CHAPTER XIV--THE TEST
The end of Mary's story seemed to be a signal awaited by the M. O. R.'s,for they all began to rise now and quickly surrounded the little groupof candidates for initiation. Some of these girls started to rise, too,but Mary commanded:
"Wait! Candidates for the honors and the secrets of the M. O. R.'s mustshow both bravery and obedience. The hour has arrived for thosecandidates who desire to enter into the confidence and trust of theolder members of the society, to show such desire. Obedience and courageare our watch words to-night. Those of the candidates who desire to goback--who dare not submit to The Test--may now make final decision. Butshe who puts her hand to the plough may not turn back after thisdecision."
"Well, I'm going to stick it out, ploughing and all!" giggled Jess inher chum's ear.
None of the candidates expressed a desire to back out in the silencethat ensued, although the mournful bell tinkled on the hillside and nowa "booby" owl added its mournful complaint to the note of thewhip-poor-will.
"We are ready for the test, then," said Mary, still solemnly. "Let theballot-box be brought. In it have been placed the names of thecandidates, each on a separate slip of paper. They will be drawn inquartettes, and each quartette will be given a task which will requireboth courage and obedience."
There was a little rustle among the girls as one of them brought forwardone of the lunch boxes.
"The first test," said Mary O'Rourke, "will be for the first fourcandidates drawn to take each three nails and this hammer and gotogether to the haunted house, enter by the front door, go into the eastfront room where Old Sarah is wont to show her light, and drive thenails, one after another, in the floor of the room."
"O--o--oh!" moaned the candidates, in a horrified chorus.
"Silence, infants!" commanded the president of the M. O. R.'s. "Eachgirl must drive her own three nails. There must be no balking. The nailswill be examined--er--later--by daylight--to make sure that the test hasbeen honestly performed. I will now draw the slips and announce thenames of the first quartette."
"How dreadful!" whispered one of the Lockwood twins. "I'll faint if Ihave to do that."
"Dora Lockwood," announced Mary the next instant.
"Oh!" squealed the twin named; but nobody save the twins themselves knewwhich one spoke.
"Josephine Morse."
Jess grabbed Laura by the arm. "I--I'm scared to death!" she whispered inher chum's ear.
"Helen Agnew."
The doctor's daughter grabbed Jess. "We've got to do it!" she murmured."Isn't it awful?"
"Laura Belding."
"Goody!" exclaimed Jess, aloud. "You've got to go, too, Laura."
"The four candidates named will step forward and receive the nails andthe hammer," said Mary, sternly; but a good many of the older girls werelaughing.
It was no laughing matter to the candidates in question, however. Onlythree approached the president at first.
"Miss Lockwood!" commanded Mary.
"Which one?" giggled somebody in the background.
"Miss Dora Lockwood!"
"Both of them are 'Dorothy' now," said Celia Prime. "This is one timewhen either is willing that the other should take her place. Theydeclare that on Touch Day Dora was touched twice, once for herself andonce for her sister."
"Then Dora is doubly called now," said Mary O'Rourke, sternly.
One of the twins pushed the other forward suddenly.
"Oh!" cried the girl pushed. "I'm not Dora!"
"The right one had better come," cried Mary. "The next Test may be agood deal worse than _this_ one."
"Oh, then I'll take it!" cried the Lockwood twin who had been pushed.
"No, you don't, Miss!" exclaimed her sister, elbowing her way to thefront. "_I'm_ Dora."
"Well," said Mary, "if I shut my eyes and you girls changed places Icouldn't tell you apart. I wish one of you had a different dimple in hercheek--or even a mole----"
"O--oh! How horrid!" chorused the Lockwoods.
"Then the right one must come forward. As Gee Gee says: 'On your honor,young ladies!'"
The twins finally decided to own up to their rightful names, and Dorajoined the other three candidates and accepted the three nails. To Laurawas given the hammer.
"Remember what you have been told. Each must drive her own nails. Andmark well where you drive them, for they will be examined--by daylight,"finished Mary, with a chuckle.
The crowd of girls parted and left an open lane for the four candidatesto pass through. The owl hooted again and the cowbell tinkled upon thehillside. The quartette started on their mission slowly. It was verydark about the haunted house, for big trees overshadowed it.
"I'm scared clear down to the soles of my feet," whispered Jess toLaura.
"Never mind. Don't let the rest of them know it," was her chum's reply.
They came to the ruined gate and pushed it open. The path wasweed-grown, and as they rustled through, keeping close together, the owlhooted again--right over their heads.
"Ouch!" screamed Nellie Agnew.
A chorus of giggles answered from the crowd in the rear. But hercompanions saw nothing to laugh at. The owl had startled all four.
"Oh, dear!" whispered Dora. "Let's go back."
"We can't!" hissed Jess.
Laura marched straight on to the step of the porch. The boards creakedunder her feet as she mounted to the door. The door hung from one hingeand when she pushed upon it, it creaked frightfully.
"Oh!" squealed Nellie again.
"Do come on!" muttered Jess. "I'm just as scared as you are; but don'tlet those girls know how bad we feel. They're just enjoying themselves."
"And of course there's nothing, or nobody, here," Laura added. "They arejust having fun with us. Even if something does startle us in this oldhouse, it will be nothing worse than rats."
"But I don't like ra--rats," wailed Dora, under her breath.
"Does anybody?" snapped Jess. "Come on!"
They entered the house, Laura leading. The door of the east room wasopen and some light entered through the broken windows--light enough toshow them the way. Laura stepped carefully over the floor, fearing thatsome broken board might trip them.
But once in the big, empty, musty room, there seemed nothing to botherthem. Even the owl had flown away.
"Now we'll drive the nails as quickly as possible and get out again,"said Laura in a low, but perfectly even, tone.
She stooped and fumbled her first nail for a moment. Then she smote thehead of it a sharp blow with the hammer.
On the heels of that sound came a scream from Nellie.
"Look! Oh, look!" she shrieked.
She was standing erect, pointing through the east window.
"The light! The ghost light!" cried Jess.
Laura raised up a little and saw a light, dancing close to the ground,and on the other side of the brook. It was just about where a lanternunder a carriage would have been.
"Come away!" gasped Jess, and she turned and ran. Nell and Dora ran withher. And it must be confessed that Laura was heartily frightenedherself, and their panic was communicated to her.
She scrambled to her feet and tried to run. But something seized herskirt and dragged her back to the floor!
Laura screamed aloud then, herself. She tried to get up once more, butthe ghostly hand again tugged at her garments and dragged her back uponthe floor of the haunted house.
SOMETHING SEIZED HER SKIRT AND DRAGGED HER BACK TO THEFLOOR!]