THE PICKET AND THE SPOOK
Not going to bed at all, Janey?" queried Judith, letting her hair
fall over her shoulders and shaking her head like a happy care-free
Collie. "This bed is too inviting to slight that way. I never knew
that old spooky Lenox was so gorgeously equipped." Judith was
testing the comforts of the big double bed in the guest chamber of
Lenox Hall, the same that welcomed Jane and Dozia on the night
previous.
"I am not going to run the risk of missing anything," Jane answered
from her place in the big cushioned steamer chair. "This is very
comfortable and I am all dressed ready to dive after the least
suspicious sound. Besides, I'm not a bit sleepy--gone past my sleep,
as Aunt Mary would say."
"I don't want to desert you," volunteered Judith, "and it doesn't
seem just the thing for me to turn into this downy bed while you sit
there like a sentinel. But truth to tell I am shamefully human and
just counting on thirty winks before the ghost walks. Be sure to
call me at the very first hint. Of course you will want to bag him
personally, Jane, but I'll be glad to help you pull the draw
string."
It was drawing close to the tainted hour, and Jane sat there
wondering how one single day could seem as long as that just past.
She had no idea of admitting what part actual fatigue can play in
one's perspective, neither would she have owned to nerves as the
cause of her unnatural wakefulness; nevertheless these were both
factors in her almost painful alertness.
"At least now I have a chance to think," she temporized, "and I wish
I could solve the mystery of Sally Howland's peculiar connection
with Shirley Duncan."
They were so unlike, so foreign in disposition and character; not
relatives, and Sally even disclaimed any previous acquaintance with
the country girl. Then Sally's attempt to forestall the midnight
noises by taking the shunned room at the very foot of the dreaded
attic stairs--what could that mean?
Jane pondered feebly, and feeling just the least bit drowsy she left
her place in the steamer chair to get a drink of water in the
lavatory. It would not do to actually fall asleep "at the switch."
Voices from the end of the hall near Sally's room forced their way
into the corridor as she glided past, and the unmistakable tone of
Shirley Duncan riveted Jane's attention.
"You're too silly," she was insisting, no doubt to little Sally.
"Don't I give you enough? Here's something daddy gave me. You may
have it. Now do be a good, sensible little girl."
A pause, perhaps a remonstrance, for the voice took up its cue
again.
"Of course you must have plenty of use for it. Don't be a goose,
Kitten. You know how much I care about the old moldy college. But
I'm bound to get something for my money."
Jane was at the lavatory door now but she did not at once enter.
Surely, under the circumstances it was permissible to listen to the
unguarded voice of Shirley Duncan. And she called Sally "Kitten!"
"For mercy's sake don't start to howl," it came again. "I can stand
anything but that. It is all working beautifully and I guess before
I quit I'll be able to show them that a country girl isn't such a
simp as they imagine."
"Miss Allen is here tonight," Jane next heard Sally say, "and you
know what that means, Bobbie."
"As if I care for her," and a scornful laugh made the meaning
clearer. There were other words but Jane had heard enough. The
mention of her own name seemed to charge her honor, and the belated
drink of refreshing water was quickly drawn.
Back in the steamer chair Jane had new cause to ponder. What was the
threat or power Shirley held over little Sally? And to bribe her
with money? Also the affectionate "Kitten" and "Bobbie"?
The wind was stirring, but everything human now seemed withdrawn
from activity around Lenox. Jane was waiting, listening for what?
The frightened freshmen seemed secure tonight in their dormitories,
assured of protection by Jane and Judith, two of the bravest girls
in all Wellington. Also they had been promised a solution of the
noise mystery and was not that in itself sufficient alleviative?
The clock in the hall tingled a chime, sweet almost playful music
for the elves of midnight and a challenge to baser intruders. Jane
must have dozed when she suddenly became conscious of something--
Was it a noise? She listened, alert and all but quivering in
anticipation. There never had been any question of actual danger
surrounding the weird happenings, but now that she faced the mystery
something very like panic seized her.
Yes--again! That was surely something metallic!
"Quick, Judy!" she roused the sleeping girl on the bed. "Follow me.
There it is--beginning."
"Where! What!" Judith sat up and snatched her robe.
"I'm going to the attic. I am sure it is up there!" and Jane flew
out quietly, in fact noiselessly, into the dimly lighted hall.
A queer rumbling sound came from somewhere. Jane could not locate it
for it seemed shut in, walled up! It was mechanical yet muffled!
Judith reached Jane as she stood listening.
"Where is it?" she whispered.
"I--can't tell," Jane replied. "Pass around the turn into the linen
room. We can reach the stairs that way."
"Not--going up alone!" breathed Judith.
"Why not? It's some lark of the girls, you may be sure, and I'm
going to find out what it is now."
"But it's dark," cautioned Judith.
"I have my flash. Listen!"
"Oh," groaned Judith, clutching Jane's arm, for a rattling of
something like chains was now distinctly audible.
"Hush!" breathed Jane, laying her fingers lightly on the door knob
of the boxed in stairway. The next moment there was a crash and both
girls darted up the stairs.
"It was over that way!" insisted Judith, but in the darkness, with
nothing but Jane's flash to guide them, it was impossible to tread
safely through the attic, which was stored with all sorts of
discarded materials.
"Wait a minute," whispered Jane, her heart pounding and nerves
almost jumping.
They stood breathless, but not a move answered the silence.
"Come down; do, Jane," begged Judith, shivering in actual fear.
"Wait a few minutes," insisted Jane. "Whatever it is they know we
are here!"
"Jane!" breathed the other, "I am honestly ready--to faint."
"Nonsense, just a few minutes." Jane could feel her companion
tremble as she clung to her arm.
But not a sound nor a move rewarded their brave defiance.
"If only this place had a light," Jane whispered. "I suppose there
is a bulb somewhere." She remembered that the fireman found none,
however, and tonight even the patch of moonlight was not there. It
really would have been foolhardy to attempt to go further into the
low-beamed room, at the risk of running into attack, and evidently
the noise had not been heavy enough to arouse anyone else in the
Hall, for no sound of moving about came from the lower floors.
"Do come down," begged Judith again, taking two steps herself on the
stairs.
"No, I shan't," insisted Jane. "I can wait as long as they can."
As if that gave a cue for action a rope--surely it was a rope--
creaked and groaned and the rumbling heard first sounded again--
somewhere, it seemed from the very roof.
"There!" said Jane. "They're gone and they went by that rope. Come
on down. We can't do anything in this darkness," and, now satisfied
that the "ghost" had been scared off, she followed Judith's
precipitous escape down, and into the lower hallway.
"What was it? Did you catch him? We heard it? Where is it?"
To the astonishment of the two juniors the halls were dotted with
heads thrust out of half closed doors, and the alarmed freshmen
opened this volley of questions before Jane and Judith had recovered
their breath.
"No, we did not get it," replied Judith, "but we scared it off, and
I have my opinion of a ghost afraid of two unarmed juniors." Judy
was very brave now, and rather proud of it.
"Young ladies! Young ladies!" Miss Gifford was expostulating. "You
promised to stay in your rooms tonight."
"Oh, they are very good girls, Miss Gifford," Jane attested, "and I
can assure them that friend spook is a rank coward and has gone by
way of a pulled rope. Any pulleys loose around this place?"
"No, we have looked for such things," declared the matron. "But
please, girls, go back to bed, and if anything else happens I
promise to call you." This was a rash promise for Miss Gifford to
make, but she felt the urgency of getting those questioning heads
back on their respective pillows and so was willing to make
concessions.
"Come in my room," she said aside to Jane and Judith, and they both
followed her to the open door.
"That certainly is a noise made by someone who gets up to that
attic," insisted Jane without waiting for inquiries, "and I am sure
the sounds are made by metal chains."
"That's the weird part of it," interposed Judith.
"Why are chains more formidable than ropes?" asked Jane. "And in an
old place like this is it would not be hard to pick up a chain or
two, and you know, Judy, one old chain could make a fearful noise."
"Yes--but--how does anyone get up there?" demanded Judith.
"That's the mystery," admitted the matron, who had insisted on the
girls remaining while the students quieted down and were safe once
more until daylight. "We have looked all over the place, of course,
and have not been able to find any hidden way of making ascent to
that attic."
"Airship," suggested Judith foolishly.
"See how quickly the noise ceased," remarked Jane. "Someone
recognized us, Judy, and has flown before our vengeance."
"Be that as it may," added Miss Gifford with a smile of assurance,
"I am convinced this thing is being done out of jealousy or even
revenge. You see, I am a new matron here, and when I came I put into
execution such rules as I have been trained to follow. That made
changes in our staff and a few dismissals. Such action is sure to
stir up the wrath of someone, but even with that as a basis, and
with all the detective skill I have been able to operate, I must
confess I am baffled. This very minute our janitor would be found in
his quarters over the stables, for I have phoned him there. And for
the past week I have gone over the ground with him personally, he
and his wife when they lock up. She is one of the day workers here,"
explained Miss Gifford.
Jane felt urged to tell of the shadowy figure she and Dozia had seen
creeping about the evergreens, but quickly decided the indefinite
detail would add little actual explanation. Instead she said:
"We could do nothing in the dark, but just wait until daylight. I
have to sleep, of course, we are getting ready for our midyear
exams, but just wait until two-thirty tomorrow afternoon after
logic. Then expect me over here with perhaps a shotgun if I can find
such a weapon on the premises!"
"But what would you shoot in daylight?" asked Judith, half jokingly,
"Even suspicion," replied Jane, "but my chief concern would be to
find the way friend spook gets up into that attic and where he comes
from. Good night, Miss Gifford, we will follow the freshies now, and
I'm so sleepy it would take more noise than that first bombardment
made to arouse me."
"Good night, my dears, and thank you so much for your wonderful
support," said Miss Gifford.
"Support!" repeated Judith, back again in the guest room. "I suppose
she considers the ghost her opponent?"
"I don't," said Jane cryptically. "I consider it the opponent of all
Wellington."
"And I suppose, Janie, you are blaming me for holding you back in
the attic?" sleepily from Judith.
"No, I'm not, Judy. You have no idea what a coward I am at heart;
but somehow you girls have taken a notion I should do things and I
can't bear to disappoint you. I must admit this is fascinating. I
like it better even than golf, and will also give up my canter on
Firefly this afternoon to see it through."
"Oh Jane, don't do that!" objected Judith. "We were all going out to
Big Rock and have the horses engaged."
"I'm sorry, Judy, but I've gotten into this thing and I have just
got to get out of it or I'll begin to believe in real spooks. I
simply can't let it drag me down another twenty-four hours." She
brushed her wavy red gold hair viciously. "You may take Firefly. He
knows your saddle and will behave, I'm sure. That will give someone
else your horse."
"Maud Leslie is crazy to ride but has no habit here," commented
Judith significantly.
"Help her to mine," responded Jane promptly. "She isn't far from my
size."
"But I wouldn't want to go galloping for nuts while you stay here
alone hunting for spooks," Judith said loyally. "Better let two
girls take our places if you insist on staying out."
"Oh, no, dear. I'm only going to look around for some sort of trap
entrance to Lenox. Besides, you know Dozia doesn't ride, and she'll
be here."
"All right, love, I'll leave you with Dozia if you insist. She's big
enough to take care of you at any rate. Do you imagine Miss Gifford
has materialized some domestic enemy in her change of staff? And
that this super-conscious fired janitor or furnace man is operating
against her?"
"I don't know, Judy," sighed Jane. "Looks to me more loosely
organized than that. Besides, even a fired furnace man would keep
union hours at one fifty per. No, I think you'll find the eternal
female back of that racket, it's too temperamental for masculine
action."