Molly Brown's Junior Days

CHAPTER XV.

A CHRISTMAS GHOST STORY THAT WAS NEVER TOLD

It was quite dark in the corridor whereon opened the cloister offices. All the teachers had gone away for the holidays and the place was as ghostly as a deserted monastery.

“I can’t say I’d like to be here alone on a dark night, if it is such a young cloister. It seems to have been born old like some children,” Molly thought.

She coughed and the sound reverberated in the arched ceiling and came back to her an empty echo.

Pausing at Professor Green’s door, she stooped to shove the note underneath, when, to her surprise, the door opened at her touch and swung lightly back.

With an exclamation, Molly started back, leaving the note on the floor. Leaning against one of the deep silled windows, just where the fast fading light fell across his face, stood a tall, stoop-shouldered man. In the flashing glimpse Molly caught of him before she turned and fled, she noticed that he resembled an old gray eagle with a thin beak of a nose and a worn white face; and that his dark eyes were quite close together. The rest of him was lost in the black shadows of the room.

Once out of the ghostly corridor and the heavy oak door shut between her and the strange visitor in the Professor’s office, Molly paused and took a deep breath.

“In the name of goodness,” she cried, “what have I just seen? If he had stirred or blinked an eyelash or even appeared to breathe, I should at least have felt he was human.”

The big empty hall of the Quadrangle seemed a cheerful spot in comparison with the cloister corridor. It was warm and light and from the seniors’ parlor came the sound of piano playing. But Molly never paused to look in and see what belated student was cheering herself with music. Only her own sitting room with its gay holiday decorations and Judy twanging the guitar could recall her to a world of realities. Before she reached the door she had made up her mind that it would be just as well not to tell the excitable and impressionable Judy anything about the apparition or whatever it was in the Professor’s study. It was really an act of self-denial, because it would have been decidedly interesting to discuss the episode with Judy.

“I would have told Nance,” she thought. “She would have agreed with me, I am sure, that it couldn’t have been a ghost because, of course, there are no such things. But if I tell Judy, I know perfectly well she will persuade me it was a ghost and we’ll be frightened to death all night.”

Judy, still wearing her widow’s weeds, was singing a doleful ballad when Molly hurried in, called “By the Bonnie Milldams o’ Binnorie.” Molly was fond of this ancient song, but she was in no mood to listen to it just then.

The guitar gave out a mournful twang.

“Talk about impressionable people, I’m worse than she is,” thought Molly. “I’ll shriek aloud if she doesn’t stop this minute.”

Just then the six o’clock bell boomed out and Molly did give a loud nervous exclamation.

Judy dropped the guitar on the floor. The strings resounded with a deep protesting chord and then subsided into resigned quietude.

“Molly, what is the matter? You’re as pale as a ghost.”

Molly smiled at her own weakness. Having just made up her mind not to tell Judy, she was suddenly possessed with a fever to relate the entire incident from beginning to end.

“If you’ll promise to put on your red dress to-night by way of celebration, and to cheer me up, I’ll tell you a thrilling story, Judy.”

“But I’ve made a vow and I can’t break it.”

“Did the vow stipulate that you couldn’t wear colors Christmas Eve?”

“No, not exactly.”

“Well, then, get into your scarlet frock, because I’ll never tell you if you wear that black one, and I’ll put on some old gay-colored rag, too, and after supper I’ll tell you a thrilling tale.”

“I’ll put on the red dress,” said Judy, “if you promise never to tell Nance, but I can’t wait until after supper to hear the story.”

“You’ll have to. It’s a long tale and there won’t be time to dress and tell it, too.”

“Well,” consented Judy, “because it’s Christmas Eve, the very time to tell thrilling tales if they are true, I’ll agree.”

And obediently she attired herself in the scarlet dress, while Molly put on a blue blouse that, by a happy chance, matched the color of her eyes as perfectly as if they had been cut from the same bolt.

“Did it really happen to me,” she kept thinking, “or did I dream it after all?”

There was no chance to tell Judy the story after supper, because the two girls were summoned to the parlor almost immediately to see three callers, Andy, Dodo Green and Lawrence Upton.

During the visit Molly seized the opportunity to ask the younger Green where his brother was spending his Christmas.

“Oh, he’s making visits around the county,” answered George Theodore carelessly. “He always has enough invitations for three, but he was never known to accept any before. I don’t know what’s got into the old boy this year. He’s getting as giddy as a débutante, going to parties and rushing around in motors. I have had to make two trips over to Wellington, first to get his evening clothes because he forgot to pack them, and then for his pumps and dress shirts I forgot myself. When the old boy goes into anything, he always does it in good style. He used to be a kind of dude about ten years ago. But he’s all the way to thirty now and he feels his age. Do you notice how bald he’s getting? He’ll be losing his teeth next.”

“I’m glad he’s having such a good time,” said Molly, disdaining the aspersions cast by George Theodore on his brother’s age. “I hope he is well and happy,” she added in her thoughts. “I am sure I don’t begrudge him a jolly Christmas, considering what a jolly one he gave me last year. I am sorry I left the note, now. Like as not, he doesn’t even remember what I said that day and when he reads the letter he won’t know what I am talking about.”

At last the boys left. Judy was intensely relieved. She desired only one thing on earth: to hear Molly’s ghost story. All her perceptions were on edge with curiosity, but she was determined to have all things in harmony for the telling of a Christmas Eve Ghost Story. So she restrained her inquisitiveness until they had slipped on dressing-gowns and were both comfortably installed in big chairs with a box of candy and a plate of salted almonds between them.

“And now, begin,” she said, sighing comfortably.

But Molly had scarcely uttered three words when she was interrupted by the arrival of packages from the late train brought up by the faithful Murphy.

Even Judy’s unsatisfied curiosity regarding the tale could not hold out against these fascinating boxes, and the story waited while they untied the strings and eagerly tore off the paper wrappings.

“I suppose we ought to wait until to-morrow morning, but since we’re just two lonely little waifs, I think we might gratify ourselves this once, don’t you, Molly dear?” asked Judy.

“I certainly do,” Molly agreed, “seeing as it doesn’t matter to anybody whether we look at them now or in the morning.”

It was a long time before they settled down again to the story, and Molly had not advanced a paragraph when there came another tap at the door. Evidently the Quadrangle gates were to be kept open late that night or account of the arrival of holiday packages.

This time it was a boy from the florist’s, fairly laden with flower boxes.

Andy had sent both the girls violets.

“Very sweet and proper of him, I’m sure, in the absence of Nance,” laughed Judy.

Lawrence Upton had sent Molly a box of American beauties.

“And he could ill afford it, the foolish boy,” ejaculated Molly.

Dodo had expended all his savings on a handsome Jerusalem cherry tree for Judy. There was another box for Molly. It contained violets and two cards – Miss Grace Green’s and Professor Edwin Green’s.

Molly blushed crimson when she read the names. For the thousandth time she covered herself with reproaches. She sat down and gathered the bouquets into her lap.

“Judy,” she cried contritely, “what have I done to gain all these kind friends? I’m sure I don’t deserve it. The dears!”

But Judy was too much engaged with her own numerous gifts to contradict this self-depreciating statement.

“I am really happy, Molly,” she cried, “even without mamma and papa it’s been a lovely Christmas Eve.”

With one of those divinations which sometimes comes to us like a voice from another land, it suddenly occurred to Molly that whatever it was in Professor Green’s office, whether ghost or human, perhaps the Professor might not like to have it discussed, and she resolved not to tell Judy or anyone else what she had seen.

“And then,” she continued, “if he ever asks me whether I told, it will be a nice, comfortable feeling to say I haven’t.”

At last, having put the flowers back in the boxes and restored some order to the room, Judy sat down and folded her hands.

“And now, go on with the story.”

“My dear child, so much has happened since then and I’m so weary, I don’t think I can make it the frightful tale I had intended.”

“Oh, it was all a joke?” asked Judy, whose enthusiasm had about spent itself in other outlets.

“Oh, partly a joke. I went down to the cloisters to leave a Christmas note for Professor Green at his office and saw a ghostly looking figure there.”

“Is that all? Well, anybody might look like a phantom in that gloomy place. I’ve no doubt the ghostly figure took you for another.”

“I’ve no doubt it did,” answered Molly, laughing, and with that they kissed and went to bed.

Long after midnight Molly rose and slipped on her dressing-gown. Creeping out of her room, she flitted along the corridor, turned the corner and hurried up the other side of the Quadrangle. At the very end of this hall was a narrow passage with a window which commanded a view of the courtyard and the windows of the cloister studies.

Softly raising the blind, she looked out. In one of the studies a dim light was burning. She counted windows. It was Professor Green’s office, she was certain. While she looked the light went out.

Back to her bed she flew with a feeling that somebody was chasing her.

“There’s one thing certain,” she thought, drawing the covers over her head, “ghosts never need lights.”

CHAPTER XVI.

MORE CHRISTMAS PRESENTS AND A COASTING PARTY OF TWO

All the bells in Wellington were ringing when the girls awoke Christmas morning. The sweet-toned bell of the Chapel of St. Francis mingled its notes with the persistent appeal of the Roman Catholic bell across the way, while on the next street the bell of the Presbyterian Church sent out a calm doctrinal call for all repentant sinners to be on hand sharp for the ten o’clock service. And in this confusion of sound came the tinkle of sleigh bells like a note of pleasure in a religious symphony.

“Merry Christmas!” cried Judy, running into the room with an armful of parcels done up with white tissue paper and tied with red ribbons. “Here are the presents Nance and the others left for you. ‘My lady fair, arise, arise, arise!’”

“Merry Christmas!” cried Molly, bounding out of bed and rushing to find the presents she had been commissioned to take care of for Judy.

The two girls climbed under the covers and began to open their gifts.

“Dear old Nance!” ejaculated Judy. “How well she knows my wants. She’s given me an address book because she disapproved of my keeping addresses on old envelopes.”

“And she’s given me a pair of silk stockings,” cried Molly, “because she knows my luxurious tastes run to such things.”

“Edith Williams is the class joker,” remarked Judy, laughing. “She’s sent me a novel by Black and she’s written on the fly leaf, ‘For the first six months the Merry Widow read only novels by Black.’”

“Weren’t they dears?” broke in Molly. “They knew we’d be lonely and they wanted to make us laugh Christmas morning. Look what Edith sent me.”

It was a small round basket of sweet grass, no doubt purchased at the village store, and inside on pink cotton was a pasteboard medal. Printed around the outer edge of the medal was the following announcement: “Awarded to Pallas Athene Brown for the Best General Average in Good Manners and Amiability by the Wellington High School.”

There was a hole punched in one end of the medal with a blue ribbon run through it. On one of Edith’s cards in the box was written:

“To be worn on great occasions.”

The two girls received other amusing presents. If their friends had hoped to cheer them on their lonely Christmas morning, they had succeeded wonderfully well. Judy especially was in the wildest spirits. It was a custom of hers to describe her feelings exactly as a chronic invalid recounts his sensations.

“I’m all aglow with good cheer. I could dance and sing. It must be a sort of Christmas spirit in the air. I do adore to get presents. I think I have more curiosity in my nature than you, Molly. Why don’t you open the rest of yours?”

Molly was lost in admiration of a beautiful little copy of Maeterlinck’s “Pelléas et Mélisande” sent to her by Mary Stewart.

“Because I like to eat my cake slowly,” she answered, “and get all the fine flavor without choking myself to death. Oh,” she cried, taking the tissue paper off a small parcel, “how lovely of your mother, Judy, to send me this beautiful lace collar!”

“It’s just like the one she sent me,” answered Judy, as pleased as a child over Molly’s enthusiasm. “But do look in the other boxes. What’s that square thing? If it were mine, I should be palpitating with curiosity.”

If Judy had guessed what the square box contained, she would not have been so eager to precipitate an embarrassing situation.

“Very well, Mistress Judy, we’ll find out immediately what’s inside. Where did it come from, anyway?”

“There’s not the slightest inkling of who sent it,” answered Judy, examining the address printed in a sort of script. “Whoever sent it knew how to do lettering, certainly. But the postmark is smeared.”

Molly cut the string and removed the brown paper wrapping. The article inside the box was folded in a quantity of tissue paper.

“It has as many coverings as a royal Egyptian mummy,” exclaimed Judy impatiently.

It had indeed. After stripping off several layers of paper it was necessary to cut another string before the rest of the paper could be removed.

At last, however, another china Martin Luther emerged from his tissue paper shell. The two girls gasped with surprise and consternation.

“Will wonders never cease?” ejaculated Molly.

“I’m sure it’s just another joke the girls are playing on us,” broke in Judy with some excitement. “Here’s a card. What does it say?”

On a pasteboard card, written in the same script as the address, was the following mystifying message:

“Was it kind to put such temptation in the way of the weak?”

“What does it mean, Judy?” asked Molly. “I seem to be groping in the dark.”

Judy shook her head.

“You can search me,” she said expressively. “Why don’t you break a hole in him and see?”

“No sooner said than done,” answered Molly. “But I really feel like a butcher. This is the third time I’ve destroyed a pig.”

She cracked the bank on the head of her little iron bed, but only a silver quarter rolled out on the floor. The rest of the money was in bills, three five dollar bills, which had been compactly folded and pushed through the slit in the pig’s back.

“Fifteen dollars and a quarter!” ejaculated Molly. “That was just about what the original sum was, but I suppose in silver it was too heavy to come through the mails.”

She lay back on her pillows, her brows wrinkled into a puzzled frown.

“It’s a curious performance,” she said, after a brief silence. “I don’t understand.”

Judy at the foot of the bed, half buried in tissue paper and Christmas presents, glanced out of the window at the snowy landscape. There was a strange expression on her face and two little imps of laughter lurked in her wide gray eyes. Molly looked at her a moment, but Judy would not meet her gaze.

“Julia Kean,” broke out Molly, suddenly, “do you know whom you look like this moment? Mona Lisa. You have the same mysterious smile as if you knew a great deal more than you intended to tell. Now just turn around and look me in the eyes.” Molly crawled from under the covers and put her hands on her friend’s shoulders. “Who sent me that first Martin Luther with all the small change?”

Judy’s lips curled into an irresistible smile. There was something very mellowed and soft about her face, like an old portrait, the colors of which had deepened with the years.

“You aren’t angry with me, Molly, dearest?” she asked, laying her cheek against Molly’s.

“Angry? How could I be angry, you adorable child?”

“You see it was just taking money out of one pocket to put it in the other, and it was the only way I could think of to make you take the yellow dress. You wouldn’t accept it as a gift. Of course, I never dreamed the real thief would repent.”

The two friends looked into each other’s eyes with loving confidence.

“Dear old Judy!” cried Molly, “I don’t know what I have done to deserve such a friend as you. And what an imagination you have! Who but you would ever have conceived such a notion? And to think, too, that I would never have known, if the real person who took the money hadn’t had an attack of conscience.”

“It would certainly have remained a secret forever unless Nance had confessed it on her death bed,” laughed Judy. “She’s that close, I imagine her first confession would be her last one.”

“I’ll wear the dress to-night, Judy, just to show you how much I appreciate the gift,” announced Molly.

Judy put on a broad lace collar that morning and a lavender velvet bow, by way of lightening her mourning.

There was a good deal to do during the day, getting the rooms straightened and writing letters.

All morning the snow fell so softly and quietly that the Quadrangle seemed to be isolated in a still white world of its own. Not even the campus houses could be seen through the thick curtain of flakes. Molly could picture to herself no more delightful occupation than to stay indoors all day and read one of her new Christmas books. Nothing could have been more cheerful than the little sitting room with its Christmas greens and vases of flowers.