INSANE BESSIE.
Blanche Elsworth was seated in her sanctum, as she called her room. It
was neatly papered, and carpeted, and withal presented a very homelike
appearance.
Her pen was flying rapidly over the white paper, and her thoughts were
far away from the surrounding scenes, when she was called back to real
life by a wild silvery laugh, and a shrill scream in which she
recognized the voice of Mrs. Morris.
"Well, upon my soul," said she, as she opened the door without as much
as a rap, and appearing with a white, scared face; "you jest oughter
come downstairs."
"What is the matter?" Miss Elsworth asked, in alarm.
"Oh, I've seen a ghost, as sure as the world, and if you don't believe
it you can come down and see for yourself."
Miss Elsworth arose and followed Mrs. Morris downstairs.
"You'll have to go ahead, for I jest can't get up the pluck to go
myself," said Mrs. Morris as they reached the foot of the stairs.
Miss Elsworth opened the outer door, as she stepped into the hall.
Then she went to the sitting-room, and into the kitchen, and finally
the entire house was searched. Mrs. Morris following close to her at
every step.
"Oh, I know I seen one," said Mrs. Morris.
"It must have been your imagination, for there certainly is nothing to
be seen."
"Well, I know there was one."
"How did it look, was it large or small, a man, woman or child?"
"Oh, I don't know; I was so scared that I didn't stop to see. I jest
see the flutter of something white, and the strangest laugh that ever
you heard."
"Yes, I heard the laugh myself, but it must have been some one
belonging to the farm."
"Well, I jest don't know what to do; it don't seem to me that I can
stay down here to cook the dinner. I shall jest shake from head to
foot. Why, I never was so scared in all my life."
Miss Elsworth smiled at Mrs. Morris's foolishness, and after a
moment's reflection, she said:
"If you are so badly frightened I will remain downstairs until after
dinner, and keep watch around while you are at work."
"Oh, dear, I'll be a thousand times obliged to you if you will."
Miss Elsworth passed the morning in looking about the house, and
wandering through the old garden, where the flowers and weeds grew so
closely together.
One day after another passed, and nothing had been seen or heard to
cause further alarm. She partially convinced Mrs. Morris that her
ghost was either the outgrowth of a vivid imagination, or that it was
some person trying to frighten her.
The Misses Graves had become frequent visitors at Miss Elsworth's.
They were friendly, sociable girls, of the age of thirty-three and
thirty-five respectively. Eliza, the elder of the two, was a very
quiet, industrious girl, very reserved and lady-like in manner.
Eunice, although in every respect a lady, was a little more talkative,
and apparently of a happier disposition.
Their brother, Rosswell, or Ross, as he was commonly called, was a
fine specimen of robust manhood. His form and features were fine, and
his manner prepossessing. He commanded the utmost respect, especially
among the pupils of the village school, where he had taught five
successive winters. Not that he was really compelled to labor
unceasingly, but it was his choice to devote his leisure time to some
useful occupation, so his summers were spent on the farm, and his
winters in school. Mrs. Graves was a fair, little woman, with a
pleasant smile, though the lines across her forehead told plainly that
all had not been sunshine. She soon grew to be a favorite with Miss
Elsworth, and Mrs. Morris declared "there never was such a dear little
woman ever lived. She was always sending 'em down butter and eggs, and
never would take a cent for any of 'em, and often she would bring her
sewin' and sit with her, and she knew it was only 'cause she was sorry
for her."
One day Miss Elsworth had seated herself in the kitchen doorway to
have a little talk with Mrs. Morris while she was doing up the supper
work.
"Ha, ha, ha, ha," burst upon the air, and the rocky hills sent back
rolling waves of wild, musical laughter.
Miss Elsworth listened, looking around to see from whence came the
sound. "Oh, I see you," called out a sweet, clear voice. "You cannot
see me though, for I'm too far away."
Blanche Elsworth looked up at the ledge of rocks on the opposite side
of the ravine, and there, swinging almost in mid air, up and down on a
slender bough, was a fair young girl. She was dressed in a loose white
wrapper, and without shoes or stockings. A mass of raven hair floated
about her shoulders, and fell in a half tangled fashion to her waist.
Miss Elsworth arose and regardless of the entreaties of Mrs. Morris,
started toward the spot where the young girl sat.
"Oh, you need not come," she called out, "you cannot reach me."
"I will not harm you. Will you not come down and talk to me?"
"Oh, no, you want to catch me and shut me up."
"Indeed, I will not; I only want to talk to you."
"Will you promise not to touch me?"
"Yes, I will promise."
"Well, stand away then, and I will jump."
"Oh, please do not jump; you will hurt yourself. Climb down the
rocks."
"Will I hurt myself? I guess not. I do not think I'll take the trouble
to climb down, I can jump."
"Go back," said Blanche, but before she had uttered the words, the
light form swayed back upon the air, and grasping the end of the
bough came floating down at her feet.
Blanche Elsworth's heart almost stood still, for she expected to see
the girl arise from the ground bruised and bleeding, but instead she
stood before her quite unharmed, and stepping back she said:
"Now, remember what you promised; for if you try to catch me I'll go
right back to the tree tops. I am away from everything up there, and
if you should touch me----"
"Oh, I will not catch you," Blanche said, as the girl shrank away from
her, "but will you not come to the house with me?"
"Oh, no, you will lock me up. No, I'll never go to the house with you.
I would not dare."
"But you see I promised you I would not harm you if you would come
down, and I did not, did I?"
"So you did as you promised," she said, coming nearer to Blanche, and
looking straight in her face.
Blanche noticed the strange expression in the lovely eyes, and she
knew that the burning light which she saw there was that of insanity,
though the face was one of childish beauty and innocence.
"Will you not come in?" Blanche asked again.
"If you will promise sure that you will not lock me up."
"I will promise."
"Well, then, I will come, and if you do try to lock me up I'll take
this," she said, putting her hand in her pocket, and drawing forth a
tiny pistol, which she pointed straight at Blanche's head. "I'll take
this and shoot anybody who tries to lock me up."
Blanche's face grew slightly pale, for it certainly was not a very
desirable position which she held at that moment, but her presence of
mind did not forsake her, and in a coaxing way she said:
"What a pretty little pistol; will you let me see it?"
"Will you promise to give it back to me?"
"Yes, I will."
"Let me shoot the head off that little bird first."
"Please do not, some one might hear you."
"Oh-h-h, yes, and then they would come after me. What is your name,"
she asked, looking quickly around, "isn't it----"
"What?" asked Blanche.
"Oh, I don't dare to say; some other time maybe I will ask you about
it."
"My name is Blanche Elsworth. You may call me Blanche."
"Oh."
"Come with me. I want to show you something real pretty."
"What is it?"
"Views. Just look," she said, giving the young girl a stereoscope, and
a basket full of views. "Cover your eyes with this, and you will see
the most beautiful places."
"You can't make me believe that; you want to cover my eyes so that you
can tie me up."
"No, truly, I will not harm you."
"Let me look into your eyes and see. I can tell by your eyes whether
you speak the truth or not."
Miss Elsworth allowed the girl to step close to her, and standing
there her wild eyes were fastened on her with a deep and searching
gaze.
"No," she said as she turned away, while her head dropped, "no, I know
you won't tell a lie. I can see it in your eyes."
"And now you will look at the pretty pictures; there it is, all ready.
Now, look, there is a beautiful picture."
The girl did as requested, and at least three minutes elapsed before
she lowered the stereoscope. During that time Blanche had turned the
pistol around, and taken each cartridge from its pocket; and quickly
springing it back to place, she laid it upon the table, saying:
"There, you see I have not harmed your pistol at all, and when you
have looked at the pictures you may have it."
"Give it to me," said the girl, as she grasped it and placed it in her
pocket. "I would not lose it for the world. You see I must use it as
sure as can be. I'd tell you, but I am afraid you would tell."
"No, I would not."
"But you would laugh at me, and call me silly just as they all did."
"No, I would not."
"Well, then, some time I will tell you all about it, but not now."
"Bessie, Bessie," called a voice outside.
"Oh, there's Ross. Now, if I just knew where to hide. Can't you hide
me some place?"
"No. I would not dare; but who is Ross?"
"Why, Ross is my brother; don't you know him? At least they say he
is."
Before Miss Elsworth had time to reply, a shadow darkened the doorway,
and looking up she saw Ross Graves standing there, looking straight
into the girl's face.
"Bessie."
A shrill scream burst from the girl's lips, and the wild light in her
eyes grew deeper.
"I won't go, I won't go, and you can't take me. I have promised to
stay here and live with this beautiful lady."
"Pardon me, Miss Elsworth, if I have troubled you, but you see we dare
not let Bessie go where she will, for we do not know what will happen
her. She is very reckless sometimes, and, beside, we have had a double
fright this morning, for when we discovered that she had gone we
looked around for a little revolver, that she delights in handling,
and could not find it."
"Oh, you need not look at me, Ross, you can't have it. Go away."
"No, Bessie, I will ask him to let you keep it."
"Miss Elsworth," said Ross, "I am sorry if Bessie has frightened you
very badly."
"Oh, she has not frightened me in the least."
"I am very sorry she has troubled you, but it is almost impossible to
keep her at home, unless we keep her in close confinement, and that
seems very hard, as she is fond of roving."
"You need not keep her in confinement on my account, for I assure you
I am not afraid of her."
"There, now, Ross, you see she is not afraid of me, and I am sure I
would not hurt her ma out there, would I?" she said, bursting into a
loud laugh, then quickly checking herself as Ross frowned and spoke
her name.
"Come, Bessie, let us go home."
"I won't go one step until I have looked at all these pretty pictures,
so, Ross, you can wait."
Ross accepted the chair Miss Elsworth offered him, and a full hour
passed before Bessie consented to go home.
"Let me tell you something before I go," she said, going to Blanche's
side, and placing her arm about her neck. "You are not afraid of me,
and when I come to see you again," here she bent close and whispered,
"I'll tell you if you'll never tell. I only tell it to people who are
not crazy."
Blanche promised that Bessie should come again some day after tea, and
to make Ross sure that Bessie had done no harm, she very slyly slipped
the cartridges into his hand. He looked his surprise as well as his
thanks, and, taking Bessie's hand, he led her home.