Before the next Sabbath our friends had returned to Bar Harbor. For
some weeks longer they remained in that vicinity; then, cooler weather
making a more southerly climate desirable, they sailed for home. Dr.
Percival was so far recovered that he felt in haste to get back to
Torriswood and at work among his patients again. He and his Maude paid
a flying visit to old friends and relatives at the Oaks and Ion, then
hastened to Louisiana by rail.
Max Raymond, to the great satisfaction of himself, his _fiancée_, and
his friends, was favored with a lengthening of his furlough, which
enabled him to spend some weeks at home in his father's house. Lucilla
persuaded Evelyn to be her guest at the same time, Chester was there
every evening, and so the courting went merrily on. There was much talk
about the new house the captain proposed building, much discussion
of the question whether the one building should be made suitable and
sufficiently large for two families,--half of it for Max and Eva,--or
whether a separate house should be put up for them in another part of
the grounds. The decision was finally left to the brides-elect, and as
they were very strongly attached, and Max was likely to be often away
on the sea for months and years together, they thought it best the two
dwellings should be under the same roof, and their decision was highly
approved by the captain and all their relatives and friends.
Then followed consultations in regard to the exact spot upon which it
should stand, and the studying and comparing of plans to make it as
commodious, convenient, and beautiful as possible. The captain was
evidently ready to go to any reasonable amount of expense in order to
give them an ideal home, his means being ample and his love for his
children very great.
But all the time was not spent in that way, for other relatives
claimed a share in Max's prized companionship; invitations were given
and visits paid to the Oaks, Ion, Fairview, the Laurels, Roselands,
Pinegrove, Ashlands, and Riverside. Sometimes the invitation was for
dinner or tea, sometimes for the whole day--or longer for the young
folks, if not for the older ones and the children. It was on the last
day of October they dined at Riverside, nearly all the connection
meeting them there, and at Rosie's earnest solicitation Evelyn and
Lucilla, Max and Chester accepted an invitation to stay until the next
morning, Captain Raymond giving a rather unwilling consent to let
Lucilla 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 guests
depart. "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 of
fun in her eye.
"But we are not wanting slips," laughed Lucilla.
"Nor much afraid we will get them," added Evelyn merrily. "Still we
might have a little fun."
"Provided we take it early enough to get to bed in good season," added
Lucilla, in a mirthful tone. "My father, you know, is very particular
about 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'm
obliged to him for granting my request for permission to keep you here
all night, and I shall not urge you to stay up later than he would
allow you to if you were at home. If we try some old-fashioned games we
can suit ourselves as to the hour for the experiments."
"Yes," laughed Evelyn, "I shall be quite as sure of the fulfilment of
the augury if we get it some hours earlier than people of old times
used to look for it."
"Then we will just wait till our old folks get to bed--which they
always 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 his
wife having all the pleasure she can. I wish we could have had Grace
stay and share the fun, but her father vetoed that almost before I had
fairly given the invitation."
"Yes," said Lucilla, "poor Gracie is so feeble that father has to be
very careful of her."
"Yes; I know," said Rosie, "but I thought he might have left her
for once, considering that my two doctor brothers are here for the
night--unless called out by some inconveniently sick person."
"Which we will hope they won't be, for even doctors should have a
little amusement once in a while," said Evelyn.
"Yes," said Rosie, "and they enjoyed the golf this afternoon, and
appear to be having a pleasant time with Max, Chester, and the others
out on the river bank there now."
The girls were on the veranda overlooking the river, and just at
that 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 bade
them good-night, and went to her own apartments. It was growing dusk
then, the young men came in, and presently they all repaired to the
drawing-room, where for the next hour or two they entertained each
other with music and conversation. Max had some interesting adventures
to narrate, to which both young men and maidens were eager listeners.
In the pause that followed the conclusion of the second tale the clock
in the hall was heard to strike.
"Eleven!" exclaimed Lucilla, in a tone of surprise and dismay. "Father
would say I ought to have gone to my room and my bed more than an hour
ago."
"Oh, no! not on Hallowe'en," laughed Rosie; and just then a servant
brought in a basket filled with ears of corn, and set it down in their
midst.
"What's that for, Rosie?" asked Harold. "You can hardly ask your
guests to eat raw corn, especially at this late hour? As a physician I
must most emphatically enter my protest."
"Perhaps Rosie is benevolently trying to bring practice into her
brothers' hands," remarked Herbert facetiously. "But we are not looking
for that at present, but for fun--pure fun, that will bring damage to
nobody."
"Yes, my dear brothers, that's what I am endeavoring to do," she
returned in sprightly tones. "Perhaps you have not heard of the new
game 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 which
to foretell your future fate. A tasselled ear will promise you great
joy, a big, full one good luck for a year. A short one will mean a gift
is coming, a red or yellow one no luck at all."
"Quite a new idea," said Herbert, "and as there is nothing said about
love or marriage, I suppose even engaged folks may try it; married ones
also."
"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 about
her head and she was led to the basket.
"I suppose I am not to choose by feeling, either, but just to take the
first 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 one
as the basket holds."
Lucilla was told it was her turn, the handkerchief was bound about her
eyes, 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 you
soon."
"A good or a bad one?" laughed Lucilla. "Perhaps papa would say I
deserved a bad one for staying up so late."
"Oh, no! I think he expected something of the kind--he declined to let
Grace 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 she
did, bringing out a tasselled ear.
"Oh, I am fortunate!" she cried, with a merry peal of laughter, "for a
tasselled 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, which
Rosie told him with sighs and groans meant no luck at all.
"But don't be discouraged, brother dear," she said, patting him
affectionately on the shoulder, "though older than myself, you are
young enough to have lots of good luck after this year is out."
"Many thanks for the assurance, sister mine," he laughed, "and though
older than yourself, I believe I am young enough to wait a year for any
special good luck."
"And I hope you will have enough afterward to reward you for the
patient 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 said
good-night and went to their rooms--two on the second floor with a
communicating door between. Rosie accompanied them, leaving her husband
to attend to the gentlemen guests.
"See here, girls," she said, pointing to a basket of rosy-cheeked
apples on a stand; "these were put here to induce you to try another
Hallowe'en experiment. If you want to see what your future husbands
will look like, eat one of these standing before the mirror, brushing
your hair all the time, and now and then--when you can get up courage
enough--look over your left shoulder."
"Oh, that won't require any courage, Rosie," laughed Evelyn. "I am not
in the least afraid of Max--brave officer though he is."
"And I stand in quite as little fear of Chester," said Lucilla. "So
that 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, or
alienate their affections from you."
"No, we are not at all afraid of that," said Lucilla, "and as your
apples look very tempting, I believe I shall run the risk of eating one
presently. I suppose I must first don a dressing gown and take down my
hair."
"Yes," said Rosie; "you are to stand before the mirror brushing it
diligently 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 Max
comes 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," said
Rosie, "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 long
enough to marry several times."
Evelyn laughed at that, saying she was quite sure once would be enough
for her.
"I know you girls did not come prepared to stay all night," said
Rosie, "so I have laid out a night-dress and dressing-gown for each of
you. Get into them, and you will look nice and pretty enough for an
interview with your future husbands."
They thanked her, and, examining the garments which she took from a
wardrobe in Eva's room, pronounced them really pretty enough to wear to
the breakfast table.
They made haste with their toilets, and in a few minutes each was
standing before a mirror, eating an apple and brushing out her hair.
Then Rosie left them with a promise to be back again before very long
to learn of their success. She artfully left ajar both doors leading
into the hall. They opened noiselessly, and presently each had admitted
a young man, who, wearing slippers, moved with noiseless tread, and as
the girls looked over their left shoulders Eva caught sight of Harold
standing a few feet in her rear, gazing steadily at her, a kindly smile
upon his features; while at the same moment Lucilla perceived Herbert
at a similar distance from her, gazing intently and admiringly upon her.
"Oh, Uncle Herbert," she laughed, "this cannot be a true sign, for I
know well enough that neither of us has any loverlike feeling toward
the other."
Almost before she finished her sentence he had vanished, and she heard
Evelyn saying in mirthful tones, "Ah, Uncle Harold, this is the no luck
at all--prophesied by that yellow ear of corn; for, as you know, I am
already pledged to another."
At that Harold sighed deeply and withdrew.
But scarcely had he and his brother disappeared when Max silently took
his place, Chester at the same time coming up behind Lucilla so that
she 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," she
laughed.
"I hope so, darling," he returned. "What lovely hair!" passing his hand
caressingly over it; "so long and thick too. I never before saw it to
such advantage."
Max was standing silently behind Evelyn, and just at that moment she
caught sight of him in the glass. She turned quickly, and he caught her
in 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," she
returned, looking up into his face with one of her sweetest smiles.
Just then Lucilla's voice was heard coming from the next room, "Is
that you, Max?" and in a moment the four were together, gayly laughing
and chatting, both young men insisting that that style of wearing
the hair--streaming over the shoulders--was extremely becoming. Then
Rosie and her Will joined them for a moment, after which they all bade
good-night, and the girls were left alone to seek repose.