JANNET'S "FORTUNE"
It did not take Jannet long to get ready for the expedition. Just
before starting out of her room, she paused, her hand on the knob, for
this room had more protection than the old-fashioned latches. Should
she leave the pearls in the desk? They had disappeared from it before.
But where could she put them if she took them from the desk? Naturally
she could not wear them. Windows and doors were open. She could hear
the sounds of laughter from where her young friends were. She must
hurry. She ran back to her windows, put them down and locked them
firmly. Then she took her key from the lock, locked the door from the
outside and pinned the key inside her sweater pocket.
"I'm the 'foxy Jannet' now," she said to herself, thinking of one of
Jan's expressions. "_Now_ if any one gets in,--I'll know it's some one
with a key!"
Walking rapidly, past the door of Paulina's room, down the back stairs,
out of the back door, Jannet hastened to join her friends. Jan, mounted
on a curveting black horse, was leading the animal intended for Jannet
and cantered toward her, stopping at a high block. He started to
dismount to help Jannet, but she waved him back. "Don't get off, Jan.
Pity if I can not get on myself. Is this the stump of the old black
walnut that nearly killed you when it fell?"
"Who told you? Yes; if Chick hadn't yelled in time, I'd have been under
the trunk instead of being scratched up a little by some of the
branches. You remember that wind storm, Nell?"
"Indeed I do. We didn't know where you boys were and Mother was almost
crazy till you came in after it was all over. I was sure that you were
over here, but the telephone wires were down."
"Why do I have Lucy, Jan? I thought that Uncle Pieter wanted me to ride
Ben?"
"That is what took me so long, Jannet. I saddled Ben first and found
that he went a little lame. Lucy is all right, only a little more
skittish. She never runs away, but look out for her shying a little."
"All right. I like Lucy better anyhow."
Jannet was happy with the reins in her hand, for riding was her
favorite sport. This pursuit of real country roads, away from hampering
conditions of the city was what she called to Nell "real riding,"
instead of "riding lessons." Nell and John Clyde, or "Chick", drew
alongside as Jannet settled herself for the trip and patted her pretty
steed.
"Did you know that you are going to have supper with us at home
to-night, after our picnic dinner in the hills?" asked Nell.
"No, I didn't. What fun! But Jan, shan't we take something for the
picnic?"
"Of course," Jan answered, with a grin. "Say, I forgot all about that.
Good thing that you spoke of it." Jan turned his horse toward the
house. "I told P'lina, though. There she comes now."
From the back door Paulina this moment made her appearance with a
package in her hands. As she approached, her sharp nose looked sharper
than ever. Her solemn eyes surveyed the riders with no display of
interest and her stolid face was without a smile. A small shawl
decorated her shoulders, pinned across her breast, but the tight knot
of black hair was without a covering and the spring breeze blew a wiry
wisp over her forehead.
"I think that it is going to rain," said she shortly, as she gave the
neat package to Jan, with something for tying it to his saddle. She had
given a curt nod in the direction of the Clydes.
"Oh, now, Paulina," said Jan, grinning down at her, "don't be a
calamity howler. We'll get under a rock somewhere if it does. Any other
woes that you can think of?"
Jannet was quite shocked at Jan's frankness and expected to see "Old
P'lina" show some offense. Far from this, the stony features almost
relaxed into a smile, so Jannet thought. "Be careful," Paulina said.
"An owl hooted all last night and the ghost walked over my head." With
this cheerful announcement, Paulina turned away.
"What did Paulina mean, 'over her head'?" asked Nell Clyde.
"Rats in the attic, Nell. I heard 'em, too." So Jan explained.
But Paulina had overheard and looked back over her shoulder. "We have
no rats," said she, "and rats don't tiptoe down imaginary stairs. It
was _her_ again."
Jan looked cross, but he said nothing further as Paulina rapidly walked
toward the house. Jannet fancied that Jan did not like to have
Paulina's superstitions aired before the Clydes. There was enough talk
in the neighborhood, in all probability.
Chick urged his horse on, passing Jannet and Nell, but Jan, as he
followed, leaned over to Jannet. "Paulina is an old goose," said he in
a low tone. "Her imagination works all night. Don't pay any attention
to what she says."
This was funny, for Jan had seemed to enjoy joking Jannet about it
before now. Boys must be odd creatures,--but Jan and Chick were pretty
good at that!
"I wish that we had a family ghost," laughed Nell, as she drew her
horse beside Lucy. "Have you seen yours, yet, Jannet?"
"I am not sure that I would know it if I saw it," replied Jannet, after
a moment's hesitation.
"Let me come to stay all night with you some time, Jannet, and perhaps
the ghost will walk for us."
"If the ghost _should_ walk, I'd be glad to have company, I can tell
you, and I'll love to have you any time. I suppose I'll have to ask
Cousin Di or Uncle Pieter first, though."
"Of course you will, and I'd better not be inviting myself over!"
"Don't think of that, Nell. I'm sure that it can be arranged and I'm
glad that you thought of it. You haven't had a peep at my dear room
yet."
"No, I haven't, and I have never even been inside of that old part of
the Van Meter place, though Chick is there so much when Jan is home. Do
you suppose that we could see the attic, too?"
"That might depend on Paulina. I haven't asked to go there yet. I've
felt a little timid, you know, just coming. The only place where I feel
that I have a real right is in my mother's room. But Jan goes all over
and has a den in the attic, and he isn't nearly so much related as I
am."
"I heard a neighbor say once, Jannet, that your uncle Pieter had
treated your mother shamefully and had beaten her out of a lot of
property that she ought to have had. I don't suppose that I ought to
tell you this and perhaps it isn't true, but if it is, you ought to
know it."
"Yes. But I do not believe it. People gossip. Why should he send for
me?" This from Jannet, in spite of her most recent suspicions!
"Remorse," laughed Nell.
"Uncle Pieter was a lot older than my mother and perhaps he wanted to
have his own way about things, but I'll not believe yet that he is
dishonest. I'm going to stand up for my people, Nell, now that I have
found them. Mother must have died before my grandfather, so how could
Uncle Pieter cut her out of her rights?"
"I don't know."
"Exactly. I'm surely grateful to Uncle Pieter for finding me," said
Jannet, to close the subject.
Jannet was a thoughtful girl, and she had determined not to lose sight
of what Uncle Pieter had done for her in sending for her. She had her
own doubts, particularly since finding her mother's diary notes and the
slip of paper in the library book, but none of the neighbors should
suspect them.
Jannet did not know whether she liked her uncle or not. She was
attracted sometimes, then again his coldness and reserve repelled her.
He had not offered to have any explanatory talk with her so far, though
she realized that the spring work on the large place was engaging his
attention. He was out of the house most of the time either upon his
horse about the farm, or on business errands away from the
neighborhood. Jannet had not inquired what his interests were, for she
was not informed about such matters.
Her cousin Andrew Jannet loved already. Jan was a jolly companion, and
Mrs. Holt was everything that a girl could ask for in a kind chaperon.
She was not demonstrative, but then, Jannet was not used to
demonstrative affection. Paulina was the "funniest." She was silent,
matter-of-fact, and stiff, but Jannet knew that "Old P'lina" missed
nothing of what was going on at the Van Meter home.
Nell Clyde was a plump, sturdy little thing, but active for all her
plumpness, sitting her horse well as the girls now pushed their mounts
forward a little to catch up with the boys. Nell had been seized with a
great admiration for the graceful, golden-haired Jannet and had already
confided her dreams to her as she had not done to any of the other
girls whom she knew. Jannet, more accustomed to many girl friends, had
been more reserved so far about her own affairs, though she was
delighted to find so congenital a girl so near.
No unhappy thoughts were Jannet's to-day. The pleasure of riding, the
fresh air, the morning sunshine, and the quiet memory of the lovely
thing hid at home in her desk brought her spirits to a high pitch.
P'lina must certainly be mistaken, for there was scarcely a cloud. Lucy
behaved with great decorum after a long gallop over a good stretch in
the road, during which the horses worked off any excess of spirits that
they may have possessed at the start.
The Clyde place was on their way and Chick dashed in to get their share
of the lunch, which was not ready when they had ridden over for Jannet
and Jan. Jannet laughed as she watched Chick, for with a boy's
nonsense, he spread out his elbows at a ridiculous angle, leaned
forward in his saddle, letting himself be lifted up and jolted down in
a comical exhibition of bad riding. Flapping the reins, he loudly
chirruped to his long-suffering animal.
"Ichabod Crane!" exclaimed the amused Jannet; and Nell, who was
familiar also with Irving's _Legend of Sleepy Hollow_, remarked that
Chick was almost lanky enough to fit the character.
The boys were sure that the folks had not put up enough lunch, but
Nell's more practiced eye measured the two packages. "Don't you worry,"
said she. "There's a whole fried chicken in each, or I miss my guess."
Over devious ways, where Jannet knew that she would be lost, the little
party of four went into the hills and among the pines. Here and there a
little stream with its trickling waters helped to make the beauty of
the way. Jannet kept thinking that it was her mother's home country. "I
wonder if my mother used to ride," she said to Jan.
"Sure she did. Andy said something yesterday about her having a horse
called Juniper that threw her once and pretty nearly ended her life
then and there. How queer that you have all this to find out!"
"Yes, and that's the advantage of being here for a while. Things come
out gradually, just the sort of little everyday things that you would
like to know. What are we going to do up here besides the picnic lunch,
Nell?"
"Just see things, and find wild flowers, and see what birds are back.
Chick has to take a list back to one of his teachers that wants to know
when certain birds come here. We're going to hitch the horses here, or
let them graze a little, if there's anything to graze on, while we
climb higher to a grand place to see the valley and to spread our
lunch."
"Any snakes?" Jannet inquired.
"We are not likely to see any here, and it is so open up on the rocks
that it will not be damp. Mother warned me not to have the lunch where
it was damp, but this sun will dry anything off."
The boys ungallantly went off by themselves for some time, reporting
early for lunch. Chick had seen a chickadee, a tufted titmouse, a song
sparrow, a purple finch and a woodcock. The girls had a handful of
flowers, which they had picked carefully not to destroy the roots.
This was all very wholesome for Jannet, who had not taken much interest
in nature study at Miss Hilliard's school and the Marcys did not have
that except in a very general way in their summer curriculum of good
times. Her mind was far away from ghosts and problems of all sorts
while the picnic lasted. But Paulina was right in her prophecy. It did
rain, though not until their good lunch was eaten and its crumbs
scattered for the birds.
First there were a few scattered drops, then a little shower, which
made them all run for their raincoats. But then they noticed that it
looked very black in one portion of the sky. "We'd better get out of
here, girls," said Chick. "It may be a thunderstorm and we oughtn't to
be among the trees."
Down they scrambled from the heights, found their horses and made their
way as quickly as possible from the hills to the level country. Distant
thunder began to be heard, and clouds collected thickly. The girls said
nothing, but they did not enjoy the prospect. Then it began to rain,
moderately at first. Chick motioned to Jannet to ride up with him,
while Jan fell back with Nell.
Leaning over toward Jannet, while they were urging their horses
forward, Chick told her that he and Jan thought it best to strike off
from the main road about half a mile to where an "old settler" lived.
"Do you mind?" Chick asked.
"Why should I?" asked Jannet. "It's better than being soaked, or scared
to death with the lightning."
Chick laughed. "Are you afraid?"
"Not very, but it isn't especially safe."
Nothing more was said. In a moment they had reached the turn in the
road and were making their way as fast as a very poor little side road
would permit. Puddles and mud-holes had to be avoided. The birds were
taking to cover as well as they. Chick pointed ahead to where a small
farmhouse stood, not far away. It was not a very prepossessing place,
even at a distance, but it promised shelter.
The driveway was open, fortunately, for the rain was coming down in
sheets, as they galloped into it and drew up their horses under an open
shed. The bombardment had begun. One sharp flash succeeded another and
the crashes of thunder were of terrific violence. "This is one April
shower that I don't care for," Nell remarked, as she had difficulty in
holding her frightened horse.
But Chick dismounted and held both her horse and his own. "Get off your
horse, Jannet," said he, "it is better. Jan, you'd better do the same."
"Come, Lucy, it's all right," soothingly Jannet said to the pretty mare
she rode, as she dismounted. Jan reached his hand to Lucy's bridle
while Jannet and Nell withdrew a little from too close proximity to
prancing horses and threatening heels.
Rain beating in from the opposite side, drove the party to the side of
the shed nearest the house, which was not far away. There, at a side
door, as the electrical display lessened somewhat, a curious figure
appeared. It was bent and old, a sharp chin and piercing black eyes the
most noticeable features under an old-fashioned cap. A red and black
shoulder shawl, something like that which Paulina often wore, was
pinned about the rounding shoulders. A long, blue calico dress came
almost to the floor. The aged woman peered out and over to the little
company under the shed. Jan and Chick touched their caps and the girls
bowed, but no explanation seemed necessary. The storm would account for
their presence.
"Who lives there?" Jannet asked of Nell, the noise of the rain making
it unnecessary to lower her voice.
"It's one of the old Dutch farms and that is the grandmother of the
farmer's wife. They are odd people, and they say that this old lady is
half Indian and half gypsy. She is past ninety years old. She tells
fortunes, and buys her tobacco."
"Tobacco!"
"Sure, she smokes a pipe," laughed Chick, who had overheard. "The women
now use cigarettes, don't they?"
"Not any that I know, Chick," smiled Jannet. "Miss Hilliard says that
she is training 'ladies,' not the 'sporting class.' A girl who tried
out smoking in our school would get sent home too quickly to know
whether she was coming or going. That's in the printed rules."
"The whole of it?" laughingly asked Jan.
"I don't mean the way I put it. You know that. I mean that the rule is
against smoking. It does say, though, that young ladies who have the
habit are requested to go elsewhere."
"Look, Jannet, she's beckoning to us," Nell interrupted.
Jannet noticed that Jan and Chick felt in their pockets. "I've got
enough change, Chick," said Jan. "The poor old woman sees a chance to
make a little money, and it's kind of nice of her to ask us in out of
the rain."
"Gracious!" Nell exclaimed. "It will smell of stale tobacco smoke and I
don't know what else, in there,--but all right, if you boys want to. A
fire would feel pretty good, as wet as we are, and I know that they
will have one."
Jannet did not know that she cared to try it, but she would not make
any objection, she thought. She would do what the rest did, though she
did not want her fortune told,--she could get out of that.
The boys saw that the horses were firmly hitched to the posts of the
shed and presently all of them dashed across the yielding, puddly grass
and ground to the little stoop of the house. A plump woman of past
middle age had come to the door by this time, while the old lady
hobbled back to a chair by the fire. She was moving aside to make room
for the guests when they entered.
"Come right in," pleasantly said the younger woman. "You got caught in
one of the worst storms we've had yet. I'll hang up your raincoats in
the kitchen and you can dry out a little before the fire. That rain
would go through anything!"
"It's around the edges that we are wettest," said Nell, going on to
explain about their picnic and inquiring about the health of the family
and the grandmother in particular.
The grand-daughter, in the kitchen door, noting that her grandmother's
back was turned to her, shook her head and tapped it with her fingers,
to indicate that the old lady's mind was not just what it should be,
but answered cheerfully, "Oh, Grandma is coming on all right. She can
hear as well as anybody, see well enough to read the paper, and she'll
be ninety-three to-morrow."
"If that's so, we'll have to send her something to-morrow," said kindly
Nell, "and wish her many happy returns."
Jannet, altogether inexperienced in country life, was getting a glimpse
of the kindly, helpful feeling that exists in many such neighborhoods.
She stood at one side, near the blaze, which the farmer's wife tried to
make burn more briskly.
"Who's the girl?" bluntly asked the old lady.
"Oh, I forgot," hastily said Nell. "This is Jannet Eldon, who has come
to live with her uncle Pieter. Jannet, this is Mrs. Meer,--and her
grandmother."
"Jannet Eldon, huh? Jannet. That was the name of the girl,--so you are
Pieter's niece, then?"
"Yes'm," said Jannet, smiling at the old lady and looking at her with
interest. "Did you know my mother?"
"I saw her often enough. You look like her. I told her fortune once,
and I'll tell yours."
Janet shrank back a little, scarcely conscious that she did so. "Thank
you, I don't believe that I want to have you do that. I'd rather not
know, even if you _can_ tell it."
"You don't believe in fortune telling, then. I'll not hurt you. If I
read anything bad in your hand, I'll not tell you that."
The old woman's voice rose shrilly, and Mrs. Meer looked rather
distressed. But Jannet's warm heart came to the rescue of the
situation. It certainly could do no harm to satisfy the old woman.
"Well, maybe it would be fun, then,--if you won't tell me of any 'bad
luck'," and Jannet playfully shook her finger in warning.
She could see that "Grandmother," whose name she had not been told, was
pleased. Her toothless mouth widened into a smile. She laid aside her
pipe, which, as Nell had said, had been filling the room with a
disagreeable smoke. "Sit down," she said. Jannet drew up a small wooden
stool and held out her hand. Jan, with noble promptness, laid a fifty
cent piece upon the mantel, hoping, as he told Jannet afterward, that
the fortune would not scare her to death. The aged woman saw it and the
dark eyes gleamed.
Wrinkled fingers took the young, delicate hand. "They thought that you
were dead," she mumbled. Jannet did not know whether this were part of
the fortune or not, but it was not particularly pleasant.
The old crone went on with a few facts about Jannet's past life, facts
that any one could guess at, Nell said afterward. Then she took up
Jannet's character, cleverly setting forth some traits that Jannet
recognized, though none that were not more or less flattering.
"Gee, she's giving you a good line, Jannet," said Chick.
"Sh-sh, you're interrupting her," warned Nell.
It grew more interesting. "Some one has looked for you," said the old
woman, "some one not your uncle. If you are found, it will bring you
good luck. You have had a loss, but you will find what you look for.
There will be something strange in your uncle's house, but do not be
frightened. Nothing will harm you.
"Many like you. Some you can not trust, but you will find them out. I
see a long journey. You will live to marry, perhaps twice. That is not
clear. I see a long life and much happiness. You will have good luck
this year and something will happen that you do not expect. That is
all."
As if tired, the old lady dropped Jannet's hand. "I never told your
fortune, Jan Holt. You have not lived here long."
"Say, you know my name already," said Jan, as if that were a sign of
great cleverness. "Now give me a good one."
One by one the boys and girls had their fortunes told and left almost
all the change which the boys possessed upon the mantel. Then they
began to gather up their coats and other articles of wearing apparel,
feeling pretty well dried out by the heat from the fireplace. The storm
had ceased before the aged grandmother had finished. Rapidly the four
covered the distance remaining between this place and that of the
Clydes, where they were to have dinner together. Nell promised to let
Jannet wear one of her frocks, if necessary, for Jannet had started in
such a hurry that she had not realized how odd it might be to eat
dinner in her riding clothes.
"I'll certainly look funny in a dress of yours, Nell,--I'd better wear
one of your mother's, or else ride on home. But if you don't mind I
could wear these things; they are dry now."
"We'll fix you up some way, Jannet. Don't worry."
"Say, Jannet," soberly said Jan, "may I be your second husband?"
"_Second husband!_" ejaculated Jannet, a grin beginning to spread her
pretty mouth.
"Yep. I wouldn't want to be the first, because he may die, according to
the old gypsy. Of course, I'll probably marry, and then my wife may
have objections to the arrangement."
"You crazy boy! I believe that you'd make fun about anything! Yes, I'll
'consider your application,' as Miss Hilliard says. But I'm only going
to marry somebody very wonderful, and he'll not dare leave me till I'm
as old as Grandma Meer, or whatever her name is."
"Some outlandish name," said Nell, "that I've heard and forgotten."
"Chick, she says that she is only going to marry somebody _very
wonderful_. That settles it. It isn't me. Honestly, Jannet, she read
you a pretty good fortune; but some of it was queer. Of course, you
know that the whole countryside knows about our ghost, so she could
make up anything there."
"I don't mind, and I'm going to forget it, Jan. Poor old soul! Are you
really going to take her something to-morrow, Nell? I'd like to do
something, too, even tobacco!"
"Why, Jannet!" said Jan in falsetto tones, as if representing Jannet's
school, shocked beyond words.
Jannet gave Jan a solemn glance, drawing her mouth down at the corners
and rolling her blue eyes. Then, grinning again, she said, "Grandma
Meer is too old to reform, Jan. Besides, if it isn't wicked for Cousin
Andy to smoke, it isn't wicked for Grandma Meer. And she doesn't have
to be a lady."
This conversation took place on the way from the Clyde barns to the
house. The four sauntered along in the highest of spirits, though it
was almost too near dinner time, or, more properly here, supper time,
for them to linger.
A skirt-and-tunic dress of Nell's was found possible to arrange for
Jannet, and more fun was in prospect when by the telephone it was
arranged for Jannet and Jan to stay all night. "And may we have Nell
and Chick over to-morrow night, Cousin Di?" Jannet asked sweetly.
"Of course you may. Jan often has Chick. I don't know how it has
happened that we have not had him more this time. You and Nell ought to
have great fun in the 'haunted' room. I'll have Paulina cook you
something, too."
"Thank you, Cousin Di." Turning, after hanging up the receiver, Jannet
clasped her hands together in delight, as she communicated the results
of her telephoning to the rest. "Oh, we can _stay_, and Cousin Di was
_too cordial for words_ about your coming over to-morrow night, Nell
and Chick. Paulina will cook up something and we'll have a little
evening party of it, I guess."
"Good," said Jan. "Let's hope that the ghost will walk."
"Mercy, no, Jan,--not really," said Jannet.