by Lilian Garis
CHAPTER XIII
CRAWLING IN THE SHADOWS
"You jump in the car and wait a few minutes," said Ted to Nora.
It was almost dusk and the moving picture party was about to set out forLenox in the trim little car which, Ted insisted, was tamed, educatedand "fed from her hand" when it went out of gas.
Nora willingly complied with the order to take her seat and wait. Darkshadows fell from the trees to the narrow roadway, and while alone thereNora was just wondering if everything was going to happen in one singleday.
Cousins Jerry and Ted had many things to look after before setting out,for while Vita was a capable houseworker, she knew nothing of homemanagement. Some minutes passed and the others had not yet come to thecar where Nora sat so quietly that the squirrels had no idea a singlehuman being was in the black car. One gay little furred skipper had theaudacity to hop on the running board, but Nora from the depths of hercushions, never stirred.
A rustling of the leaves, much heavier than the tread of squirrels couldpossibly have been, gave her a start. She just peeked out in time to seesomething crawl across the road and continue on toward the path to thecottage.
"Oh, what was that!" Nora barely whispered. Then she raised her head andgazed intently at the crawling thing, that now was not more than anoutline in the coming darkness.
For the moment she was too surprised to jump out and follow. Could it bea bear or some big animal? Certainly it was no small woodland creature,and as it passed the car she could hear queer, jerky breathing.
Being so near the house there was no need for alarm as to her personalsafety, so she did jump out now and ran to meet Ted and Jerry who werejust turning in from the barn drive.
"Oh," Nora exclaimed breathlessly. "Did you see--anything?"
"Anything?" repeated Jerry.
"I mean did you see--anything queer?"
"Why no," replied Ted. "But Nora, you look as if you had."
"I did, really. Something stole out of the bushes and crept across thepath, toward the kitchen." Nora was still short of breath from herfright.
"Now Bobbs! You don't mean to say that some wild, roaring lion----"
But Nora interrupted Jerry. "Honestly Cousin Jerry," she declared, "Idid see something, and we can't go out and leave Vita alone until wefind out what it was."
"Bravo! Spoken like a Scout!" sang out the irrepressible Jerry. "Nowlet's all have a look."
"Over there," directed Nora, and while neither Mr. nor Mrs. Mantonappeared to take the matter seriously, they did, never-the-less, followNora's directions and quietly prowl along the path.
"There," exclaimed Nora. "I saw it again!"
"I thought I saw something scamper off myself," admitted Ted. "What doyou suppose it can be?" She stepped out squarely in the driveway andstood watching.
"Give me a look and I'll announce," said Jerry, his cap in one hand anda great stick, more like a tree limb he had hastily snatched up, in theother. He was going to have some fun out of it, at any rate. He nevercould miss a chance like this.
Thrashing down the bushes from the drive to the garden path took but afew moments, then they were within sight of the door.
"What's the matter?" called out Vita. "You find big snake?"
"No, we're looking for it," answered Jerry. "Did he come your way?"
"I no see, not any," said Vita fully. She never depended upon the scantEnglishothers were apt to employ. While speaking she kept moving fromone spot on the path to another, and her actions seemed so absurd Tedquestioned the maid again.
"Now Vita, you know perfectly well you have seen something," sheinsisted. "And we are not going away until we find out what is aroundhere. Just look at Cap sniffing! He knows," continued Mrs. Manton,moving up nearer to Vita and closer to the house.
"Nothing a-tall. Everything all right--good," persisted Vita backing tothe doorway.
"Say Vi," called Jerry in his cheeriest voice, "who's your friend? Areyou trying to hide him behind your skirts? I told you, Ted, she shouldwear a uniform."
"Oh, Jerry, do stop your nonsense," begged Ted. "We shall be late forthe pictures. Just run in and look around the house. Of courseeverything is all right, but we don't want Nora worrying while we'reaway and Vita's alone."
Nora had been looking sharply from one dark spot to another but nofurther disturbance appeared.
"Nothing could get into the house with Vita right at the door," shereasoned aloud. "I suppose it was just something from the woods. Maybeone of those 'possums you told me about, Cousin Jerry."
"Maybe, and again maybe not," he answered. "But just wait until I shakethis stick over the premises. Vita will feel a lot safer when I wave thewand of warning over the place," and he entered the house with Vita soclose to his heels that both Nora and Mrs. Manton looked surprised.
"Queer, how she acts," admitted Mrs. Manton. "I just wonder---- But ofcourse she is only hurrying to get us off. She knows we will miss thefirst show if we do not get away at once."
Jerry was soon out, stick in hand, and a broad grin on his handsomeface.
"Nary a thing," he announced. "Nora, I am afraid your scouting has goneto your head. That, or you are seeing things."
Before Nora might have replied Ted insisted they hurry off or give upthe trip to Lenox, entirely.
"I'm ready," Nora said, instead of commenting on the moving shadow. "Ishouldn't like to miss that picture."
"All aboard!" sang out Jerry, and when the little car shot out of thewoods into the splendid turnpike--the pride of all motorists for manymiles around--Vita might have entertained her mysterious visitor (if shereally had one) to her heart's content, for all of the party boundcityward.
Since her arrival at Woodlands Nora had little chance for auto rides,there were so many more interesting things to do, so that the short tripto Lenox now seemed something of a luxury.
But the evening's entertainment was even more delightful. The attractivelittle theatre was so prettily made up with colored paper flowers overthe lights, with breezy electric fans and such simple contrivances as,in the larger city, Nora had not seen, it all appeared new, novel andattractive. It was quaint and cosy, and such an effect was everdelightful to the fanciful daughter of a woman who called herself Nannieinstead of mother.
All about them people greeted the Mantons, and it was plain they wereheld in high esteem by many, farmers as well as more cultured folks,plain or dressed up--all had a pleasant word or a cordial greeting forthe government surveyor and his attractive wife.
Nora wondered if the Girl Scouts ever came in to see the pictures, butTed expressed the opinion that when they did come they came in a crowdand made a regular party of the occasion.
"But they have so many pleasures of their own for evenings," she toldNora, "I shouldn't fancy they would want to come under an ordinary roofoften during the summer months."
After the big picture with all its wizard scenes had been enjoyed, theystarted back towards Wildwoods. It was then that the fear of thatcrawling thing again crowded down on Nora and caused her to shiver untilshe actually shook.
"Too cool?" inquired Ted, unfolding a soft knitted scarf from her end ofthe seat.
"No, just shivery," truthfully answered the imaginative Nora.
It was very dark along the country road, and only the flashing lights ofpassing cars penetrated the dense blackness of the tree-tunnels throughwhich the party rode. It may have been this or it may have been theaccumulated fatigue of her big, full day, but at any rate, Nora feltvery much inclined to huddle up to Cousin Ted and hide.
The humming of the motor was like a lullaby, and the voices of Ted andJerry mingled so evenly that presently Nora forgot, then she forgot tothink, and then she stopped thinking.
She was sound asleep in the cosy comfort of Theodora Manton's encirclingarm.
"I'll lift her," she heard a voice whisper.
It had seemed only a minute since she entered the car and here she washome, at the very door, with Vita standing there, lantern in hand
.
"Oh, thank you, Cousin Jerry," spoke up Nora bravely. "I am wide awakenow. How perfectly silly to fall asleep?"
"How perfectly sensible," he contradicted. "I wish you had not awakened.I should have had a great joke to tell your Girl Scouts," he teased.
Nora laughed lightly. She was on the ground and anxious to get into thecottage. Why she felt so timid was not clear even to herself, butsomewhere within her dread lurked, and when Ted proposed lemonade andcrackers Nora excused herself on the grounds of being deliciouslysleepy. For once she accepted Vita's offer to light her lights and makethe window right for the night.
"You go quick asleep?" Vita remarked, turning down the soft summercovering from the little bed.
"Oh, yes. I fell asleep in the car," returned Nora, yawning.
"That's good. Then you hear no storm----"
"But there is no sign of a storm, Vita."
"Oh, but maybe. Or maybe, yes, some big birds fly and make screech----"
"Vita!" exclaimed Nora sharply. "What ever are you talking about? Areyou trying to--scare me?"
"Oh, no. No get scared at--any t'ing." mumbled Vita while her ownexcited manner seemed real cause for alarm. "I just like to know when mylittle girl sleep very good, like baby."
Truth to tell Nora was too sleepy to argue, otherwise she might havedemanded an explanation. Vita was plainly excited, and this fact coupledwith that of her strange actions earlier in the evening wasunquestionably enough to cause suspicion; but rest to a girl afflictedwith "nerves" is a precious thing, and when it came to Nora she had noidea of risking its loss by any sort of argument.
But Vita seemed to want to linger longer. First she looked at onewindow, then at another. She even plumped a cushion--as if that werenecessary to a night's comfort!
"Where do you sleep, Vita?" asked Nora, drowsily.
"Oh, in a good bed, in the little room by kitchen," replied the maid.
Nora recalled the maid's room. It was on the first floor just off thekitchen. So it could not have been Vita who slept in the attic.
"Would Vita get you a nice cold glass of water?" asked the solicitousone, still anxious to please.
"Oh, Vita," a yawn interrupted, "I am so sleepy----"
"Then I go----"
"Yes, you go. Good night, Vita," said Nora sweetly, "and I hope I sleepas soundly as I threaten to and as well as you want me to," finishedNora. "Isn't that being a very good girl?"
"Very, very good," said Vita happily. Then she went out quietly and leftNora to her coveted slumber.