Part 37 (1/2)
”Wedding, oh, yes, I 'member, peach of a girl! Stuyvy awfully fond of her.
No harm meant. Good joke! Yes,--I borr'wed Grand'F'ther Brooks's old gown'n ban's. Awf'lly good disguise! No harm meant--on'y good joke--girl awf'lly set on getting married. Stuyvy wanted t' please 'er--awfully good, joke--!”
”A ghastly joke, I should say, sir!” said Michael sternly and then the door was flung open by hands from inside, loud angry voices protesting while another hand sought unavailingly to close the door again, but Michael came and planted himself in the open door and stood like an avenging angel come to call to judgment. The scene that was revealed to him was too horrifying for words.
A long banquet table stood in the midst of the handsome room whose furnis.h.i.+ngs were of the costliest. Amid the scattered remains of the feast, napkins lying under the table, upset gla.s.ses still dripping their ruby contents down the damask of the tablecloth, broken china, scattered plates and silver, stood a handsome silver bound coffin, within which, pallid and deathlike, lay the handsome form of the bridegroom of the evening. All about the casket in high sconces burned tall tapers casting their spectral light over the scene.
Distributed about the room lounging in chairs, fast asleep on the couches, lying under the table, fighting by the doorway, one standing on a velvet chair raising an unsteady gla.s.s of wine and making a flabby attempt at a drinking song, were ten young men, the flower of society, the expected ushers of the evening's wedding.
Michael with his white face, his golden hair aflame in the flickering candle light, his eyes full of shocked indignation, stood for a moment surveying the scene, and all at once he knew that his prayer was answered.
There would be no wedding that night.
”Is this another of your ghastly jokes?” he turned to Brooks who stood by as master of ceremonies, not in the least disturbed by the presence of the stranger.
”That's just what it is,” stuttered Brooks, ”a j-j-joke, a p-p-p-pract'cal joke. No harm meant, only Stuyvy's hard to wake up. Never did like gettin'
up in the mornin'. Wake 'im up boys! Wake 'im up! Time to get dressed for the wedding!”
”Has anyone sent word to Miss Endicott?”
”Sent word to Mish Endicott? No, I'd 'no's they have. Think she'd care to come? Say, boys, that's a good joke. This old fellow--don't know who he is--devil'n all his angels p'raps--he s'gests we send word to Mish Endicott t' come' th' fun'ral--”
”I said nothing of the kind,” said Michael fiercely. ”Have you no sense of decency? Go and wash your face and try to realize what you have been doing.
Have some one telephone for a doctor. I will go and tell the family,” and Michael strode out of the room to perform the hardest task that had ever yet fallen to his lot.
He did not wait for the elevator but ran down the flights of stairs trying to steady his thoughts and realize the horror through which he had just pa.s.sed.
As he started down the last flight he heard the elevator door clang below, and as it shot past him he caught a glimpse of white garments and a face with eyes that he knew. He stopped short and looked upward. Was it--could it be? But no, of course not. He was foolish. He turned and compelled his feet to hurry down the rest of the stairs, but at the door his worst fears were confirmed, for there stood the great electric car, and the familiar face of the Endicott chauffeur a.s.sured him that some one of the family had just gone to the ghastly spectacle upstairs.
In sudden panic he turned and fled up the stairs. He could not wait for elevators now. He fain would have had wings, the wings of a protecting angel, that he might reach her ere she saw that sight of horror.
Yet even as he started he knew that he must be too late.
Starr stopped startled in the open doorway, with Morton, protesting, apprehensive, just behind her. The soft cloak slid away from her down the satin of her gown, and left her revealed in all her wedding whiteness, her eyes like stars, her beautiful face flushed excitedly. Then the eyes rested on the coffin and its death-like occupant and her face went white as her dress, while a great horror grew in her eyes.
Brooks, more nearly sober than the rest, saw her first, and hastened to do the honors.
”Say, boys, she's come,” he shouted. ”Bride's come. Git up, Bobby Trascom.
Don't yer know ye mustn't lie down, when there's a lady present--Van--get out from under that table. Help me pick up these things. Place all in a mess. Glad to see you, Mish Endicott--” He bowed low and staggered as he recovered himself.
Starr turned her white face toward him:
”Mr. Brooks,” she said in a tone that sobered him somewhat, ”what does it mean? Is he dead?”
”Not at all, not at all, Mish Endicott,” he tried to say gravely. ”Have him all right in plenty time. Just a little joke, Mish Endicott. He's merely shlightly intoxicated--”
But Starr heard no more. With a little stifled cry and a groping motion of her white-clad arms, she crumpled into a white heap at the feet of her horrified nurse. It was just as she fell that Michael appeared at the door, like the rescuing angel that he was, and with one withering glance at the huddled group of men he gathered her in his arms and sped down the stairs, faithful Morton puffing after him. Neither of them noticed a man who got out of the elevator just before Starr fell and walking rapidly toward the open door saw the whole action. In a moment more Mr. Endicott stood in the door surveying the scene before him with stern, wrathful countenance.
Like a dash of cold water his appearance brought several of the partic.i.p.ants in the disgraceful scene to their senses. A few questions and he was possessed of the whole shameful story; the stag dinner growing into a midnight orgy; the foolish dare, and the reckless acceptance of it by the already intoxicated bridegroom; the drugged drinks; and the practical joke carried out by brains long under the influence of liquor. Carter's man who had protested had been bound and gagged in the back room. The jokers had found no trouble in securing the necessary tools to carry out their joke.