CHAPTER XI.
JOHNNY'S REVENGE.
Dotty's cross behavior had entirely spoiled the pleasure of the eveningfor her two sisters. They felt, as they had felt years before, when theysaw her, a mere baby, perched upon the wood-box, with her hands and feettied--they felt that it was a family disgrace.
All these little boys and girls, who had never known before what Dotty'stemper was, knew all about it now; they would talk of it to one another;they would go home and tell of it, and remember it forever and ever.
"And, O dear!" thought Susy, "they won't know she was born so, andcan't help it."
For that this was the case, Susy firmly believed.
"I've got it written in my journal," thought Prudy, "how she promised toswallow it down; but Dotty isn't well, and that's the reason she can'tremember."
Both the sisters knew that Dotty had left the parlors, and they werevery glad of it. They did not attempt to follow her. They did not knowprecisely where she had gone, but presumed she was pouting somewhere.That there could be danger of any sort for the poor child in that housethey never dreamed. Neither did Mr. or Mrs. Parlin dream it, or theywould have walked home a little faster from their visit to the whitetents on Green Street.
The games went on as usual, and were quite as amusing to the guests asif they had not been very poor ones indeed. Susy and Prudy need not havefeared that the little people would not have a good time; the "surpriseparty" was a perfect success, and Dotty's ill-humor made no one unhappybut her sensitive sisters. Meanwhile the wretched child was lying on thepantry floor, thinking very confused thoughts.
"I wish I was dead. No I don't. I'm too wicked. But I wasn't anywickeder 'n that girl. She said Susy Parlin had a bad sister. What madeher say that? She knew I'd hear. I'm glad I shook her. No, I'm sorry. Itwas murder--the Bible says so. Johnny murdered too--murdered me. Hecalled me a 'cross party.' That was a story. Johnny's wickeder 'n ever_I_ was.
"Prudy thought I ought to be a baby. Percy thought so. He said, 'Idevise you to let that child alone.' I'm going to let _him_ alone! Allthe time! Did I want to fall off that yardstick, right into thetolly-blow?
"There's Prudy: she can be good; it doesn't hurt her. It hurts _me_ tobe good; it tires me all up.
"And here it is, as dark as a pickpocket." (Dotty raised her head andtook a survey.) "Why, the moon can't get here, nor the sun. Is this downcellar? No, I didn't see any stairs. Where did I go to when I came? Iwalked right on the floor. What floor? Was it the dining-room, or was itout doors? I didn't look at it to see.
"This is a 'cuddy.' There's ever so many 'cuddies' in this house to hidein. I've gone and hid. Nobody'll ever find me. My father'll say, 'Why,where's that child?' And my mother'll say, 'I don't know.' And they'llhunt all over the house; and I shall keep my head in my apron, and won'tsay a word.
"Then Prudy'll say, 'O, my darling sister Dotty! How sweet and good shewas!'
"And they'll think I'm dead! And Susy'll cry out loud, and tell Percy,and he'll say, 'O, how sorry I am I said "I devise you to let that childalone"!'"
Dotty sighed as she pictured to herself Percy's conscience-strickenface.
"And that girl that called me a bad sister--how _she'll_ feel! AndJohnny--I guess Johnny won't say 'cross party' any more!
"Grandma--why, grandma'll read the Bible. And O, such a time!
"That Angeline girl will remember how she rocked that darling Dotty, andtold me stories."
Dotty was seized with a sudden shivering. The stories came back to hermind vividly. If Angeline had told her simple little tales of every-daylife, Dotty might have forgotten them; but, like all children, she hadan active imagination, and anything marvellous or horrible made a deepimpression.
The current of her thoughts was changed as soon as she remembered thoseunknown ghosts of Angeline's description.
"All white, wrapped in a sheet. Put a knife through, and they don't knowit. No blood, no bones, no anything. Go through a keyhole. Will they,though? Prudy don't believe it. Am I anywhere near a keyhole? I don'tknow. I've gone and hid, and I can't find myself. I'm somewhere, but Idon't know where."
Dotty began to feel very uncomfortable. There was no longer theslightest satisfaction in the thought of frightening the family. Shewas frightened herself, and with the worst kind of fear--the fear of thesupernatural.
"I can't see the leastest thing, and I can't hear anything, either.Ghosts don't make any noise. May be there are some in this house: beenlocked up, and the man didn't know it."
The silence seemed to grow deeper. Dotty could hear her heart beat.
"My heart thumps like a mouse in the wall. I'm going to get out of thisplace. I feel as if there's a ghost in here. It creeps all over me. Ican't get my breath."
Dotty rose cautiously; but she had been lying so long in a crampedposition that both her feet were asleep. While trying to recover herbalance she caught at something, which proved to be a glass jar ofraspberry jam. The cover came off, and the jam poured down her neck ina thick stream.
"My beautiful white dress with the red spots! Who put that dirty thingin my way? Smells like purserves. They ought to be ashamed!"
Dotty tried bearing her weight on both feet, and found she could walk.
"But I've whirled round three or four times. I didn't ever know whichway to go, and now I'm sure I don't know so well as I did in the firstplace. If I step any more, perhaps I'll step into some molasses."
Dotty's meditations were becoming more confused than ever. Now it wasnot only ghosts, but jam and jelly which went to make up the terrors ofthe situation. But she was growing desperate. She groped right and left,saying to herself,--
"Where's the _out_?"
At last she came to the door, which she had unconsciously closed whenshe entered the pantry. She opened it, and her eyes were greeted withlight. It was the moon shining in at the kitchen windows.
Her fears vanished. She was just wondering whether to return to theparlor in a forgiving spirit, or to stay away and make everybodyunhappy, when a strange, horrible object met her view,--not white, butyellow.
Was it--was it--a truly, truly _ghost_? O, it must be a ghost on fire!It hadn't any sheet round it. Nothing was to be seen but a hideous headpeeping in at the window. No man ever looked like that. No man ever hadsuch a mouth. It was as deep as a cave, and all ablaze. Somebody hadgone and swallowed a stove; somebody had come to do--do--O, what had hecome to do?
"It's a yellow ghost!" thought Dotty. "I didn't know they had such akind. Angeline never said so. But its eyes are just like her ghosts'eyes--going to burn you up!"
These thoughts darted through Dotty's mind like lightning-flashes. Atthe same time she gave one loud, terrified scream, and fell forward uponthe floor. She did not rise, she did not speak, she seemed scarcely tobreathe. The shock had partially stunned her.
"Why, Dotty--Dotty Dimple!" exclaimed Percy, rushing in at the backdoor, and seizing his little cousin by the shoulders. "Look up here,darling! 'Twas nobody but me!"
No answer.
"Nobody but me and Percy," said Johnny, pulling Dotty's ears to attracther attention.
"Only a jack-o'-lantern, you dear little ducky," cried Percy.
"A pumpkin, you goosie," said Johnny.
No reply, but a sudden choking, followed by convulsive sobs. Whether thechild heard and understood what was said to her, Percy could notdetermine. He was old enough to know that a sudden and powerful shock isalways more or less dangerous. He redoubled his efforts.
"Look, dear, here's the pumpkin. Holes cut out for eyes. A gash for themouth. A candle stuck in."
"Smart girl!" ejaculated Johnny, who was too young and ignorant to seeanything but amusement in the whole affair. "Smart girl, scared of apumpkin!"
"Johnny was angry with you," went on Percy, rather nervously; "he saidhe wanted to tease you. I brought the pumpkin from our house. I'msorry. Look up, Dimple, see what it is! Don't be afraid. Laugh, or ifyou can't laugh, cry. Here's my handkerchief."
Dotty con
tinued to moan.
Percy caught her up in his arms. "Any pump in the house? Johnny, getsome water somewhere, quick! and then run for the camphor bottle."
Percy was at his wit's end. He ran round and round, with the little girlin his arms. She had life enough to cling to his neck. Johnny saw a pailof water, dipped a tea-strainer into it, and dashed two drops inDotty's face.
"That won't do, boy! Throw on a quartful! Hurry!"
Johnny promptly obeyed. Dotty gasped for breath, and uttered a scream.Percy felt encouraged.
"More, Johnny; the whole pailful. We'll have her out of thisdouble-quick--"
Just as Percy had extended his little cousin on the floor, and Johnnyhad poured enough water over her to soak every thread of her clothing,there was a sound of foot-steps. Mr. and Mrs. Parlin were coming in atthe back door.
"What does this mean?" they both exclaimed, very much alarmed, as mighthave been expected. There lay their little daughter, screaming andgurgling, her mouth full of water, her dress stained with the raspberryjam, which was easily mistaken for blood.
"Why, uncle Edward," stammered Percy, "'twas a--"
"Why, auntie," cried Johnny, "'twas only a pumpkin. She went and wasafraid of a pumpkin!"
The cause of this direful affright, the lighted jack-o'-lantern, waslying face upward on the floor, the candle within it smoking anddripping with tallow. One glance explained the whole mystery.
But by this time there seemed to be no further cause for anxiety withregard to Dotty. She gathered herself together, sat upright, and beganto scold.
"'Twas blazing a-fire, mamma. He lighted it to plague me--Johnny did."
"I'm ever so sorry, auntie," said Percy, and his regretful face said asmuch as his words.
"Johnny scared me to death," broke in Dotty; "and then he pumped wateron me all over--Johnny did."
"I'll never do so again," said Percy, shamed by the look of reproach inhis uncle's face.
"See that you remember your promise, my boy. You have run a great riskto-night."
No one supposed, at the time, that Dotty had received a serious injury;but she did not sleep off the effects of her fright. She was remarkablypale next morning, and declined her breakfast. She had not been well forsome time, but she had not trembled as now at the opening and shuttingof a door. It was plain that her nerves had been quite unstrung.
Days passed, and still she did not seem quite like herself. Her fathertold the family physician she was not well, and asked what it was bestto do with her. The doctor said he thought she only needed time enough,and she would recover her "tone."
"I have an idea," said Mr. Parlin to his wife some days after this. "Ifyou approve, I believe I'll take the child West with me, next time I gothere on business. I took Prudy once, and it is no more than fair thatthe other children should have their turn."
"We will see," said Mrs. Parlin; and so it was left. The subject wasnever mentioned before Dotty; but here is what Prudy said of it in herjournal:--
"_Sept. 5th._--I think my little sister Dotty will go out West to see aunt Maria, &c.; but anybody mus'n't ever tell her of it. She is very pale, they poured so much water over her that night, and she thought it was a yellow ghost.
"I _told_ her it was very, very wrong to sit in Angeline's lap and hear her talk so. We mus'n't believe anything for certain except Bible stories.
"She has had temper, and shook Ada Farley. But that was before she was frightened by the ghost, so she couldn't get her breath; and she won't do it again. Finis."