The Carter Girls' Mysterious Neighbors

  CHAPTER XVII

  THE BALL

  "Music and lights put me all in a flutter!" exclaimed Helen as theyapproached the broad and hospitable mansion.

  Already there were several buggies and carriages in the gravelleddriveway. The guests were arriving early, as sensible country peopleshould. Let the city folks wait until far in the night to begin theirrevels, but those living in the country as a rule feel that balls shouldstart early and break up early.

  "Do you care so much for parties?"

  "I think I must. I have not been to very many balls, because you see Iam not out in society yet. I reckon I'll never make my debut now," andHelen gave a little sigh.

  "Does it make so very much difference to you?"

  "Well, not so much as it would have a year ago. I used to feel thatmaking one's debut was a goal that was of the utmost importance, butsomehow now I do feel that there are things a little bit more worthwhile."

  "What for instance?"

  "Getting Father well, and--and----"

  "And what?"

  "You might think I am silly if I tell you,--silly to talk about it."

  "I promise to think you are you no matter what else it is, and youare--well, never mind what you are."

  "Well, somehow I have begun to feel that helping people to be gay isimportant, like cheering up Miss Ella and Miss Louise. They have suchstupid times. I really believe they quarrel just to make life a littlegayer. I go to see them every day and it makes me feel good all over toknow how much they like to have me come."

  "And you were afraid I'd think that was silly?" asked George Wright ashe halted his car down under a great willow oak, well away from theother vehicles. How he wished they were to stay out under that tree allevening! Music and dancing were nothing to him compared to the pleasurehe obtained from talking to this girl.

  "Let's sit here until the others come," he suggested.

  "And waste all that good music!"

  Dr. Wright began to envy the Misses Grant whom Helen wanted to makehappy.

  "Of course not! I forgot how seldom you have a chance to dance."

  Weston was wonderfully beautiful. The electric lights may have been ananomaly, but they certainly helped to make the old house show what itwas capable of. The dead and gone colonials who had built the placehad been forced either to have their balls by daylight or to contentthemselves with flickering candles, which no doubt dropped wax or eventallow on the handsome gowns of the beauties and belles. The broad hallwith the great rooms on each side seemed to be made for dancing. Thefloor was polished to a dangerous point for the unwary, but the unwaryhad no business on a ballroom floor.

  The count seemed in his element as he received his guests, but Herzlooked thoroughly out of place and ill at ease.

  "Ah, Miss Helen! I am so glad to welcome you--and Dr. Wright--it isindeed kind of you to come! I am depending upon you, Miss Helen, tohelp me entertain these people who have come so promptly. They neitherdance nor speak. Herz is about as much use to me on this occasion as aporcupine would be. Only look around the room at my guests!"

  They did indeed look most forlorn. One old farmer was almost asleepwhile his wife sat bolt upright by his side with a long sad face and adeep regret in her eyes. No doubt, she was regretting the comfortablegrey wrapper she had discarded for the stiff, best, green silk, andthe broad easy slippers that had been replaced by the creaking shoes.Several girls with shining eyes and alert expressions were evidentlywondering what ailed the young men who stood against the wall as thoughit might fall down if they budged an inch.

  "Why are they wasting all this good music?" demanded Helen.

  "As you say in America: 'Seek me!'" laughed the host.

  "Search me, you mean."

  "Ah, but is it not almost the same? What do you say, Dr. Wright?"

  "Well, I'd rather someone would seek me than search me."

  "So! And now, Miss Helen, if you will discard your wraps and returnquickly and help me I shall be most grateful. If these poor people donot get started they will go to sleep."

  Helen flew up to the dressing-room which, sure enough, Chloe had reachedbefore her. The girl was huddled down in a corner of the room lookingthe picture of woe.

  "Did you see Tempy?" asked Helen, taking for granted that Chloe had beenspeaking of her sister when she had asked about one's duty to one's ownpeople.

  "No'm!"

  "Wasn't she at your mother's?"

  "I don't know, 'm!"

  "Was your mother there?"

  "Yassum!"

  There was never any use in trying to make Chloe talk when she haddecided not to, so Helen threw off her wraps and with a peep in themirror where one could see from top to toe, she hastened to the aid ofCount de Lestis.

  "Mother will be along soon and she can do wonders with people who arebashful," declared Helen, "but I'll try my hand at it until she comes.They must dance, then they will thaw out."

  "Certainly, and will you dance with me to show them how?"

  Helen forgot all about the fact that she had come with Dr. Wright and hemight reasonably expect to claim the first dance.

  "Yes, but you must introduce me to all these people and I'll ask some ofthe girls to dance while you go get the young men to come fall in thebreach."

  The shiny-eyed girls were willing enough and the young men seemed tothink if the count didn't mind his walls falling down, far be it fromthem to hold them up, so in a few moments the sad crowd were in a galeof good humor. The old farmer waked up and his wife looked as though shemight try her new creaky shoes on the waxed floor if anyone would onlyask her.

  Dr. Wright looked on rather grimly as Helen was whisked from under hisvery nose. He might have stood it better if the count had not been sucha perfect dancer and so very handsome. He had a way of whispering to hispartner during the dance that was also a sore trial to the youngphysician.

  "What could he be saying to Helen to make her dimple and blush?"

  The arrival of the carriage containing Mrs. Sutton and Mrs. Carter withtheir rather bored husbands was a welcome interruption to the poor youngman. Soon came the lumbering hay wagon with its giggling, chatteringload, and then Helen was at liberty to dance with him, since the countperforce must again play the gracious host.

  "Isn't it perfect?" she exclaimed. "The floor, the music, andeverything!"

  "Not quite so perfect now as when you had the count for a partner, I amafraid," he muttered, bending over to make her hear. He was too tall toconverse while dancing with Helen. He had never regretted his inchesbefore.

  "Nonsense! You dance just as well as he does, and he talks so much whilehe is dancing. I hate to dance and talk, too,--just dancing is enoughfor me."

  "Me, too, then!" and once more he felt the satisfaction that a man whomeasures over six feet can't help feeling.

  Helen was right. Mrs. Carter was a born entertainer and she had hardlytaken the social reins in her hands before the ball was runningsmoothly. Even Bobby found a partner, a funny little girl with suchbushy hair that anyone could tell at a glance it had been put up incurl papers for several days. She looked like a pink hollyhock in herstarched book-muslin that stood out like a paper lamp shade. Her roundblack eyes seemed very lovely to the gallant Bobby, who took her intothe back hall where they turned round and round in imitation of thedance, and when dancing palled on them they showed each other how tomake rabbits out of their handkerchiefs.

  "This is the kind of party I like," said the wholesome Mrs. Sutton."Every Jill has her Jack and there are some Jacks to spare. Deliver mefrom parties where girls must sit against the wall and wait for partnersto be released."

  "When you get the vote you can do the asking, and then parties where thefemales predominate will be more popular," teased her husband.

  "Nonsense! We can still do the asking if we care to. Come on and dancewith me, sir!" and Mr. Sutton delightedly complied.

  Mrs. Carter did not have to spend all the evening making other peoplehave a good time. She was asked to danc
e by the count and her prettylittle figure and graceful bearing attracted other partners, and shewas soon tripping the light fantastic toe as untiringly as any of herdaughters. Tillie Wingo herself did not get broken in on oftener.

  Herz stood in corners, looking like one of the men out of Noah's ark,Nan declared, so stiff and wooden.

  "I don't know which one he resembles most, Shem, Ham, or Japheth," shewhispered to Billy Sutton, "but I wonder if you licked him if the paintwould come off."

  "I don't know, but I'd like to try. I can't abide that Dutchman. Ibelieve he thinks he is superior to all of us, even his precious count.Jehoshaphat! I believe he is asking Douglas to dance."

  So he was. The secretary was stalking across the room, determination onhis noble brow and his full mouth drawn together in a tight red line. Hestopped in front of Douglas and placing one hand on his breast and theother one on his waist line in the back, he shut up like a jack-knife.

  Douglas looked a little astonished, not knowing exactly what the youngman wanted, and then the memory of the early days at dancing school cameto her when the little boys were forced to bow to the little girlsbefore they danced with them.

  "Certainly," she said, excusing herself from Lewis, who looked a littlesullen, having expected to claim this particular waltz with his cousin,but who had neglected to do so, being too intent on gazing at her prettyflushed face.

  Herz clasped her around the waist and began to twirl in a mostastonishing manner. She could hardly keep her footing and very earlylost her breath. Skilful guiding was not necessary, although when theyarose to dance the floor was well filled with other couples, but these,knowing full well that discretion was the better part of valor, gave thespinning pair the right of way. The man never lost his gravity ordignity, but his mouth broke from the hard red line to its usualfull-lipped curve. Douglas felt as though that dance would never end.His strong arm held her like an iron ring as round and round they went.

  "'Hi! Lee! Hi! Low! Hi! Lee! Hi! Low! I jus' come over, I jus' come over-- Hi! Lee! Hi! Low! Hi! Lee! Hi! Low! I jus' come over the sea,'"

  sang Billy Sutton, as he and Nan watched the gyrations of their host'ssecretary. "Did you ever see such a proof of foreign blood in any manwho pretends to be American born?"

  "Why, Billy, he is American born. The count says he was born and raisedin Cincinnati."

  "Yes, and the count says he himself was born and raised in Hungary, butI bet you anything they may have been born where they say they were butthey were raised in Berlin. Look at that fellow and tell me if hedoesn't dance like Old Heidelberg."

  "The count doesn't, anyhow. I never saw such divine dancing as thecount's."

  As though he had heard her, the handsome smiling de Lestis came to claimher for the rest of the dance.

  "Aren't these foreigners the limit?" said the boy, seeking thedisconsolate Lewis. "I know I oughtn't to say anything about a fellowwhen I am in his house, but somehow that count gets my goat."

  "Mine, too! Who is this Herz?"

  "Oh, he is a kind of lady's maid or secretary or something for his nibs.Says he is an American, but I have my doubts. I don't see how MissDouglas Carter can stand for him, but she lets him walk home from schoolwith her any time, so I hear," announced Billy, absolutely unconsciousof the fact he was retailing very unwelcome news to his companion.

  "Humph!" was all Lewis could say, but that monosyllable had a world ofmeaning in it. And so although the music was gay and the lights werebright and the laughter was merry in that ballroom, there were severalsore hearts, and the little green-eyed monster was waltzing or foxtrotting or one stepping every dance.

  "I wonder why Miss Ella and Louise don't get here," Helen said to Dr.Wright, who had at last persuaded her to sit out one dance with him."They have had plenty of time even with their slow old horse."

  They had found a sofa in the back hall behind a clump of palms. Therewere many plants artistically grouped by the florist from town, who hadtastefully decorated the whole mansion.

  "The telephone has been ringing a great deal since we came. Could theybe trying to get the count? I always feel like jumping when the 'phonerings, feeling that it must be for me."

  "Oh, no! The ring for Weston is two long and three short rings. Thesecountry 'phones are hard to learn, but I often answer the one at Grantlyfor my old friends."

  "Listen, there goes the bell again! Goodness! I believe one of these'phones that rings everybody's number would send me crazy."

  "They say you get used to them. That is four shorts and a long. That'sfor Dr. Allison, who lives miles and miles from here. Don't you rememberPage Allison, that lovely girl who came to Greendale with the Tuckertwins? It is her father."

  "Of course I do, and I know Dr. Allison, too! A delightful gentleman!"

  "I believe I'll call up Miss Ella and see what is the matter,--why theydon't come on."

  George Wright sighed. There always seemed to be something to keep Helenfrom talking to him tete-a-tete. Still, he felt glad to think that Helenwas so fond of these old ladies and so thoughtful of them.

  The telephone was under the stairway, quite near their retired nook.Helen rang the number for Grantly and there was a quick response.

  "Hello!" came in Miss Louise's contralto notes.

  "Miss Louise, this is Helen Carter! Why haven't you started yet? Don'tyou know the count can't give a ball without you and Miss Ella?"

  "Oh, my dear, my sister is ill, very ill,--fainted just as we weregetting ready to leave. You see she would make that cake, that angel'sfood, although I told her I was going to make a fruit cake, but youknow Ella---- Oh, but how can I rattle along this way? I have beentrying so hard to get Dr. Allison and he doesn't answer."

  "Wait a minute, Miss Louise," and Helen put her hand over the receiverand turned to Dr. Wright.

  "Dr. Wright, will you take me to Grantly? Miss Ella has had a faintingfit--a stroke, I am afraid it is."

  "Take you! My dear, I'll take you anywhere you want to go."

  "Miss Louise, Dr. Wright is going to bring me to Grantly in hisautomobile immediately. Don't worry; we will be there soon."

  She rang off quickly and flew upstairs for her wraps. Chloe was not inthe dressing-room, but she quickly unearthed her cape and hood from thebed where the many shawls and cloaks had been piled. On the way out shewhispered to Nan where she was going, but told her not to tell theothers, as she did not want to break up the ball or to cast a shadowon the happiness of the dancers.