Part 43 (1/2)

All was quiet again for some time, she lying there, straining her ears for a repet.i.tion of the dreaded sounds; then, as they came again louder than before, she had great difficulty in restraining herself from springing from the bed and shrieking aloud, in a paroxysm of panic terror.

But she did control herself, lay perfectly still, and allowed not the slightest sound to escape her lips.

That last clanking noise had awakened Elsie, and she too now lay wide awake, silent and still, while intently listening for a repet.i.tion of it. She hardly knew whence the sound had come, or what it was; but when repeated, as it was in a moment or two, she was satisfied that it issued from the room where Lulu and Grace were, and her conjectures in regard to its origin coincided with Lulu's.

She, too, was greatly alarmed, but did not lose her presence of mind.

Hoping the little girls were still asleep, and judging from the silence that they were, she lay for a few minutes without moving, indeed scarcely breathing, while she tried to decide upon the wisest course to pursue, asking guidance and help from on high, as she always did in every emergency.

Her resolution was quickly taken; slipping softly out of bed, she stole noiselessly from the room and into another, on the opposite side of the hall, occupied by Edward and Zoe.

”Edward,” she said, speaking in a whisper close to his ear, ”wake, my son; I am in need of help.”

”What is it, mother?” he asked, starting up.

”Softly,” she whispered; ”make no noise, but come with me. Somebody or something is in the room where Lulu and Gracie sleep. I distinctly heard the clanking of a chain.”

”Mother!” he cried, but hardly above his breath, ”an escaped lunatic, probably! Stay here and let me encounter him alone. I have loaded pistols--”

”Oh, don't use them if you can help it!” she cried.

”I shall not,” he a.s.sured her, ”unless it is absolutely necessary.”

He s.n.a.t.c.hed the weapons from beneath his pillow as he spoke, and went from the room, she closely following.

At the instant that they entered hers a low growl came from the inner room, and simultaneously they exclaimed, ”A dog!”

”Somewhat less to be feared than a lunatic, unless he should be mad, which is not likely,” added Edward, striking a light.

Lulu sprang up with a low cry of intense relief. ”O Grandma Elsie, it's only a dog, and I thought it a crazy man or a wicked murderer!”

As she spoke the animal emerged from his hiding-place and walked into the outer room, dragging his chain after him.

Edward at once recognized him as a large mastiff Harry Duncan had shown him the previous afternoon.

”It's Mr. Duncan's dog,” he said; ”he must have broken his chain and come in un.o.bserved before the house was closed for the night. Here, Nero, good fellow, this way! You've done mischief enough for one night, and we'll send you home.”

He led the way to the outer door, the dog following quite peaceably, while Elsie, hearing sobs coming from the other room, hastened in to comfort and relieve the frightened children.

Grace still slept on in blessed unconsciousness; but she found Lulu crying hysterically, quite unable to continue her efforts at self-control, now that the necessity for it was past.

”Poor child!” Elsie said, folding her in her kind arms, ”you have had a terrible fright, have you not?”

”Yes, Grandma Elsie; oh, I've been lying here so long, _so long_, thinking a murderer or crazy man was under the bed, just ready to jump out and kill Gracie and me!” she sobbed, clinging convulsively about Elsie's neck.

”And did not scream for help! What a brave little girl you are!”

”I wanted to, and, oh, I could hardly keep from it! But I thought if I did it would wake Gracie and scare her to death, and the man would be sure to jump out and kill us at once.”

”Dear child,” Elsie said, ”you have shown yourself thoughtful, brave, and unselfish; how proud your father will be of his eldest daughter when he hears it!”