Hour of Enchantment

  CHAPTER XXV ONCE AGAIN THE ORGAN PLAYS AT MIDNIGHT

  "I promised to wait for Jeanne on Byrd's Polar Ship," she recalled. "I'llgo there now. Peter Nordsen, the watchman, will be there. People will bepassing through. It will be safe enough now." She had hidden thethree-bladed knife beneath her blouse. For all this, she did not feelquite easy about it.

  To her surprise, when she arrived at the spot where the ship had beenmoored she found it gone.

  "Gone!" she exclaimed in surprise.

  This surprise lasted but an instant. "Oh! I forgot. There was a parade ofships on the lake to-day. Byrd's ship was in that parade. It will be tiedup outside the bridge. The mast must come down before she'll go under thebridge.

  "That's fine!" she exulted. "I'll have a good rest on the old ship withno one about but old Peter Nordsen smoking his pipe. If Jeanne doesn'tshow up I'll go to the little theatre at midnight."

  She found the ship readily enough, gave Peter a smile and a "Goodevening," then went forward to a seat well up in the prow.

  "Sturdy old ship!" she murmured as she sank into the chair. Then sherelaxed in a fit attitude for dreaming.

  She had learned to love this old ship. It was easy to imagine it inmotion, booming along with all sails set before a nor'west wind.

  "Good old ship!" she murmured again. "If only I could sail with you overthe seven seas. Australia, the South Sea Islands, Japan, China and--" Shedrew a deep breath. "That mysterious land, China."

  She thought quite suddenly of the jewel-hilted knife. "I should hunt upErik Nord and give it to him at once," she told herself. "But then, Ihave no notion where he is; he went off duty an hour ago."

  She laughed a little low laugh as she thought of the Chinaman splashingin the water of the lagoon. Then, of a sudden there came a thought thatpuzzled her. "He said we had the bell and the banners. How absurd! Thechest was empty. They were gone. Who could have taken them if he didnot?"

  The thought did not remain with her. No thought did. This was an hour forrelaxation and dreaming. But she must not dream too long. This wasJeanne's big night. She must not miss it. "Jeanne's big night," shemurmured.

  She allowed her eyes to wander once more over the magnificent spectaclethat lay before her. What a sight! Fountains playing amid golden walls, ahundred lights gleaming as white as diamonds from a lofty tower, treesturning red and gold under the touch of many-hued lamps, and a ladder oflight towering skyward. All this exercised upon this impressionable girla semi-hypnotic spell.

  "I must not forget. This is Jeanne's big night. I must not be late. I--Iwill not fail--"

  For all that, her head sank lower and lower. The day had been a long one.The battle in the orange grove had drawn heavily from her reserve ofenergy. The hypnotic spell of night and the ever-changing panorama oflight sank deep. She nodded twice, then her head fell slowly forward. Shewas asleep.

  Along the breakwater at that moment there glided a mysterious figure. Byhis nervous stops and starts one might judge him to be in a high state ofnervous excitement. Yet there was in his movements a suggestion ofextreme caution.

  As he came near to the spot where the Polar ship lay anchored, he came toa sudden halt, stood there for a full moment as if rooted to the spot,then dashed away at full speed.

  * * * * * * * *

  At this moment Jeanne was standing with Jensie at the back of theRutledge Tavern. They were looking out into the night. As if for mutualprotection, they had their arms locked tightly together.

  "There it is!" Jensie whispered.

  "The hearse!" Jeanne shuddered.

  And there most certainly it was, standing in the moonlight just as it hadbeen on that first memorable night.

  "Ah, well," Jeanne whispered to herself, "much has happened since then."

  They were all here at the Tavern, her little company. They had come herefor a late dinner; Soloman, Anthony Hope, Scott Ramsey, Pietro, Tom andJensie were by the fireplace.

  Now as Jeanne felt the urge to retreat she said to Jensie in a tone thatcame from down deep in her throat, "There were two black horses and acoffin. I saw them."

  "Yes," Jensie agreed. "There were. And, Jeanne," her voice took on an airof mystery, "last night the organ played again."

  "It played again?" Looking into the mountain girl's eyes, Jeanne thoughtshe detected there a curious unwonted gleam, but she said not anotherword as they wandered back to their place by the fireside.