Part 40 (1/2)
”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 a.s.sure 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 pa.s.sed 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.