Elsie's Young Folks in Peace and War Page 5

  CHAPTER V.

  Before the next Sabbath our friends had returned to Bar Harbor. Forsome weeks longer they remained in that vicinity; then, cooler weathermaking a more southerly climate desirable, they sailed for home. Dr.Percival was so far recovered that he felt in haste to get back toTorriswood and at work among his patients again. He and his Maude paida flying visit to old friends and relatives at the Oaks and Ion, thenhastened to Louisiana by rail.

  Max Raymond, to the great satisfaction of himself, his _fiancee_, andhis friends, was favored with a lengthening of his furlough, whichenabled him to spend some weeks at home in his father's house. Lucillapersuaded Evelyn to be her guest at the same time, Chester was thereevery evening, and so the courting went merrily on. There was much talkabout the new house the captain proposed building, much discussionof the question whether the one building should be made suitable andsufficiently large for two families,--half of it for Max and Eva,--orwhether a separate house should be put up for them in another part ofthe grounds. The decision was finally left to the brides-elect, and asthey were very strongly attached, and Max was likely to be often awayon the sea for months and years together, they thought it best the twodwellings should be under the same roof, and their decision was highlyapproved by the captain and all their relatives and friends.

  Then followed consultations in regard to the exact spot upon which itshould stand, and the studying and comparing of plans to make it ascommodious, convenient, and beautiful as possible. The captain wasevidently ready to go to any reasonable amount of expense in order togive them an ideal home, his means being ample and his love for hischildren very great.

  But all the time was not spent in that way, for other relativesclaimed a share in Max's prized companionship; invitations were givenand visits paid to the Oaks, Ion, Fairview, the Laurels, Roselands,Pinegrove, Ashlands, and Riverside. Sometimes the invitation was fordinner or tea, sometimes for the whole day--or longer for the youngfolks, if not for the older ones and the children. It was on the lastday of October they dined at Riverside, nearly all the connectionmeeting them there, and at Rosie's earnest solicitation Evelyn andLucilla, Max and Chester accepted an invitation to stay until the nextmorning, Captain Raymond giving a rather unwilling consent to letLucilla do so.

  "It is Hallowe'en, you know, and I'm just pining for a bit of fun,"Rosie said privately to the girls, after seeing the older guestsdepart. "You two are engaged, to be sure, but 'there's many a slip'twixt the cup and the lip,'" she added, with a laugh and a twinkle offun in her eye.

  "But we are not wanting slips," laughed Lucilla.

  "Nor much afraid we will get them," added Evelyn merrily. "Still wemight have a little fun."

  "Provided we take it early enough to get to bed in good season," addedLucilla, in a mirthful tone. "My father, you know, is very particularabout that--so kindly anxious is he to keep me in good health."

  "Which is altogether right, wise, and kind, I am sure," returned Rosie;"and I don't intend to tempt you to go contrary to his wishes. I'mobliged to him for granting my request for permission to keep you hereall night, and I shall not urge you to stay up later than he wouldallow you to if you were at home. If we try some old-fashioned games wecan suit ourselves as to the hour for the experiments."

  "Yes," laughed Evelyn, "I shall be quite as sure of the fulfilment ofthe augury if we get it some hours earlier than people of old timesused to look for it."

  "Then we will just wait till our old folks get to bed--which theyalways do in good season," said Rosie.

  "Your husband approves, I suppose?" remarked Lucilla inquiringly.

  "Oh, yes!" laughed Rosie; "he sees no harm in it, and approves of hiswife having all the pleasure she can. I wish we could have had Gracestay and share the fun, but her father vetoed that almost before I hadfairly given the invitation."

  "Yes," said Lucilla, "poor Gracie is so feeble that father has to bevery careful of her."

  "Yes; I know," said Rosie, "but I thought he might have left herfor once, considering that my two doctor brothers are here for thenight--unless called out by some inconveniently sick person."

  "Which we will hope they won't be, for even doctors should have alittle amusement once in a while," said Evelyn.

  "Yes," said Rosie, "and they enjoyed the golf this afternoon, andappear to be having a pleasant time with Max, Chester, and the othersout on the river bank there now."

  The girls were on the veranda overlooking the river, and just atthat moment were joined by Rosie's mother-in-law, the older Mrs.Croly. She sat down and chatted with them for a few moments, then badethem good-night, and went to her own apartments. It was growing duskthen, the young men came in, and presently they all repaired to thedrawing-room, where for the next hour or two they entertained eachother with music and conversation. Max had some interesting adventuresto narrate, to which both young men and maidens were eager listeners.

  In the pause that followed the conclusion of the second tale the clockin the hall was heard to strike.

  "Eleven!" exclaimed Lucilla, in a tone of surprise and dismay. "Fatherwould say I ought to have gone to my room and my bed more than an hourago."

  "Oh, no! not on Hallowe'en," laughed Rosie; and just then a servantbrought in a basket filled with ears of corn, and set it down in theirmidst.

  "What's that for, Rosie?" asked Harold. "You can hardly ask yourguests to eat raw corn, especially at this late hour? As a physician Imust most emphatically enter my protest."

  "Perhaps Rosie is benevolently trying to bring practice into herbrothers' hands," remarked Herbert facetiously. "But we are not lookingfor that at present, but for fun--pure fun, that will bring damage tonobody."

  "Yes, my dear brothers, that's what I am endeavoring to do," shereturned in sprightly tones. "Perhaps you have not heard of the newgame with ears of corn? You folks are all invited to be blindfolded,each in turn, and in that condition to draw out an ear of corn by whichto foretell your future fate. A tasselled ear will promise you greatjoy, a big, full one good luck for a year. A short one will mean a giftis coming, a red or yellow one no luck at all."

  "Quite a new idea," said Herbert, "and as there is nothing said aboutlove or marriage, I suppose even engaged folks may try it; married onesalso."

  "Oh, yes!" replied Rosie, producing a dainty lace-trimmed handkerchief."Eva, will you kindly consent to take the first turn?"

  "If you wish it," returned Evelyn, and the handkerchief was bound abouther head and she was led to the basket.

  "I suppose I am not to choose by feeling, either, but just to take thefirst one I happen to touch?" she said inquiringly.

  The others assented, and she drew out an ear.

  "Oh, good luck for you!" exclaimed Rosie. "It is as big and full a oneas the basket holds."

  Lucilla was told it was her turn, the handkerchief was bound about hereyes, and she stooped over the basket and drew out quite a short ear.

  "Ah, you see I am not so lucky as you were, Eva," she exclaimed,passing her fingers from end to end.

  "But it isn't bad," said Rosie. "That means a gift is coming to yousoon."

  "A good or a bad one?" laughed Lucilla. "Perhaps papa would say Ideserved a bad one for staying up so late."

  "Oh, no! I think he expected something of the kind--he declined to letGrace stay, you know," said Rosie, "and I did want her badly. Well,gentlemen, which of you will take his turn now?"

  At that they all insisted that she should take hers first, which shedid, bringing out a tasselled ear.

  "Oh, I am fortunate!" she cried, with a merry peal of laughter, "for atasselled ear is said to mean great joy."

  After that the young men took their turns. Chester got a big, full ear,Max a short one, Herbert a tasselled one, Harold a yellow one, whichRosie told him with sighs and groans meant no luck at all.

  "But don't be discouraged, brother dear," she said, patting himaffectionately on the shoulder, "though older than myself, you areyoung enough to have lots of good luck after this year is
out."

  "Many thanks for the assurance, sister mine," he laughed, "and thougholder than yourself, I believe I am young enough to wait a year for anyspecial good luck."

  "And I hope you will have enough afterward to reward you for thepatient waiting, Uncle Harold," said Lucilla.

  "If he gets all he deserves it will be a great deal," added Evelyn.

  "You are good, kind comforters--both; accept my warmest thanks,"laughed Harold.

  There was a little more lively chat, then the young girls saidgood-night and went to their rooms--two on the second floor with acommunicating door between. Rosie accompanied them, leaving her husbandto attend to the gentlemen guests.

  "See here, girls," she said, pointing to a basket of rosy-cheekedapples on a stand; "these were put here to induce you to try anotherHallowe'en experiment. If you want to see what your future husbandswill look like, eat one of these standing before the mirror, brushingyour hair all the time, and now and then--when you can get up courageenough--look over your left shoulder."

  "Oh, that won't require any courage, Rosie," laughed Evelyn. "I am notin the least afraid of Max--brave officer though he is."

  "And I stand in quite as little fear of Chester," said Lucilla. "Sothat really it seems that your good apples will be almost thrown away."

  "Ah, you two forget the 'many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip,'"laughed Rosie. "And it cannot possibly do your lovers any harm, oralienate their affections from you."

  "No, we are not at all afraid of that," said Lucilla, "and as yourapples look very tempting, I believe I shall run the risk of eating onepresently. I suppose I must first don a dressing gown and take down myhair."

  "Yes," said Rosie; "you are to stand before the mirror brushing itdiligently while eating the apple. And you will try it too, won't you,Eva?"

  "Well, yes," returned Evelyn, "just for fun; and if anybody but Maxcomes to me I shall be sure it is not a truthful augury."

  "Max is a fine fellow and has always been one of my favorites," saidRosie, "but there are others in the world that might do just as well,in case you and Max should have a falling out. Or you may live longenough to marry several times."

  Evelyn laughed at that, saying she was quite sure once would be enoughfor her.

  "I know you girls did not come prepared to stay all night," saidRosie, "so I have laid out a night-dress and dressing-gown for each ofyou. Get into them, and you will look nice and pretty enough for aninterview with your future husbands."

  They thanked her, and, examining the garments which she took from awardrobe in Eva's room, pronounced them really pretty enough to wear tothe breakfast table.

  They made haste with their toilets, and in a few minutes each wasstanding before a mirror, eating an apple and brushing out her hair.Then Rosie left them with a promise to be back again before very longto learn of their success. She artfully left ajar both doors leadinginto the hall. They opened noiselessly, and presently each had admitteda young man, who, wearing slippers, moved with noiseless tread, and asthe girls looked over their left shoulders Eva caught sight of Haroldstanding a few feet in her rear, gazing steadily at her, a kindly smileupon his features; while at the same moment Lucilla perceived Herbertat a similar distance from her, gazing intently and admiringly upon her.

  "Oh, Uncle Herbert," she laughed, "this cannot be a true sign, for Iknow well enough that neither of us has any loverlike feeling towardthe other."

  Almost before she finished her sentence he had vanished, and she heardEvelyn saying in mirthful tones, "Ah, Uncle Harold, this is the no luckat all--prophesied by that yellow ear of corn; for, as you know, I amalready pledged to another."

  At that Harold sighed deeply and withdrew.

  But scarcely had he and his brother disappeared when Max silently tookhis place, Chester at the same time coming up behind Lucilla so thatshe saw him in the mirror, to which she had again turned, brush in hand.

  "Oh, is it you, Chester? You are the right man in the right place," shelaughed.

  "I hope so, darling," he returned. "What lovely hair!" passing his handcaressingly over it; "so long and thick too. I never before saw it tosuch advantage."

  Max was standing silently behind Evelyn, and just at that moment shecaught sight of him in the glass. She turned quickly, and he caught herin his arms, giving her a rapturous kiss.

  "Don't be disappointed that I am your future mate," he said.

  "Certainly not, since you were already my own free choice," shereturned, looking up into his face with one of her sweetest smiles.Just then Lucilla's voice was heard coming from the next room, "Isthat you, Max?" and in a moment the four were together, gayly laughingand chatting, both young men insisting that that style of wearingthe hair--streaming over the shoulders--was extremely becoming. ThenRosie and her Will joined them for a moment, after which they all badegood-night, and the girls were left alone to seek repose.