Part 25 (1/2)
”Had he seen the cab?”
”Certain. It was hiking along ahead. Pa.s.sed him just a little time before, the horse a-lather. Wondered who the fools were.”
”Well, you know now. How far ahead do you reckon they are?”
”Quarter mile beyond that turn if the horse ain't fell dead. Let me break away, overhaul them and then you two come in at the death,” he laughed.
Shelby was riding Shashai, and at his word a black streak pa.s.sed out of sight around the bend of the boulevard. Star and Columbine chafed to follow, but their riders held them back for a time.
True enough, as Shelby had said, the cab was still pounding along toward Was.h.i.+ngton, though the poor horse was nearly done up.
Shelby came abreast the poor panting beast, leaned quietly over, caught the bridle and cried, ”Whoa!” The horse was only too delighted to oblige him. Not so ”Cabby.”
With wrath and ire he rose to mete out justice to this highwayman. Had the b.u.t.t of his whip hit Shelby he would have seen more stars than twinkled overhead. But it didn't. It was caught in one hand, given a dexterous twist and sent flying into the road as Shelby said in his quiet drawl:
”Don't get excited. At least, don't let _me_ excite you. I ain't got nothing against you, but you can't take those 'slopers no further this night.”
”'Lopers nothin'! Me fares is two ladies on their ways to the Willard.
'Tis a niece and aunt they are.”
”Say, you're easy. I thought you fellows wise to most any game. Niece and aunt! Shucks! Come 'long out aunt, or Cousin Pauline, or whatever you are, and you, Miss Doolittle, just don't do nothin' but live up to that name you've got. Lord, whoever named you knew his or her business all right, all right! Here come Bolivar and his daughter to bear a hand.
Now don't set out to screech and carry on, 'cause if you do you'll make more trouble and it looks like you'd made a-plenty a-ready. And you shut up!” cried Shelby, now thoroughly roused, as Paul Ring, his disguise removed and stowed in his suitcase bl.u.s.tered from the cab. ”Quit! or I'll crack you're addle-pated head for you, you young fool. Do you know what it will mean if I report you at Annapolis? Well, unless you make tracks for Bancroft P. D. Q.--that means pretty decidedly quick, Nelly,--you're going to get all that is comin' to you with compound interest. Beat it while your shoes are good. We'll escort your girl back to home and friends. Nelly, get into that cab. Cabby, these are two school girls and this man is this one's father. Now go about and head for the home port. No rowing. Yes, you'll get paid all right, all right.
I'll stand for the damage and so will Bolivar here. But are _you_ going to dust?” the last words were addressed to Paul Ring to whom Helen was clinging and imploring him not to leave her. But, alas! It was four to one, for cabby's wrath was now centered upon ”that hully show of a bloomin' auntie.”
Amidst violent protests upon Helen's part, Nelly entered the cab. She would ”not go back!” And she would ”go with dear Paul!” Her heart was breaking. Nelly Bolivar was ”a good-for-nothing, common tattle-tale and the whole school probably knew all about her elopement already,” etc., etc.
Nelly tried to a.s.sure her that no one suspected a thing. Mr. Bolivar corroborated that statement, but Helen continued to sob and berate Nelly till finally Shelby's deep voice cried:
”Halt, cabby!” Then dismounting he opened the cab door, took Helen by the arm and shook her soundly, then thundered:
”If you was a boy I'd yank you out o' that cab and whale you well, for that's what you rate. Since you're a fool-girl I can't. Now stop that hullabaloo instanter. We'll get you back to the school and n.o.body'll know a thing if you keep your senses. Nelly here ain't anxious to have that school and her friends figurin' in the newspapers. Now you mind what I'm tellin' you. I've stood for all the nonsense I'm going to, and I promise to get you home without you're being missed, but if you let out another peep I'll march you straight to the Admiral's office, and don't you doubt my word for a single minute.” Then Shelby remounted Shashai, and leading Star, the odd procession started back, Shelby cudgeling his brain to devise a way of getting the romantic maiden in as secretly as he had promised. He need not have worried about that. The inmates of Columbia Heights were meantime having lively experiences of their own.
CHAPTER XVII
A SEND-OFF WITH FIREWORKS
When Lily Pearl fled from Stella's room leaving the overturned fairy lamp to bring about the climax of that evening, her one thought was to get to bed, and hardly had she tumbled into it than sleep brought oblivion of all else. Lily Pearl was a somnolent soul in many senses.
Mrs. Vincent was busy in her study at the other end of the house. Miss Sturgis was dining with friends. Fraulein, who was a romantic creature, was seated under a huge copper beech tree entertaining a Herr Professor straight from the Vaterland. The other teachers were either out or in their rooms in other parts of the building, and the servants had drifted out through the rear grounds. Consequently, the fairy lamp had things pretty much its own way and it embraced its opportunity.
What prompted Polly to go upstairs just at that crisis she could never have told, but she did, and a second later Peggy followed her. The moment the girls reached their corridor the odor of smoke a.s.sailed their nostrils. For an instant they stopped and looked at each other, then Peggy cried:
”Polly, something's afire. Quick, the bugle call!” Polly bounded forward and, as upon another occasion back in Montgentian she had roused the neighborhood and saved the situation, now she sounded her bugle call, but this time it was ”fire call,” not ”warning.” Clear, high and sharp the notes rang through the house. Mrs. Vincent down in her study sprang to her feet. The teachers rushed to their posts, the girls ran in from the terrace. Well for Columbia Heights School that Polly had taught them the different calls and that she and Peggy had begged Mrs. Vincent to let the girls learn the fire drill as the boys in Bancroft did it.
Not far off was a fire engine house and the members of the company had more than once come to see the two girls put their schoolmates through their drill. It was all a grand frolic then, for none believed it would ever be put to practical use. But the fire chief had nodded wisely and said to Mrs. Vincent:
”Those two young girls have long heads. It may all be a pretty show-down now, but some day you may find it come in handy.”