CHAPTER IX
AT MERRY YULETIDE.
"Hurry, Eleanor. We are all waiting for you," called Constance from theterrace, where a group of young people stood waiting for the tardy one.
It was the day following Christmas, and such a day as long dwells inone's memory of perfect winter days; scarcely a cloud in the sky, andthe air filled with a crispness which set one's blood a-tingle. Theworld wore her white robes of the season, bedecked with a thousandsparkling jewels. The river was frozen nearly across, and on itsglistening surface groups of skaters darted about, or pushed ice-chairs,in which were seated older or less vigorous bodies for whom skating wasnot.
Early in December, when the weather had turned unusually cold for theseason, the river had commenced to freeze over. It had been thirty yearssince such heavy ice had formed, and those who recalled that timepredicted that the present cold snap would hold as that one had held,and the New Year find, as it had then found, the sleighs crossing to theopposite shore.
Eleanor Carruth had returned from college three days before Christmas,to find everyone in the liveliest, gayest mood, and each moment crowdedto its very limit with duties or pleasures. Christmas in Mrs. Carruth'shome had always been a day of "good will toward man" in its truest,sweetest sense. No one had time to think of self in her desire to thinkof others. For more than sixty years Mammy's voice had been the firstone to cry "Christmas gif'" to her children, as she went from bed to bedin the chill Christmas dawn. Try as they might in bygone years, none ofthe other servants on the old plantation had been able to creep up tothe bedchambers before her, and now in the newer life of the Northernworld, to which she had followed those she loved, she had never missedher greeting. In the dark, difficult days when resources were limitedand every penny had to be so carefully expended, the Christmas gifts hadbeen very simple little remembrances interchanged, but old Mammy hadinvariably managed to have _some_ trifle for her "chillen," and theywould sooner have gone without their own than have failed to have theirtoken of the season lying at her door on Christmas morning.
But happier days had now dawned for all, and the Christmas day justpassed had been a red-letter one for the family. True, Eleanor'sresources were not yet equal to Constance's. Eleanor's spending moneywas derived from the source which, prior to her entrance in college, hadcaused Mammy such deep concern. Eleanor still coached a number of theless brilliant lights of the college. In this way she felt moreindependent of her aunt and less dependent upon Constance.
Constance protested and scolded, declaring that it was perfect nonsensefor Eleanor to so burden herself, since the candy kitchen was more thanequal to the demands made upon it. But Eleanor was a Carruth.
As the party stood waiting for her, Jean, keeping fast hold of Haydn'shand and jigging up and down in her impatience to be off, Forbes talkingto one of Eleanor's friends, and the others all chatting at once,Eleanor came hurrying from the house, carrying in her hand a pair ofshining skates, and carefully tucked under her arm a _broom_.
Haydn was the first to spy it. His eyes began to twinkle, and he quicklyslipped over to Constance's side.
"Is this a very mid-winter madness?" he asked under his breath.
Constance glanced up quickly. Her eyes instantly caught the twinkle, anddarted toward Forbes, who was too deeply engaged in trying to prove tohis rather skeptical listener that the soft little wraith-like cloudsbeginning to gather overhead meant wind, and perhaps more snow also,within twenty-four hours, to be aware of Eleanor's unusual departure inthe line of impedimenta. Neither Constance nor Hadyn intended to spoilthe joke by jogging their wits, and the others who were alive to the funpreferred to see it to the end.
Eleanor hurried up to Forbes and said, as though to confirm hisargument:
"Yes, it _is_ clouding over, isn't it? Mammy says it is going to snowand urged me to carry this umbrella. I can always trust Mammy's 'bones,'she ended as she held forth the broom to the bewildered man, who lookedfrom her face to it as though questioning her sanity."
Then Eleanor wakened.
"Oh, why--I thought--why, how did I get this?"
"Let me relieve you of your strange burden, Eleanor. Still want anumbrella? I'll fetch one if you say so, but you may find the broom moreuseful, on second thought. Let's take it along to clear away the lightsnow which fell last night. Come on, people! If we expect to get up anappetite for Mammy's luncheon at two o'clock, we'd best make a movetoward the river," cried Hadyn, leading the way with the broomshouldered like a musket, and Jean in full prance beside him.
It was a merry party which gathered upon the crystal surface of theriver that morning. For many days Jack Frost had been busy, and had donehis wonderful work most effectively, completing it during the previousnight by a light coating of diamond-dust, which glistened and sparkledin the clear sunshine, or swirled up in fantastic spirals as the skaterswhirled away through it. The boathouse at the river's edge served as ashelter for the chilled ones, and, far-sighted woman! Mammy had sentCharles down there with a great basket of sandwiches, and a heaterful ofsteaming chocolate. Somehow nature had made a big mistake when shefashioned Mammy: she should have formed a man, a _white_ man, and casthis lot among the great commerical lights of his day.
The chocolate heater had to be replenished more than once, and themanner in which the sandwiches vanished was almost miraculous.
Eleanor, Constance and Jean were as much at home upon their skates asupon the soles of their feet, and Hadyn had skated ever since he couldmove without assistance; but Forbes had acquired the art during a winterspent in Northern Europe, and at a date not so remote as to havelessened the novelty of the experience. He had brought with him fromHolland a pair of skates of truly remarkable design, and it was uponthese "ice boats," as Hadyn instantly dubbed them, that he was nowdemonstrating the extraordinary agility of the Dutch skaters.
"Stand off! Make way!" cried Hadyn, as Forbes, one arm about Eleanor'swaist and the other holding her hand aloft in what he fondly believed tobe a perfect imitation of the Dutch peasants' graceful poise and motion,bore down upon the party, his long, upturned skates and still longerlegs causing Eleanor to cast skittish glances in their direction as sheswung along beside him.
"Great! How do you do it, old man?" asked Hadyn as Eleanor was almosthurled into his arms, Forbes' momentum carrying him on and past themlike a runaway motor-car.
"Simplest thing in the world! Be back in a second to show you how.Nothing like it! Absolutely--" but he was carried beyond his hearers,whose eyes followed his wild evolutions with more or less apprehensionfor "what next?" since it seemed contrary to all laws of gravitation forany human being to maintain his equilibrium very long if he took suchchances.
"He has turned! He's coming back! Now watch out, Hadyn, and learn howit's done," laughed Constance, as this skated "Ichabod Crane" bore downupon them, hair blown on end, arms flying, legs cutting capers legsnever before had cut, and upon his face the expression of "do or die,man, for _she_ is watching you."
"Gee, what a swathe he cuts!" cried another man, as the light snow lyingupon the ice flew from beneath the rushing skates.
"Now watch out! Clear the track! Look sharp, and you'll all catch theknack of it without half trying. Nothing easier," shouted the skater ashe drew nearer, pride in his eyes, glory descending upon him. But alack!it's said 'a haughty spirit goeth before a fall.' There _may_ have beenan ice fissure. Forbes insisted there _was_ one in which he caught hisskate; but there certainly _was_ the fall both actual and figurative. Asthe enthusiast came within ten feet of his spellbound audience, a pairof very long legs came up, and a very loosely-hung body came down withdispatch. The legs flew apart until the figure resembled an ice-boatunder full headway, nor did its momentum perceptibly lessen as it spedpast its audience, the light snow piling up in front of it and flyingover its shoulders as it flies back from a snow-plow. For fully thirtyfeet the wild figure slid along before it lost its impetus. Then it cameto a dazed stop. Only one of the audience was prepared to go to its aid;th
e others were entirely helpless, and were hanging upon each other'snecks--let us hope in tears of sympathy.
"Can--can I help you?" stammered Hadyn, as he bent over to raise theprone one. "You--you rather came a cropper that time, and--and--"
"Get behind me, for heaven's sake. Do you think a man can slither alongon the ice for thirty feet and--and not damage his garments? Quick,before all those people get wise. Is your long cape in the boathouse?Yes? Thanks, I'll take it, and I don't care a hang if _you freeze_;" andscrambling to his feet Forbes sped for the boathouse, and the world sawhim not again that day.
Scarcely had Forbes left the party on the pond when a new member wasadded to it, or, at least, arrived upon the scene with a very firmlyfixed intention of being added to it if he could contrive to be.
He was arrayed, from his standpoint of a proper toilet for the occasion,in a costume altogether irresistible, and which it had cost him nolittle time and outlay to procure.
Heavy tan shoes, a plaided Scotch tweed suit, a sweater of gorgeous red,and a sealskin cap.
With many a curve and flourish, for the man _could_ skate, he came up tothe group, and with a most impressive bow to Constance, raised the furcap, and, standing uncovered, said:
"Good-morning, Miss Carruth. Fine sport, ain't it? May I compliment youon your skating? You ain't got a rival on the ice, nor off it, neither."
For a moment Constance was at a loss to place the man, then she recalledhis visit to her Candy Arch about three weeks before. It was ElijahSniffins.
The very audacity of this move deprived her of speech for a moment, andthe others with her were too amazed to come to her rescue. Indeed, theydid not know the man at all, and, consequently, did not realize theextent of his presumption.
Then Constance came to herself. Looking straight into the man's eyes,her own ominous with indignation, and her cheeks flushing withresentment, she replied:
"Haven't you made a slight mistake, Mr. Sniffins? I believe the businessmatter upon which you called at the Arcade was settled then and there,for I had already made other arrangements. I hardly think there isanything more to be discussed."
"Oh, that's all in the sweet bygones. You needn't think I've got to talkbusiness every time we meet any mor'n you have; I just give myself aholiday once in so often just like you do, and this is one of 'em. Greatday for a holiday. But, by the way, did you get a nice girl for yourcounter?--one that's goin' to have some snap to her and do a rushin'business with all the young folks anxious to get rid of their money?"
"She is quite satisfactory, thank you, and good-morning, Mr. Sniffins."
"Oh, I say, won't you give me just one turn? Never see anyone couldskate like you--"
"Hadyn, isn't it about time we went home? Just one more spin, please,"and turning toward Hadyn Stuyvesant Constance held out both hands towardhim. He had turned to speak to another member of the party, and untilthat moment had not been aware of Sniffins' intrusion. At sight ofConstance's face his own changed, and he gave a quick glance at the man,who seemed undecided as to whether it would be wiser to accept hisdismissal or persist in his unwelcome attentions. It may have beensomething in Hadyn's glance which deterred him, for with anotherimpressive bow he skated rapidly away, muttering:
"Little snob! Thinks she's out of sight; but she ain't any better'nothers who are makin' their pile, and I'll learn her yet."
"Who is he? What is the matter, little girl?" asked Hadyn, as he andConstance swung away over the ice.
"Why, it's that odious man. I don't know what to make of him. This isthe second time he has forced himself upon me, and why he does so ismore than I can fathom. He is the Fire Insurance Agent down in StateStreet; and the only time we have ever had any intercourse whatsoeverwith him was when the house burned. But _I_ did not see him even then.Mother or Mammy were the only ones who had any dealings with him at thattime, though once later, when the Candy Booth in the Arcade caught fire,he did speak to me, now I remember, though I had quite forgotten it.What in this world can the man want? I declare he half frightens me, heis so audacious."
She then told Hadyn of Sniffins' visit to the Arcade. He listenedattentively, seeing far more in it than the girl beside him guessed, buttaking care not to let her know.
"And you did not engage his sister, after all?" he inquired.
"No; I have a Katherine Boggs doing duty there. She's a quiet, nicelittle thing, and not likely to do the 'rushin' business with all theyoung fools,' which this idiot seems to think a requisite qualification.Ugh! How I loathe the very sight of that man! It's mighty lucky I didnot engage his sister, isn't it? He would have used her as a wedge toforce his presence upon me, though why on earth he wishes to is morethan I can understand."
The face she turned up to Hadyn's was the very personification ofsweetness and modesty.
He looked at her, a slight color creeping into his own and a lightfilling his eyes, which for the first time since she had known him sentan odd little thrill to the girl's heart, which caused it to beat atrifle quicker, and her eyes to fall before his. It was all over in amoment, and all he said was:
"Keep your modesty, little girl. It is a valuable asset to womanhood.And now we must get back home, or the little Mother and Mammy will getafter us."