THE SUMMONS
As though in a dream, Miss Lady followed Decherd to the entrance,
near which stood a carriage in the narrow little street. She scarcely
looked at his face, and did not note his hurried words to the driver.
Silent and distraught, she took no note of their direction as the
wheels rattled over the rude flags of the medieval passageway. The
carriage turned corner after corner in its jolting progress, and
finally trundled smoothly for a time, but Miss Lady, hoping only that
this journey might soon end, scarce noticed where it had ended. She
saw only that it was not at the gate of Madame Delchasse's house,
and, startled at this, expostulated with Decherd, who reasoned,
argued, pleaded.
Meantime, at the gate of the old house on the Esplanade, Madame
Delchasse waited uneasily alone. Perhaps half an hour had passed, and
madame could scarce contain herself longer, when finally she heard
the rattle of wheels and saw descending at the curb a stranger, who
hurriedly approached her carriage window.
"Pardon, Madame," said he, as he removed his hat, "this carriage is,
perhaps, for the house of Madame Delchasse?"
"It is, Monsieur," said madame, frigidly. "I am Madame Delchasse."
"Pardon me, Madame," said the new-comer, "my name is Eddring, John
Eddring. I would not presume to come at such an hour were it not that
I have a message, a very urgent one, for Miss Loisson. She refused to
see me at the theater, and I came here; she _must_ have this message.
It is not for myself that--"
Madame drew back into her carriage. "Monsieur," said she, "I say to
you, bah! and again, bah!"
"You mistake," said Eddring, hurriedly. "It is only the message which
I would have delivered. It is only on her account." Something in his
voice caught the attention of madame, and she hesitated. "It is
strange mademoiselle do not arrive," she said. "Monsieur Decherd
should have brought her 'ome before this."
"Decherd!" cried Eddring.
"_Mais oui._ He is her _fiance._ What is it that it is to you,
Monsieur?"
"Listen, listen, Madame!" cried Eddring, "We must find them. This
message is one of life and death. Come, your carriage--" and before
madame could expostulate the two were seated together in madame's
carriage, and it was whirling back on the return journey to the
Odeon.
Eddring fell on the doorkeeper. "Miss Loisson! Where is she? When did
she leave?" he demanded; and madame added much voluble French.
"Mademoiselle left with a young gentleman a half-hour ago," said the
doorkeeper. "I heard him say, 'Drive to the levee.' Perhaps they
would see the high water, yes?"
"That's likely!" cried Eddring, springing back into the carriage,
"but we will go there, too." Hence their carriage also whirled around
corner after corner, and presently trundled along the smoother way of
the levee. Passing between the interminably long rows of cotton-bales
they met a carriage coming away as they approached, and Eddring, upon
the mere chance of it, accosted the driver.
"Did you bring two persons, a young lady and a young man, here a
moment ago?" said he.
"Not here," said the driver, pulling up. "But I took them lower down
on the levee. They went on board the _Opelousas Queen._ You'll
have to hurry if you want to catch, them. She's done whistled, an'
'll be backin' out mighty quick."
Eddring hardly waited for the end of his speech. "We must find them,"
said he to madame at his side, who now was becoming thoroughly
frightened. "There is something wrong in this. I must get this
message to Miss Loisson, and I must find out what all this means."
A few moments later their own carriage brought up with a jerk, and
Eddring, dragging madame by the arm, hurried across the stage plank
almost as it was on the point of being raised.
"What do you mean?" growled the clerk to the hurried arrivals, as the
_Queen_ slowly turned out into the stream.
"Did a couple come aboard just now, a few minutes ahead of us?" cried
Eddring, taking him by the shoulder in his excitement.
"Why, yes. But they didn't come in such a hurry as you do. Where are
you going?"
"Wait," said Eddring. "What was the girl like? Tall, dark hair, wore
a cloak, perhaps? And the man--was he rather thin, dark--had oddish
eyes?"
"Why, yes; I reckon that's who they were," grumbled the clerk.
Eddring paid no attention to him. "Madame," said he, "they must be on
the boat.
"Now look; here is my message, Madame," he resumed, as he led her
apart to avoid the clerk. "You will see why I have brought you here,
and why I had to find Miss Loisson and this Mr. Decherd." He handed
to her two pieces of paper--messages from Colonel Calvin Blount
addressed to him at New Orleans. The first one read: "We are
organized; come quick. More levee-cutting."
"That is three days old," said Eddring. "Here is one sent yesterday.
It must have gone out by boat to some railway station, for the roads
are washed out for miles in all the upper Delta. 'Shot bad in levee
fight. Come quick. We have caught Delphine, ring-leader. More proof
implicating Decherd. Louise Loisson our Miss Lady. Find her; bring
her. Watch Decherd. Come quick.--Calvin Blount.'
"Madame," said Eddring, "Miss Louise Loisson was once Miss Lady
Ellison, at the Big House plantation of Calvin Blount, in the
northern part of Mississippi. Her friends have been looking for her
for years, but in some way have missed her. I will say to you that
she is a young woman lawfully entitled to property in her own name.
This Henry Decherd is unfit company for her, if not dangerous
company. As to this marriage, it must not be. Madame, take this
message to Miss Loisson; if you can, induce her to go to her old and
true friend, Colonel Blount,--if it be not too late now for that. I
am sure you will be thankful all your life; and so will she. Find
her; I will find Decherd. We must get up to Blount's place then.
He's hurt. He may be killed."
Madame stood troubled, fumbling the papers in her hand. She scarce
had time to speak ere there came from the ladies' cabin a sudden rush
of footsteps, and in an instant Miss Lady and she were in each
other's arms.