by Oliver Optic
VII
IN DIFFICULTIES
On the same floor with the gymnasium at the end of the hall was a roomwhose door was usually locked. In passing up and down it was not strangethat occasionally the girls would rattle the handle in their anxiety tocatch a glimpse of the inside of the room. But the door was alwaysfastened, and this fact allowed them to speculate widely as to what theroom contained.
"It is full of clothes and jewels that belonged to Miss South'sgrandmother," announced Concetta. "She was a very strange old lady, andas rich as rich could be, and when Miss South wants any money, she justsells some of the things from this room."
"Oh, then the things must be beautiful; I wish we could see them!"
"Well, we'll watch and watch, and perhaps some day we shall find itopen."
Once or twice, however, on their way to the gymnasium the girls hadnoticed this door ajar, and great had been their curiosity about it; forConcetta, who was never backward in wrongdoing, had announced that shemeant to go in at the close of the gymnastic lesson, and look into someof the trunks that were piled against the wall.
"No, no," replied Gretchen, to whom she confided her intention, "thatwouldn't be right."
"Why not?"
"Oh, we've never been told that we could go in there."
"But nobody said we couldn't go."
"I'm sure Miss South wouldn't like it."
"Ah, I shall go just the same; when I looked in just now, one of thetrunks was open, and on the top I saw a wig, all white curls, and a pinksatin dress. I'd like to have those things to dress up in. Just as soonas I can I'm going into that room."
It happened, however, to Concetta's disappointment that when the girlscame out from the gymnasium the room in the ell was locked. But sheremembered the room, and another day in passing she noticed that thedoor was slightly ajar. She now said nothing to Gretchen, but had awhispered conference with Haleema and Inez, with the result that thesethree lingered behind when the others went downstairs.
As the last footfall died away, the three girls stole quietly to theroom in the ell. Concetta laid her finger on her lips in token ofsilence, for she was by no means sure that some older person might notbe within hearing.
"Oh, they're all out this afternoon except Miss Dreen," said Haleemaconfidently, "and she's down in the kitchen giving a cooking lesson."
"See! see!" added Concetta, as she tiptoed ahead of the others, "there'sno one here; come on." And in a minute the three were inside themysterious room.
"Those are the chests of jewels!" and Concetta pointed to the threelarge chests ranged along the wall.
At the end of the room were several large trunks.
"I wish that we could look inside them," said Haleema.
"Oh, no," and there was real terror in Inez's tone.
"Don't be afraid; they're all out," said Concetta.
"Yes, even Miss Angelina," added Haleema; "she's gone to a lecture."
"Miss Angelina," responded Concetta, mimicking her tone. "She's no MissAngelina."
"But you always call her that."
"Oh, that only to her face; I should never call her that behind herback. Why, she's only a girl, just like we are; why, she used to livedown there at the North End, near where Luisa's mother lives. But there,shut the door, Haleema, so that we can look at these things."
The three little girls bent over the trunk, the lid of which Concettahad boldly opened. On the top lay the pink satin gown that she haddescribed in such glowing terms. Haleema slipped her arms into thesleeves, and strange to say the bodice fitted her very well.
"You oughtn't to touch it," cried Inez.
"You are such a scarecrow," said Concetta, whose English was not alwaysperfect.
"Scarecrow! you mean 'fraid-cat," corrected Inez.
"Oh, well, it's all the same thing."
What did a little question of English matter, when now they were so nearthe mysterious treasure; for Concetta had noticed what the others hadnot seen, that a bit of bright-colored fabric was hanging from one ofthe chests, and she rightly conjectured that this trunk was unlocked.Even while she spoke to Inez she was fingering the lid of the chest, andin a moment it was thrown back. Many were the exclamations of the threeas garment after garment was drawn out from the depths; they werechiefly of bright-colored and delicate materials, and Madame Du Launywould have turned in her grave had she seen these little girls trying onthe things that at one time in her life had so delighted her.
"I don't see any jewels," said Haleema disappointedly.
"Oh, we'll find them; there are some boxes at the bottom. But see here!"and Concetta drew out a mysterious, queerly shaped package. Opening itrather gingerly, for at first she was uncertain what it contained, andthen with a skip and a jump--
"Oh, let's dress up; here are wigs and--"
"No, no," said Inez, "perhaps some one might find us out."
"No matter, no matter," and she waved the various wigs in the air.
"Are they anybody's real hair?" asked Inez, in an awestruck tone,pointing to the gray toupee and the short curled wig that Concetta heldin her hand.
"Of course not, child. Oh, see! Haleema has found a box of paint," andthey laughed loudly at the bright red spots on Haleema's cheeks. ThenHaleema put on the curled wig. The others shrieked with laughter. "Youreyes look blacker than black."
"'I think I hear some one coming upstairs'"]
"Ah, this is better than Angelina's whip," and then they all shoutedagain, recalling the episode of Angelina and the switch.
"Hush! hark!" cried Concetta, with her hand at her ear; "I think I hearsome one coming upstairs."
"Shut the trunk! Let's go into the closet;" and as she spoke the othertwo followed her into the closet. It was a large closet with a transomthat let in a certain amount of light, and at first their situationseemed rather amusing to the three. Haleema, who had gone in last, hadclosed the door with a snap, and after a few minutes had passed shestarted to open it again. But, alas! she could not lift the latch.Evidently it had closed with a spring, and they would have to wait untilsome one should come to their relief.
At first, as before, they giggled a little; then, as they realized theirsituation, they sobered down.
"Suppose no one should come; we might have to stay all night."
"They may think that we've run away, and so they won't look for us."
"Oh, some one will remember that we didn't go downstairs; they'll comeup here the first thing."
"No, no, don't you remember how the others all ran down ahead of us?They won't remember."
"Gretchen's the only one who might think of this room. I told her theother day that I meant to come in some time."
"That won't do no good," rejoined Haleema; "she'll be glad to have youshut up."
"We're better off here than we would be in that trunk," continuedHaleema thoughtfully. "I read a poem the other day about a girl that gotshut up in a chest, and she did not get out until she was dead. She wasan Italian, too," she said, looking suggestively toward Concetta, "andher name was Jinerva."
Whereupon Concetta began to weep softly, either in sympathy for hercountrywoman or from fear that as an Italian she was more likely tosuffer than the others.
"Oh, that's nothing," said Inez; "why, we had a history lesson onceabout the Black Hole. Everybody that went into it died, and there weredozens of people."
"Why did they go in?" asked Concetta with a languid interest.
"Oh, it was in war; I don't remember much about it, only they all died."
"Well, this isn't a black hole," said Haleema cheerfully; "there's quitea little light comes in at that window." And she began to hum,
"'When a spring lock that lay in ambush there Fastened her down forever.'
There, that's the last of that Jinerva poem; I couldn't help rememberingit; I read it over several times."
"Oh, Haleema, and we're fastened in with a spring lock."
"Oh, we'll get out all right," said Haleema cheerfully; "'w
here there'sa will, there's a way.'"
While she spoke she was moving about the closet.
"I wouldn't meddle any more; if you hadn't meddled with that trunk wewouldn't be in here now."
"I'm not meddling," she replied angrily, "I'm trying to find something."Her search continued for some time, and at last the others heard anexclamation of satisfaction.
"What is it?" asked Concetta. "What have you found?"
"A stick," responded Haleema. "Do you know, I believe that I can breakthat window."
As she spoke she stood on tiptoe, and reached toward the transom. But,alas! _she_ was too short, and the stick was too short, and with all herefforts she could not reach the glass.
"We could not get out through that window," said Concetta scornfully."We couldn't get out through that window, so what is the good oftrying?"
"Oh, I didn't mean to get out through the window, but if I break theglass we can have more air. We won't smother to death."
At the suggestion of smothering, although Haleema had pronounced it anunlikely happening, Inez began to cry.
"Don't be a baby," said the little Syrian scornfully. "I guess there'smore than one way of catching a bird, even if you can't put salt on histail," from which it may be seen that Haleema was well on the way tobecoming a good Yankee, since her proverbs were not strictly Oriental.
How long the time seemed! The light from the other room hardly showedthrough the transom. Though they could move about in the closet, theirpositions were naturally cramped. The air grew closer and warmer, andthough they were in no danger of suffocation, they were becoming drowsyfrom the closeness and warmth.
Haleema strained her ears to hear any one who should pass near, yet evenwhen she noted a distant step she realized that it would be hard to makeherself heard. Still the three girls kicked on the door, and sang at thetop of their voices, but in vain.
At last Haleema grew desperate.
"There's just one thing I can do," she said, "and I'll do it."
Thereupon she again seized the stick, and telling the others to go closeup to the corners, she threw it toward the transom. The first time itfell back and hit her on the nose, the second time it merely grazed thewall beside the glass, the third time it touched the glass withoutbreaking it.
"There," said Haleema, "I'm sure that I can do it," and with one mightyeffort she took aim again, and the stick crashed through the glass. Mostof the pieces went outside, but a few bits fell into the closet, and oneof these scratched Haleema's forehead. In her triumph at accomplishingher end she did not mind the injury.
"There! you can come out of the corner. We'll get plenty of air from theroom, and if any one should be passing, why, it will be easier to hearus. Sing, Concetta, at the top of your voice."
"I'm too tired," said Concetta crossly, "and dreadful hungry. I wishyou'd have let that trunk alone, Haleema; that's what made all thetrouble."
So the time dragged on, and at length Concetta, though she never wouldadmit it, fell asleep. Haleema kept herself awake by telling wonderfulstories--some of them fairy tales, and some of them stories ofadventures that she professed to have passed through.
At last even her lively tongue was quiet, and she had given up kickingagainst the door, as a useless expenditure of energy.
In the meantime the absence of the three girls had become the subject ofconjecture on the part of the others downstairs. No one apparently hadnoticed when they left the gymnasium, though Nellie thought that she hadseen them on their way to the street floor.
"Perhaps they've just gone off for fun. Haleema's always up to somemischief."
"They may have run off for good, like Mary Murphy."
"Oh, no, there's no danger; that ain't likely. They know which sidetheir bread's buttered on."
The three vacant places troubled Angelina as she sat at the end of thetable opposite Miss Dreen.
"If I hadn't been away, they wouldn't have dared go off."
Anstiss, to whom at last they applied for advice, was uncertain whatthey ought to do. She was sorry that this was the evening that Pamelaand Julia and Miss South had taken to dine with Lois in Newton. It wouldbe late when they returned, and she did not like the responsibilitythat had fallen upon her.
While the discussion was going on, many thoughts were passing throughGretchen's mind. Not until tea-time had she learned of the disappearanceof her schoolmates, and as she was not very quick-witted, she had not atfirst connected them with the end room. When she did recall Concetta'sdesire to explore it, she hesitated about speaking. In the first place,if Concetta heard that she had told of her previous efforts to pry intothe mysteries of the trunks, she would surely take vengeance, especiallyif at the present time she happened not to be there. If she had beenshut up in the room all this time, or in a trunk--and then the story ofGinevra came into Gretchen's mind, and she was half afraid to suggestthat the end room be explored.
So positive, however, was Angelina that the girls had run away, or atleast had taken advantage of Miss South's absence to spend the eveningout, that no one suggested exploring the house thoroughly. Anstissherself had gone to the room of each girl to assure herself that theywere not in one of them, and had sat herself down to her hour's readingwhen she noticed that Gretchen was softly weeping.
"Why, what is the matter, child?" she asked, and Gretchen, wiping hereyes with a handkerchief that left a little dark streak, looked up for amoment, and then hung down her head without answering.
"Tell her," said Nellie, who sat beside her, with a nudge that madeGretchen wriggle her shoulders. To save herself, perhaps, from a secondsuch demonstration, when Anstiss repeated her question Gretchen replied:
"I'm afraid that they're locked up in the attic."
"Who? Haleema and the other two?"
Anstiss had already started toward the door.
"Yes'm; I went upstairs just before you came in and I thought I heard alittle noise from the end room."
"Then why didn't you look in? Was the door locked?"
"I don't know; I didn't try it. I was afraid that they might be dead."
"But you said that you heard a noise. Oh, Gretchen, you are a sillygirl."
As she spoke Anstiss was wondering why she herself had not thought ofthe end room, since every corner of the house ought to have beenthoroughly explored.
Then she ran upstairs to the top of the house, and then down the two orthree steps to the end room, with five girls and Fidessa following herclosely. She felt sure that she heard a noise from the direction of theroom; nor was she wrong. Haleema, who had managed to keep herself awakeamid all the discomforts of her position, was shouting at the top of herrather weak lungs. Yet she had made herself heard.
A glance around the small room and the sight of the broken glass on thefloor outside showed Anstiss that the girls were in the closet. But herewas a new difficulty. The door had shut with a spring that had lockedit, and no one knew where the key could be found.
The fact, however, that they were discovered had restored the spirits ofthe girls inside the closet.
"Yes, we are starved," they admitted when questioned.
"Let's get a ladder, and send down a basket by a rope over the door,"suggested Angelina; and before any one could object she had gone down tothe kitchen. When she returned with a small basket containing threeoranges and some slices of bread and butter, Anstiss praised her warmlyfor bringing just the right things. In her absence a ladder had beenbrought from a corner of the gymnasium, and it was very little work tolower the basket over the transom to the hungry girls within.
They had hardly finished their repast when the diners-out returned, andwhen they heard of the disturbance upstairs Miss South hastened at onceto the scene.
"Why, no," she said, "I haven't a key; it is strange that that shouldhave been a spring latch, for there's nothing very valuable in thecloset. We did not intend to keep it fastened. There are many things ofmy grandmother's in these trunks, and though we knew that no one wouldmeddle with them, we meant
to keep them locked, as well as the door ofthis room. I was up here myself just before I went out, and I fear thatI must have left the door open."
Not a word thus far of reproof for the meddlesome girls within thecloset, although Miss South saw plainly that one trunk, if no more, hadbeen ransacked.
A minute later Julia and Pamela appeared with the small tool-chest thatwas kept in the hall closet on the first floor, and then, to everyone's astonishment, Miss South herself set to work upon the latch in thedeftest possible way, and in a minute the lock was off and the dooropen.
"My! she did it as well as a man could," whispered Gretchen to Nellie.But Miss South heard the whisper, and, smiling, said, "As well as I hopeevery girl in the Mansion will be able to do before her term here isup."
When the door was opened the prisoners rushed out; their faces wererather grave. It is true that they were quite wide-awake, but now,almost for the first time, they realized the impropriety of theirconduct, and dreaded facing their comrades. Everything considered, theywere hardly prepared for the shouts of laughter that greeted theirappearance.
"Oh, Haleema, you do look so funny!" and Haleema, putting her hand toher forehead, realized that she was still wearing the wig, while theobservers saw what she could not, that the paint was daubed on veryunevenly, and gave her a strange aspect.