she turned her attention to the lovely table, and the bright faces around it. Her own dear girl, Sydney, with her handsome bridegroom seated in the center facing her. She smiled a loving look toward her, resolutely putting away the thought of how soon she was to be separated from them.
The merry company had finished the fruit course and progressed to the delicious soup, when suddenly the doorbell bimmed out in a series of successive and frantic rings, as if the bell had gone mad and couldn’t stop.
The guests were laughing and talking and at first didn’t notice it, but Mrs. Hollis looked with a startled glance out into the hall. Thelma, who knew the butler was busy serving, hurried from the back hall toward the front door. But the bell went right on insistently ringing with all its might. Suddenly the guests became aware of it and ceased their chatter and laughter, looking up wonderingly, pausing with spoons halfway to their lips. And the bell went right on ringing.
Then the front door opened rather frantically and the bell stopped ringing, though its echoes still lingered hovering in the air, as if the sound had gathered such momentum that it could not quickly be suppressed.
Heavy young footsteps came swiftly toward the dining room in spite of Thelma’s attempted interference, and a wild young voice burst in upon the bright scene.
It was Minnie! Her hat awry, her coat wide open and half trailing behind her, real tears making little rivulets down the powder on her cheeks, lipstick all over her delicate handkerchief, her smeary lips quivering wide like a frightened child’s.
She stayed not on the order of her going. She came straight to the dining room table and stood there looking at Mrs. Hollis wildly, and as Luther Waite expressed it afterwards, she “turned on the works and began to bawl right off the bat!”
“Oh, Aunt Jessica!” she gasped. “I’ve had such a frightful experience! I thought I should die before I ever got back here!”
She punctuated her sentences by ducking her face into her handkerchief to dash away the tears.
“There was nobody home! Can you imagine it? The house was absolutely dark! Not even a light in the hall as people usually arrange it. And there was somebody evidently breaking into the house. Someone with a flashlight going around inside, a little dot of light appearing, wavering across an inner wall, and then appearing somewhere else. It was weird! I couldn’t understand it, and I was scared to death but I didn’t know what to do. The taxi man said he couldn’t wait. He had to get back for another call. So I got out and went up the steps. But just as I was reaching out to push the bell, a hand came out of the darkness and gripped me by the wrist, and tried to draw me into the dark vestibule. The man had a mask over the lower part of his face, and a gun in his hand! I began to scream with all my might, and jerk away from him, and I guess I frightened him, for his hold relaxed a little and I jerked my hand away so hard I fell backwards down the four steps to the sidewalk and rolled over into the shadow, and the man backed into the vestibule and I heard the door slam. By that time the taxi was goon and as soon as I could I got up and began to run. I ran as hard as I could, and I thought I never would get here. I’m so frightened I don’t know what to do. Oh, Aunt Jessica, please, please don’t send me away again! I’ll stay anywhere. I can sit right down here at the corner of the table. I won’t take up much room! You’ll let me bring up a chair here beside you, won’t you?” and she lifted a tearful appealing face toward Lincoln Silverthorn who was sitting at one corner of the table.
Link with a sternly severe face was on his feet at once, drawing out his chair for her.
“Just take my place,” he said courteously, stepping back to the edge of the doorway into the wide hall.
“Oh! Thanks awfully!” said Minnie with a quick shift to a giggle. “I was sure there would be one gentleman among you!”
“Oh, really, Minnie!” said Mrs. Hollis in what was mean to be a low annoyed tone of reprimand, though it didn’t register with Minnie. Her tears were forgotten, and she was seraphically happy now, sitting down serenely in Link’s chair and gazing up at him like a queen thanking a lowly subject.
Mrs. Hollis with darkened countenance half rose from her seat, hesitantly, not knowing just what to do with this unparalleled situation. Bur Mr. Hollis looked at his aspiring relative with disgust.
“Nonsense, Minnie!” he exclaimed as he rose precipitately from his seat, laying a detaining hand on his wife’s arm.
“Sit down, Jessica, I’ll handle this!” he said in a low tone, and Mrs. Hollis relaxed into her chair again. Mr. Hollis was a man of quick action and she had utmost faith in his judgment.
He took a couple of quick steps across to where Link stood by the door and spoke to him in a low tone: “Link, could I ask a favor of you? Will you take this young woman over to Mrs. Fremont’s and see that she stays there? You can see I can’t be spared here and no servant could manage her. That story about the house being dark is all nonsense. We telephoned Mrs. Fremont before we sent her, and they are expecting her over there. You are the only one of the crowd I know well enough to trust with this. It ought not to take you long, perhaps five minutes. Do you mind?”
“Of course not,” said Link bowing gravely.
“The car is at the side entrance. I’ll bring her out,” said Mr. Hollis.
Link slid out through the heavy portieres and disappeared from Minnie Lazarelle’s sight, and Mr. Hollis stepped to her side, and took a firm grip of her bare arm.
“Come!” he ordered in a low tone, “Come with me!” and Minnie looking up was a little frightened at the stern look on her semi-relative’s face, though she had still no intention of stirring. She wore a well-feigned look of surprise on her face, till suddenly the chair upon which she was sitting began to move backward, and the grip on her arm forced her to rise.
“Why, where? What?” she asked in a tone which she tried to make bright.
Over across the table the bridegroom was asking in a low tone, “Who is she? Do I know her?” and Sydney was trying to explain briefly, while the rest of the guests were helpfully covering this forced exit with cheerful conversation in voices that were a bit too loud and excited, and with eyes that tried to seem oblivious to what was going on. None of them liked the girl who was being led out of the room, but they were too well-bred to let her realize that they were aware of her humiliation. Besides, they all loved their hostess and were glad to ignore what must be a great annoyance to her well-planned festivity.
Minnie Lazarelle was led away from the room so forcibly that she had trouble in keeping her footing, and no leisure to cry out or refuse to go. Skillfully, too, she was guided out of view of the guests, down the back hall to the side entrance from which she had gone a little while before.
Link had the car at the door when they came out, Mr. Hollis setting the pace rapidly, and Minnie dragging back as much as she dared.
Thelma, always helpful, was at the door with the young woman’s wrap which she had left on the back of the chair from which she had been lifted, and her suitcase which she had dropped at the front door as she entered. Thelma never had to be told such things.
“Now, Minnie,” said Mr. Hollis, “Mr. Silverthorn has very kindly offered to take you back to Mrs. Fremont’s. You have made us a great deal of trouble already, and if there is any more I shall certainly have to call in the police. Some of us will be seeing you sometime tomorrow, and in the meantime Mrs. Fremont will look after you. Thanks, Link, and please hurry back as soon as possible. No more nonsense, Minnie!”
Link
