and muss" of a fire here, among thecherished antiques of the kitchen. "Before the weather gets too hot,"meditatively said Jannet, taking a last piece of the sticky but verydelicious sweet from one of the pans, "I'd like to have anold-fashioned taffy pull and invite some of the girls and boys that Imet at your house, Nell. I'm afraid that Uncle Pieter and Old P'linamight not like it, but perhaps Cousin Di could get permission for me."
"Perhaps so," doubtfully answered Nell, "but remember that Chick andJan leave to-morrow."
"That's so. Well, perhaps I'll be here next winter. I've read about thegood times in the country in the winter and I almost wish I needn't goto school."
"Your uncle intends to keep you here, Jannet. I heard Mother say so."
Jannet looked inquiringly at Nell, but made no comment. That might notbe so nice after all, not to go back to the girls and Miss Hilliard.But Miss Hilliard was her guardian, and she would do the deciding.
Mrs. Holt came hurrying in to say that she had almost forgotten them,and that by all means they must get to bed. With a kind goodnight sheleft them, and they heard her routing the boys from their attic den.The sound of their descent by the attic stairs could have been heard inPhiladelphia, Nell said.
The girls went upstairs by the front staircase, turning to the rightwith the dark, curving rail of the banisters. To Jannet's door therewas only a step, and Nell looked on along the railing to the front ofthe upstairs hall. "That front room on this side," Jannet explained,"belonged to my grandfather and grandmother, and the big chimney, withgorgeous fireplaces, is between their room and what was my mother's,now mine. There are plenty of other fireplaces, though," she added,"only this seems to be the biggest chimney. See, my door almost facesthe corridor that leads to the new part, where Cousin Di sleeps, andPaulina's room is right off the back hall, there. Jan's room isdownstairs. He picked it out himself."
"Chick says that he has a cot in the den upstairs, too."
"Is that so? I shouldn't think that he would want to sleep there."
"Why, Jannet! I thought that you didn't believe in ghosts!"
"I don't but just the same,--" and Jannet stopped to laugh at herself.
By this time they were in the room, Nell wondering a little at Jannet'shaving to unlock the door. But she did not ask her why she kept thedoor locked, and Jannet did not explain. One thing after another hadinterfered with her having had an opportunity to open the secret drawerin her desk for a glimpse of the pearls. First she had been expectingPaulina in to clean. Then, after some delay, the cleaning took place. Acall, plans with Cousin Di and a long drive with her and Cousin Andy,partly for the sake of errands, completely filled the day till time forthe Clydes to come.
But now, as Jannet displayed her room to her guest, placing the littleovernight bag, and quietly mentioning her pleasure in having hermother's room and her mother's picture, she was anxious to assureherself of her new possession in the desk and felt impatient withherself for not having locked the door against everybody long enough tosee that the pearls were safe. Of course they were, though.
What was Nell saying? Oh, yes, she was commenting on the size of thehouse, admiring it, but telling Jannet the gossip. Some said that heruncle intended to turn it into a summer hotel, and others said that hehad expected his daught
er's family to occupy it with him, as well ashis son's. "Andrew was going to be married, if he hadn't gotten allbanged up in the war."
"Oh,--too bad!" exclaimed sympathetic Jannet. "Wouldn't his sweetheartmarry him?"
"More likely he would not let her."
"Dear me, I'll never catch up with the why and wherefore of our family.Can you keep a secret, Nell?"
"Try me. Even Chick says that I can."
Nell had admired the desk before, but Jannet led her to it again.
"I want to show you a secret drawer, Nell, and what I found in it,something wonderful,--my mother's pearls, the ones she has on in thepicture!"
Nell leaned over with the greatest interest, while Jannet seatedherself in front of her desk, now open, and pressed the spring as shehad done before. Out came the drawer, more easily than before,--butempty!
Quickly Nell looked into her friend's face, which was blank withsurprise. "Gone!" Jannet exclaimed. "Why, Nell, it's just as ithappened before! Mother lost them, too, or they were stolen from herdesk. Oh, _who_ could have done it! Why _did_ I leave them there!"
Jannet dropped her hands in her lap and sat there looking at Nell, whodrew up a chair and took one of Jannet's hands to pat it and try tocomfort her.
"I ought not to care so much, perhaps," said Jannet, almost ready tocry, "but I loved to think that Mother has worn them. I'd think it adream, but Nell, I put them on my neck and loved to have themthere,--don't tell me that I'm quite crazy!" Jannet, smiling, washerself now.
"Of course you are not crazy. I believe that the pearls were there, andwhere could they have gone? They did not walk off by themselvescertainly, and there isn't another thing in the drawer. Could there bea crack in the bottom?" Nell tapped the delicate wood with her finger.
"Not big enough to lose a big case full of pearls, Nell. Well, it can'tbe helped. I'll examine the desk to-morrow and see if they _could_ havebeen put in another drawer,--or something." As she spoke, Jannet beganto open the little drawers which she knew, while Nell exclaimed overthe tiny springs and the skill with which the drawers had been hidden.
But Jannet did not want to make Nell have an unhappy time over her lostpearls. In a few moments she was her philosophical self again. "Itcan't be helped, Nell, and as I never did have them before, I can getalong without them now. Let's get to bed. I'm glad that you think theroom is pretty and the things nice. I'm wealthy enough in my mother'sthings without the pearls. It seems now as if I have been waiting allmy life to come to this room!"
It was as they settled down in bed, after putting the windows at theproper height and turning off the light, that Nell happened to think ofsomething. "Jannet, you'll find your pearls! Didn't your fortune saythat you would lose something and find it again?"
"'You will find what you look for,'" replied Jannet, in such a goodimitation of the old fortune-teller's cracked tones that Nell laughedand Jannet apologized, saying that she ought not to have made fun ofGrandma Meer.
"Poor old soul," said Nell, drowsily. For a wonder the girls did notlie awake to talk. It had been a full day and soon they were asleep;for Nell was an easy-going girl, not nervous about fancied ghosts in aroom as bright and pleasant as this, while Jannet, accustomed to shareher room and often her bed with Lina Marcy or some other school-girl,felt it quite natural to have company.
What time it was when Jannet was suddenly wide awake, she did not know.A confused dream, the result, she well knew, of taffy and other goodthings to eat, was floating away from her. Nell was not stirring theleast bit and she could not even hear her breathe. That was odd.Cautiously she turned, sighed, and reached over to touch her friendlightly, when suddenly Nell clutched Jannet's hand and reached Jannet'slips with her other hand to insure silence.
Jannet squeezed Nell's hand to indicate understanding, but she was alittle frightened. What was it? The same old ghost, a burglar, or wasNell only startled at some little sound? Jannet had bolted her door,but it would be possible for some one to climb up on the trellis andclimb into the window which opened upon the little balcony, sheremembered. That one she had not raised very high and the screen was in.
It was pitch dark. There were no glimmerings of lights outside as in acity. The night was cloudy, without star or moon visible. Quite abreeze was stirring. Perhaps there would be another storm, though therewere no flashes of electricity.
"Tap, tap, tap, tap," she heard. Well, that might be the broken branchthat she had noticed hanging against the pergola outside.
Then a weird sound began. Perhaps that was what had wakened Nell. Thatmust be the "Dutch Banshee" that Jan had mentioned. It wasindescribable, something like the whistling of the wind, then a littlelike the hooting of an owl. Was that what Paulina meant, then?
That _was_ a queer, rustling sound. Yes, it _did_ sound like someonelightly coming down a stairway; why, it sounded right in the wall,Jannet thought! Step, step, step, step, slowly. Paulina would be saying"That's '_Her!_'"
Could it be true that there was something sinister and evil, orsomething unhappy, that could not rest, that came back to its old home?In the daytime Jannet would not have had these fearful thoughts, but itwas eerie, indeed, to lie in a dark room and listen to sounds that shedid not understand.
A faint moaning sound began and suddenly stopped with a little choke orgasp.
"Is Chick a ventriloquist?" whispered Jannet.
"No," replied Nell, "and neither is Jan."
For a few moments there was no sound at all. Then the "Dutch Banshee"began again. Jannet whispered, "Static,--Jan's radio!"
"No," whispered Nell. "Keep still!"
Jannet listened. Yes, it did sound more like a voice now. How scarey itdid make a body feel! Anyhow it wasn't in the room. Jannet sat up inbed, determined not to be frightened as she had been before. If therewere anything going on, she was going to see it, come what might! Shewished again for the flashlight that she had forgotten and left atschool. Nell gained courage and sat up, too.
Now there was an odd light from somewhere. Why,--there was a dim veiledlight on the wall, as if shining through! What in the world! There, itwas gone. But some one was moaning,--no, sobbing!
Next the sound, tap, tap, tap. Jannet again thought of Paulina'sexpression: "I suppose that's 'Her' coming down some stairs somewhere,"she whispered to Nell, who still clutched her hand.
"Let's put on the light and run to Paulina's room," Nell whispered,trying to pierce the darkness, and looking in the direction of the wallwhere the light had appeared. There it was for a moment again! Now itfaded; then it came more strongly and went out again.
"It looks as if somebody were passing back and forth behind a screen,Nell," whispered Jannet. "Come on." But just then there came thatclicking sound that Jannet had heard on that other night. "Wait, Nell,"she whispered. "I'll get to the door, and if nothing gets me, come,too."
"No," again said Nell, holding Jannet as if to keep her in bed. Therewas somebody,--something,--in the room! A cover of the bed began to bedrawn off, as before. Gently it moved. Jannet, ready for an experimentto find out if this were a person or a ghost that entered her room somysteriously, reached for the slowly moving cover and gave it a jerkback toward her. She met with no resistance at all, and pulled thecover in a little heap around her by the force of her own effort.
This was too much! Jannet leaped out of bed, seized Nell by the arm,and ran in the direction of the electric button and the door. As shepushed the button, she was sure that she heard a similar sound behindher, but she only glanced behind to see that no one was after them, asshe pulled out the little bolt and pushed Nell into the hall ahead ofher.
Barefooted and breathless, the girls stood in the hall a moment,listening. Nothing followed them. They peeped back into the room aftera few minutes. It was not cold, but both girls were shivering.
"Do you suppose that the boys could fool us in some way?" asked Nell,who remembered her brother's tricks.
"Perhaps one of them hid somewhere," said Jannet. "But how did he getout? This busines
s of pulling a cover off happened once before, Nell.Perhaps there is a way of getting into the room. The windows were 'wayup to-night, too."
"Let's run down and see if the boys are in their room," suggested Nell.
"All right, but the other time was before Jan got home."
Back the girls went, somewhat timorously, to be sure, to put onslippers and kimonos. Thus clad, they slipped quietly down the backstairs, and Nell stepped close to the door to listen. A heavy pin, withwhich she had fastened her kimono, fell out at this juncture and in thestillness of the hall it made quite a little noise.
"What's that?" they heard Chick say, and presently a low grunt answeredhim. The bed creaked and the girls flew upstairs as fast as they could,Nell retrieving her pin first.
"Well," said Jannet, as they entered the room again, "shall we wake upPaulina and get things stirred up? You will be afraid to go to sleepagain, won't you?"
"I g-guess not," shivered Nell. "Put down the windows and leave thelight on."
"We'd smother, child," said Jannet.
"Look under the bed, then. I refuse to get into it unless that isdone." Nell tried to be jolly with poor success.
"Perhaps that is where--It--was. Say, that was a funny feeling, Nell,to jerk that coverlid and find it come just too easy!"
As before, Jannet went all over to see what she could see. There was nosign of any one's having been in the closets or in the bath room. Thevines on the porch looked undisturbed. Jannet put the windows down to apoint where they would have to be raised to admit anyone. Again shewent over the paneled wall to see if there were a hidden door betweenher room and the next one. "But that light was too near the bigchimney," she said. "Perhaps there might be an opening of some sortthere."
The girls looked up into the chimney with its bricks discolored by manya fire. "What's on the other side of the chimney?" Nell asked.
"That other room just like this,--are you afraid to go in there?"
"No," answered Nell, beginning to get over her scare. But they foundthe door of the other room locked and looked at each other as much asto say, "Perhaps the mystery lies here."
"Nothing hurt us anyhow, Nell, as I thought before. We'll leave theside lights on and put that little screen I have up on a chair to keepthe light out of our eyes. I haven't heard another sound, have you?"
"No, I guess the ghosts have gotten through. What time is it, Jannet?"
Jannet looked at her wrist watch but it had stopped. "The ghosts weretoo much for my timepiece, Nell, but it must be 'most morning. It isabout the same time, I think, that the comforter went off my bed andnever did come back. I've always wanted to ask Paulina about it, butsomeway, she is so sure about ghosts that I hated to stir her up, ordraw any questions. I declare, Nell, I'm different here. _It's_ sodifferent!"
"I should say it is,--and yet you like this room."
"Yes, Nell, I do, and I'm going to find out what or who does this.Maybe it's Paulina."
"For half a cent I'd like to see if she is in her room. Don't yousuppose she heard that moaning?"
"I don't see how she could help it, and with our putting on and offlights all around, too."
Jannet had scarcely stopped speaking when there was the sound of anopening door. The light went on in the hall again. "Girls," saidPaulina, "did you hear it?"
Jannet almost laughed out, for Paulina in her long muslin gown lookedso funny. She had thrust her feet into immense woolen slippers, worethe little shoulder shawl, and--of all things--a night-cap,--over herhair!
"Yes, Paulina, and we almost lost the coverlid, as I lost the bluecomforter one night."
"What?" asked Paulina, "that blue comforter that I put on your bed?"
"Yes. I've never seen it since."
"It's in the closet. I thought that you put it there."
Jannet and Paulina eyed each other. Nell laughed. "It was us in thehall, with the lights on, Paulina."
"I thought so. It was _Her_ in your room, then, I suppose."
"Who is she, Paulina?" asked Jannet. "Not Mother, of course."
"No. Ask your Uncle Pieter who cries and sobs and goes through walls.Go to bed. There'll be nothing more to-night. I'll not call you early."
"Thank you, Paulina. I'm going to leave on one little light."
Paulina made no reply to this remark, but went off in the suddenfashion she had, and the girls heard her door open and close.
The human contact, and the assurance of "Old P'lina" that there wouldbe no further disturbance, relieved the situation for the girls. Nell,with a sigh of relief, crawled between the sheets. "Ghost or no ghost,I'm going to sleep, Jannet."
"So am I. But the next time, I'm going to '_yell_' for Paulina, and nottry to see it through myself. Who do you suppose she meant when shetold me to ask Uncle Pieter?"
"His wife, I suppose. But there is a lots older ghost than she is, andI 'spect P'lina's mad at your Uncle Pieter about something. She'sterribly queer herself, you know."
"I'm going to get acquainted with Paulina and find out all about thefamily history. I've been afraid to ask her so far. I'm so sorry, Nell,for all this. I hope that you will sleep now."
"I will. Don't worry. Some day I'll tell of this to my grandchildrenand you will see their little eyes bulge out if you are around."
Jannet laughed, as she arranged the screen and shook off her slippersto hop into bed. "Perhaps in time I'll get so used to our ghost," shesaid, "that I'll miss her if she does not perform every so often."
"Sh-sh, Jannet! You might get her mad at you!"
Jannet thought this so funny that she laughed till the bed shook, andNell giggled with her. But both girls within were really rather seriousover the affair, wondering and thinking for some time, Jannet's minddwelling on the pearls as well. "Nell," she said, sleepily, after alittle, "perhaps the ghost has my pearls. I've thought up a name forthem,--Phantom Treasure. Now it's there, and now it isn't, but theghost that has it had better beware!"