Part 14 (1/2)
a-prancin' 'roun' and takes off chilluns.”
Sylvia knew that all the negroes believed in witches and all sorts of impossible tales, so Estralla's words did not at all frighten her, but she did wish that she was safe in her own home. The streets were now dark and silent, and black shadows seemed to lurk at every corner as, hand in hand, Estralla and Sylvia ran swiftly along.
”I tells you, Missy, dat it's jes' lucky I comes after you, cos'
witch-folks, w'at comes floatin' 'roun' 'bout dis hour of de night, dey ain't gwine to tech us; cos' when dey's two folks holdin' each other hands tight, jes' like we is, dey don't dast to tech us,” said Estralla.
”Where were you, Estralla, when I came down-stairs?” Sylvia asked.
”I was jes' a-takin' a little sleep on de big rug side of your door, Missy. I'se been a-sleepin' dere dis long time. My mammy lets me. An'
when you opens de door I mos' calls out, but didn't. I jes' stan's up quick, so's you nebber know I was thar,” and Estralla chuckled happily.
Sylvia wondered to herself why Estralla should choose such a hard bed.
Then, suddenly, she realized all Estralla's devotion. That the little negro girl had slept there to be near her ”fr'en'.” She remembered the first time that she had ever seen Estralla, on the morning when she had tumbled in to Sylvia's room and broken the big pitcher, and that even then Estralla had been ready to confess and take the whipping that she was sure would follow, rather than let Sylvia be blamed. She recalled Estralla's effort to rescue her at Fort Sumter on the day Sylvia had run away from Miss Patten's school; and she remembered that it was Estralla who had told Miss Patten the real reason, and so saved her from further trouble.
”Estralla, you have been my true friend,” she declared, ”and I am going to remember it always. I am going to ask my mother to put a nice little bed for you in your mammy's cabin.”
”Don' yo' do that, Missy. I likes sleepin' on de rug,” pleaded Estralla.
”Hush, we must creep in without making any noise,” responded Sylvia, in a whisper, for they were now directly in front of Sylvia's home.
Noiselessly Estralla led the way.
”Oh, Missy! de door is shut fas',” she whispered, as she endeavored to push it open.
”But it can't be shut,” Sylvia answered.
Both the little girls pushed against it, but the door stood fast.
”Oh! What will we do?” half sobbed Sylvia, who was now very tired, and almost too sleepy to think of anything.
”We cyan't get in de back door. My mammy she'd wake up if a rabbit run twixt her cabin an' de kitchen,” Estralla whispered back. ”I 'spec's I'll hev' to climb up to de winder ober de porch, and comes down and let you in.”
”Oh! Can you, Estralla?”
Sylvia's voice was very near to tears. She had forgotten all about the importance of the message she had safely delivered. All she wanted now was to be inside this dear safe house where her mother and father were sleeping, not knowing that their little girl, cold and sleepy, was shut out.
”I 'spec's I can,” Estralla answered. ”You jes' stay quiet, an' in 'bout four shakes of a lamb's tail I'se gwine to open de door, an' in yo' walks.”
There was a little scrambling noise among the stout vines which ran up the pillars of the porch as Estralla started to carry out her plan. A cat, or a fluttering bird, would have hardly made more commotion.
Sylvia listened eagerly. Suppose the porch window was fastened? she thought fearfully. It seemed a very long time before the front door opened, and Estralla reached out and clutched at the brown cape.
Noiselessly they crept up the stairs, Estralla leading the way. It was she who opened the door of Sylvia's room, and then with a whispered ”Yo'se all right now, Missy,” closed it behind her.
Sylvia hung up the brown cape in the closet, and slipped off her dress.
She was soon in bed and fast asleep, and it was late the next morning before she awoke--so late that her father had breakfasted and gone to his warehouse; Estralla had been sent on an errand, and Mrs. Fulton decided that Sylvia should have a holiday.