WHO WAS THE TALL PHANTOM?
"What _is_ a phantom party?" asked Dolly.
"Oh, it's lots of fun," Dotty replied; "everybody is rigged up in
sheets, with a head-thing made of a pillow-case, and a little white mask
over your face, so nobody knows you."
"Can I go?" asked Genie, her black eyes dancing.
"No," said her mother, "you're too young, dearie, this party of Edith
Holmes' is an evening party; it begins at seven o'clock and only the big
girls can go to it."
"Oh, dear, will I ever get grown up!" and Genie sighed with envy of her
sister and Dolly.
"But how do you know who anybody is?" went on Dolly, who had never heard
of this game before.
"You don't! that's the fun of it. You can't tell the girls from the
boys, and you must try to make your voice different, so nobody will know
who you are. Have you plenty of sheets, Mother, to fix us up?"
"Yes, indeed; one apiece will do you I think, if they are wide ones."
"We'll make our own masks," said Dotty, who had attended parties of this
sort before.
So they cut masks from white muslin, with a little frill across the
bottom and holes to fit their eyes.
"Now we must put a piece of gauze or net behind these eye-holes," said
Dotty, out of her full experience, "for if we don't, they'd know your
eyes and mine in a minute, Dollyrinda."
"Then how can we see where we're going?"
"Oh, we can see through the thin stuff easily enough, but our eyes don't
show plainly to other people."
So insets of fine white net were put in the eye-holes and the dainty
white masks were really pretty affairs.
They had made them not exactly alike, lest duplicates should lead to
suspicion of their identity.
When it was time to get ready for the party Mrs. Rose pinned the girls
into their sheet draperies.
"Make us as different as possible, Mother," advised Dotty, "so they'll
never think we're us."
Mrs. Rose pinned Dolly's sheet into the semblance of a Japanese kimono,
while she arranged Dotty's in full folds round the neck and let it hang
in a Mother Hubbard effect.
Dolly's pillow-case headdress was bunched on either side of her head,
like rosettes over her ears, and Dotty's hung in a plain flat fold down
her back like an Italian girl's.
The masks were adjusted and the girls were ready to start. They wore
white gloves and white shoes and looked like a pair of very lively
ghosts.
Mr. Rose escorted them over to the Holmes Camp, or nearly there,--for it
was the plan that each phantom must sneak in as stealthily as possible,
in order to remain unknown.
So sometime before they reached their destination, Dotty ran on ahead,
and with great manoeuvring, managed to slip in unseen and saunter
among the crowd already gathered.
Silently, among the trees, Mr. Rose led Dolly until he saw a good
opportunity and then with a whispered "Scoot in there!" he indicated a
chance for her to make her entrance, and he himself went back home.
It was dusk, not dark, but the light of the big camp fire made
convenient shadows to screen the entrance of the guests.
It seemed a weird sight to Dolly as she somewhat timidly made her way
in. Twenty or thirty white-robed figures were bowing and scraping or
dancing wildly about or talking to each other in high squeaky voices and
short sentences.
"Know me?" somebody said, stopping in front of Dolly.
The voice seemed a little familiar, and yet Dolly couldn't quite place
it. It might be Jack Norris, or it might be one of the Holmes boys. But
in a spirit of fun she nodded her head affirmatively, with great vigour,
as if to declare that she knew the speaker perfectly well, but she would
not speak herself.
"Who?" squeaked the high voice, hoping Dolly would speak and thus reveal
her own identity.
But Dolly was too canny for this. Instead she joined together her thumb
and forefinger of each hand and held them up to her eyes, making circles
like eye-glass rims. Now, in sunny weather, Guy Holmes wore big glasses
with shell rims, and as this described him fairly well, it was a stroke
of triumph on Dolly's part. For it was Guy Holmes himself, and he
doubled up with laughter at the clever identification.
But he shook his head as if Dolly were greatly mistaken in her guess,
and so she didn't know whether she had been right or not.
When all had arrived, they danced in a circle round the fire, chanting
wild sounds that had no meaning or rhythm but were supposed to be
ghostlike wails and groans.
Then a game was played, under the direction of Mr. Holmes, by which it
was endeavoured to learn who the different phantoms were.
Their host led them to what was really the drying-ground for the family
laundry. A clothesline stretched on four posts formed a square, and from
the clothesline depended brown paper bags of varying sizes, from large
to tiny, each held by a slender string.
"One at a time," Mr. Holmes explained, "our ghostly friends will go into
the square, and being blindfolded, will endeavour to hit a bag with a
stick. If the attempt is successful the ghost may return unchallenged,
but if he fail to hit a bag the others may guess from his gestures who
it is."
The bags were not very near together, there being only three or four on
each side of the clothesline square.
Mr. Holmes selected one of the phantoms and escorted it to the middle of
the square, placed a stick in the outstretched hand, blindfolded the
motionless figure, turned it round with a whirl and said, "Step
forward, and hit where you choose, and see if you can bring down a bag."
The ghost was very evidently a boy, for two vigorous arms grasped the
stick and with a couple of long strides the white figure stalked
forward.
A vigorous blow ensued, but the stick came down between two of the bags
and made no hit.
"Now you may guess who it is," said Mr. Holmes, "as our friend ghost did
not strike anything. If you guess right, he must take off his mask, but
if not he may retain it. Only one guess allowed."
Somebody sung out the name of Jack Norris, as the ghost was about his
height, but the white figure shook its head vigorously and glided back
among the crowd.
The game went on. Sometimes a ghost would hit a bag and the flimsy paper
would burst and a quantity of peanuts or popcorn would scatter on the
grass, to be scrabbled for by the rollicking phantoms.
One bag held confetti which scattered through the air in a gay shower of
colour.
When it was Dolly's turn, she was determined that she would act as
differently as possible from her usual manner and so fool everybody.
After she was blindfolded and turned round, she took the stick and with
little mincing steps, imitated exactly the gait of Josie Holmes. She
made a wild dash with the stick, but failed to hit a bag and Maisie
Norris called out at once, "You're Josie Holmes! I know that walk!"
Dolly shook her head vigorously and ran back to the crowd. She chanced
to stand next to a very tall ghost who gravely patted her cheek as she
stood beside him. Dolly looked up quickly, for she did not like this
familiarity from a stranger, and she was sure the phantom was too tall
to be any of the boys she knew. Of course, as the party was large, there
were many of the guests whom Dolly had never met, and she resented the
act of the stranger and drawing herself up with great dignity turned her
back upon him.
But the tall ghost jumped around in front of her and patted her other
cheek, the while he gave a cackling, rattling, ghostly chuckle.
To be sure Dolly's cheek was covered by her mask and the ghost wore
white cotton gloves, but she did not at all like his familiar manner and
she walked quickly away from him.
A few moments later the tall ghost himself went to take his turn with
the stick.
Blindfolded and whirled about, he went with short, steady steps
straight forward, and with a big whack he chanced to bring down a good
sized bag. It was filled with the feathers of a whole pillow, and great
laughter ensued as, like snowflakes, the feathers flew through the air.
His heavy stroke had sent the bag flying upward and as it burst the
feathers descended in a shower.
Since he had broken a bag, the identity of the tall ghost was not even
guessed at, so Dolly had no chance to learn his name.
However, everybody was laughing and sneezing, as the feathers drifted
down and flew into their mouths or tickled their ears.
Only a few of the ghosts' names were guessed correctly, as many of them
had carefully disguised their shapes and sizes. Thin people had put on
sweaters or bulky coats to make themselves appear stout, and short
people had built up high headdresses in an effort to seem taller.
By the time the game was over every one was in most hilarious mood, and
the few who had been guessed and so had removed their masks, were
teasing the others in efforts to make them talk.
"I know you," said Elmer Holmes, pausing in front of Dolly. "You're
Dotty Rose!"
"How do you know?" And Dolly spoke in low, guttural tones, way down in
her throat.
"Oh, you needn't growl like a little bear cub! I know you, because
you're so careful of that left wing of yours. You thought nobody would
notice it, did you? But I spied it, and I _know_ you're Dot! You've got
on a couple of coats or something to make you look fatter, but you're
Dotty, all right."
Dolly shook with laughter, for she had pretended to shield her left arm
with a gesture that was purposely copied from Dotty.
Just then the tall ghost appeared again at Dolly's side. He laid his
hand on her shoulder and bent down a little to look in her eyes.
Dolly drew away from him and turned to Elmer Holmes.
"Who?" she said, in a hoarse whisper, pointing to the tall phantom.
"That's telling," said Elmer, laughing. "Ask him yourself who he is."
"Who?" grunted Dolly again, addressing herself to the tall one.
"Peter, Peter, Pumpkin-Eater!" and the tall ghost grunted out the words
from one corner of his mouth and Dolly could not recognise the voice.
As the ghost spoke he patted Dolly on the head.
Dolly disliked his manner, for none of the other boys were other than
correctly formal and polite, so she turned away from him, making a
gesture of dismissal with her hand.
Apparently "Peter, Peter, Pumpkin-Eater" was desolated, for he put his
hands to his eyes and rocked himself back and forth with wailing groans
of despair. He was funny, and Dolly had a great desire to know who he
might be, but she did not like the familiarity of his manner, and she
turned away to speak to some one else.
"Take partners for a Virginia reel," called out Mr. Holmes, "and after
that, we will unmask for supper."
The next moment Dolly found the tall ghost bowing before her and
evidently asking her to dance with him.
But instinctively she felt that she preferred not to dance with a
partner who was what she called "fresh" in his manner and she shook her
head in refusal.
"Peter" urged and begged her, in dumb show, to consent. Dolly was
tempted to do so, for his gestures were pleasantly wheedlesome, but as
she held out her hand in half consent, Peter grasped it and falling on
one knee kissed it with his hand on his heart with all the effect of a
most devoted cavalier.
"He's too silly!" Dolly thought to herself; "I won't dance with him, for
I don't know how he would carry on. But I wonder who he is."
So Dolly turned decidedly away from the tall suitor and found two other
ghosts bowing before her and evidently requesting her to dance.
She looked at the two figures and having no idea who they might be, she
hesitated which to choose.
Finally, with a white-gloved finger, she touched each in turn, "counting
out."
"My--mother--told--me--to--take--this--one!" She mumbled, in a
monotonous singsong tone.
And then as her final choice rested on one of the ghosts, she went away
with him to take her place in the lines that were forming for the dance.
Dolly was at the end of the line of girls and opposite her, of course,
was her partner. Next to Dolly's partner stood the tall ghost and as
Dolly looked at him, he waved his hand at her and then lightly blew her
a kiss from the tips of his white-gloved fingers.
"Freshy!" said Dolly to herself. "I think he's horrid! to act like
that, when he doesn't know me at all, for I know I've not met any boy up
here as tall as he is."
The dance began and there was much gay laughter as the phantoms advanced
and retreated in their respective turns. The boys pranced awkwardly in
their unaccustomed draperies, while the girls minced around prettily and
flung their sheets in graceful whirls.
When it came Dolly's turn, she suddenly realised that as the tall ghost
stood next to her own partner it was the obnoxious Peter with whom she
would have to go through the figures of the old-fashioned dance.
With a very stately air she went forward as the tall ghost came to meet
her half-way. They bowed with great dignity and turned to their places
while the other couple did their part.
Next they must join right hands and swing around and this time the tall
ghost whirled Dolly around so vigorously that he almost swung her off
her feet.
Dolly began to be really annoyed, but she determined not to show it and
stepped gracefully up for the next figure. This was the left hand twirl,
and Peter turned her around more gently this time, but the next, when
they joined both hands, Peter swung her swiftly round twice instead of
once, his own feet clumping as if in a clog dance.
The next time the pair merely walked round each other back to back, and
Dolly was very careful to keep as far distant as possible from the
obnoxious Peter.
The dance would soon be over, she knew, and then he would have to unmask
and she could see who this unpleasantly forward youth might be.
It was during the last of the grand march when it came Dolly's turn to
dance gaily down the line with her own partner, whom she did not yet
know by name, that Peter unceremoniously pushed Dolly's partner aside,
and himself taking Dolly's hand, whirled her down the long aisle between
the two lines of ghosts who clapped their hands and chanted or whistled
in time to the music.
So rapidly did Peter whirl Dolly around that she had no choice but to
follow, and she realised suddenly that the tall ghost was a most awkward
dancer, and that unless she was very nimble herself he would tread on
her toes.
Too angry now to think of disguising her voice, Dolly whispered to Peter
as they danced along. "You are most rude and unmannerly! I have never
met a boy so fresh and horrid! As soon as we reach the other end of the
line I command you to let me go and I wish you never to speak to me
again!"
Dolly was thoroughly angry, but as she preferred not to let the others
know of her annoyance, she danced on with Peter toward the end of the
line, though she suddenly realised that he was guiding her so as to make
their progress as slow as possible.
"Oh, now,--oh, now, don't get mad!" and the squeaky voiced, choked with
laughter, was almost inaudible.
"I _am_ mad! I _hate_ you! you're not a nice boy at all, and I wonder
Edith Holmes invited you!"
"She didn't!" was squeaked into Dolly's ear, and then, as they reached
the end of the line the audacious Peter lifted the frill of Dolly's mask
and kissed her cheek. Then with a bow, he released her and turned away
to his place in the line.
But as Peter had taken the place of Dolly's partner, and as her partner
had apparently not resented this act, Dolly had no choice but to join
hands with Peter and march back under an arch-way formed by the clasped
hands of the other ghosts. Rather than make an unpleasant scene by
refusing, Dolly thought better to do this, as it would end the dance. So
giving her finger-tips to the horrid Peter she bent to go under the
raised hands.
Tall Peter had to bend a great deal, and as for some reason or other he
was decidedly clumsy with his feet and forever tripping on his trailing
robe, the pair could think of nothing but their progress along the line,
and as they reached the end, the dance was over and the music stopped.
"Now," thought Dolly to herself, "I'll see who that horrid boy is,
though of course it's no one I know, and as he said Edith didn't invite
him, he must be some intruder who hasn't any business here. But I can't
see why he picked _me_ out to annoy with his bad manners. I hope nobody
saw him."
"Masks off!" sang out Mr. Holmes, and each ghost began to untie the
strings of his concealing disguise. It was not always easy and many had
to ask help from their neighbours before they could release themselves.
Dolly untied her mask quickly and stood with angry eyes awaiting a
revelation of Peter's identity.
With one hand behind his head, as he loosened his mask, the tall ghost
stepped to Dolly's side and said in a squeaky whisper, "Won't you
forgive me?"
"No," said Dolly sternly, as she frowned at him. "You have been
unpardonable, and I have no wish to know you."
"Aw, now, Dollydoodle," and the mask was whisked off and smiling down at
her stood--Dolly's brother, Bert!
Dolly stared at him in utter amazement and then burst into laughter as
she realised what it all meant.
"You goose!" she exclaimed, as the brother and sister stood choking with
laughter at the situation.
"But how _could_ I know you?" said Dolly, "What makes you so tall?"
"I have big blocks of wood fastened to my shoe soles," explained Bert,
"and, my, but it makes me clumsy-footed!"
"I should think so! I don't see how you danced at all! Where _did_ you
come from? How did you get here? Oh, Bert, I'm so glad it was _you_, for
I was so mad when I thought some stranger was acting up like that."
"It was a shame, Dollypops, to tease you, but I just couldn't help it. I
had no intention of acting up like that, but when I just patted your
hand you got so mad, that I thought it would be fun to go on. I'm glad
you _are_ such a little touch-me-not."
"Well, I should hope I _wouldn't_ want strange boys patting me like
that! And when you kissed me, Bert, I thought I should scream, I was so
mad, but honestly I was ashamed to make a scene and let people know what
you had done."
"You'll forgive me, sister, won't you?" and Bert's big blue eyes looked
into Dolly's, as for a moment he did feel ashamed of himself for teasing
her so. But his love of a joke was so great, that he had thoroughly
enjoyed fooling Dolly and his affectionate sister willingly forgave him.
"Don't know yet who was your partner, do you, Dolly?" said a voice near
her, and turning, Dolly saw Bob Rose.
"Oh, were _you_?" and Dolly turned to him, laughing.
"I sure was! I resigned in favour of Bert at the last, because he
commanded me to."
"When did you come up here?" and the amazed Dolly began to realise how
matters stood.
"To-night," said Bert. "We were at Crosstrees before you girls left, but
Mrs. Rose kept us hidden and after you were gone, she togged us up in
sheets, and here we are."
"But why did you make yourself tall, Bert? Nobody up here would know you
anyhow, except Dot and me."
"Oh, just did it for fun. Thought I'd make an impression as the tallest
ghost in captivity. Where's Dotty? And I want to meet a few of these
other ghost girls. I'll shake you now, Dollikins, and you can have your
own partner back." Bert went away leaving Bob with Dolly, who escorted
her to supper.
The supper was served in true camp-fire fashion. There was no table, the
ghosts, all unmasked now, sat round the big fire on camp stools or
cushions, and the boys waited on the girls in true picnic style. There
were substantial viands, as the evening air caused hearty appetites, and
Dolly settled herself comfortably on a divan improvised of evergreen
boughs and gratefully accepted a cup of hot bouillon and some sandwiches
that Bob brought.
Edith Holmes was sitting by Dolly, and she was chuckling with laughter
as Bert told her the joke he had played on his sister.
After supper the merry young people sang songs and glees round the fire
until it was time to go home.
"Daddy said he'd come for us," said Dotty laughingly to Dolly, "but of
course he didn't mean it for he knew the boys would be here to take us
home."
"I'll just remove these blocks of wood before I start," said Bert, as
he quickly tore off the clumsy and cumbersome things.
"Now I can walk better," and he stood on his own shoe soles and at his
own height.
"I'm awfully glad you're here again, Bob," said Edith Holmes, as they
said good-night, "and I'm glad you're here too," she added to Bert
Fayre. "Our camps are so near that we must play together a lot."
"Nice girl," commented Bert, as the quartette walked away. "Lots of nice
people at that party."
"Yes," agreed Bob, "girls are nice at parties, but sometimes we don't
want them around. Be sure to be up, old man, by sunrise to-morrow
morning, for we're going fishing early."
"Can't we go?" asked Dotty.
"No, ma'am! No girls need apply. A real fishing trip is a serious matter
and we can't be bothered with girls. When we come home to-morrow night,
if Mother says you've been good children all day, you can have some of
our fish."