CHAPTER X

FORTUNES FOR ALL

IT would seem that it would be easy to discover who the spooks were, but the secrets were well kept. And though several suspected that Bernice Forbes was present, not one connected her with the green-robed Elf. And somehow, the Elf was exceedingly popular. She had merry little ways, and was among the foremost ones in any game or trick. She was often chosen as a partner in the Hallowe’en jokes, and when at last it was supper time, when they would all unmask, the Elf was watched with as much if not more interest than the others. The boys chose partners for the march out to the dining-room.

“I’ll take you,” said Lollie Henry, linking his arm in that of the Elf. “I think you’re Dot Rose, and yet, I think that red witch is Dotty, too. But I mostly think you are, so come along.”

The Elf shook her head, hard.

“Does that mean you won’t go with me?”

Another negative shake.

“Oh, it means you’re not Dotty Rose.”

An affirmative nod to this.

“Well, all right, I’ll soon find out who you are. May I, fair Elf, escort you to the Spook Feast?”

Lollie bowed low, and then Bernice accepted his escort and they joined the line of march.

Dolly was with Reggie Stuart, though neither of them knew it, and Dotty was with Tod Brown, in equally blissful ignorance.

They marched to the dining-room, and there awaited them a true Hallowe’en table. Decked with yellow paper and red ribbons, loaded with dainties of all sorts, and crowded with little gnomes, witches, black cats, owls and goblins for souvenirs, it was a welcome sight.

They all took their seats, and at a given signal were bidden to remove their masks.

Mr. Rawlins gave the signal.

“Ready, everybody,” he said. “When I count three, off with your face coverings. You’ve been hidden long enough, and I for one will be glad to see your happy smiles. One, two, three!”

And, already loosened, off came every mask, and the flushed, smiling faces looked eagerly at each other.

Dolly was stunned when her eyes lighted on Bernice, for she had concluded the Elf was really Dotty, and she thought the red witch was Grace.

But more surprised even than Dolly was Lollie Henry. He caught sight of Bernice’s smiling face, and he fairly jumped, as he involuntarily exclaimed, “By Gum!” Then suddenly his good manners came to his rescue, and though disappointed in his partner, he managed to look pleasant, and went on. “This is an unexpected pleasure! I didn’t know you were to be here.”

“And you wish I wasn’t!” Bernice flashed back, for she didn’t misunderstand him.

“Not a bit of it! Haven’t I been chasing the Elf around all the evening?”

“Because you didn’t know it was me.” Bernice’s voice quivered a little. She had been so happy when people were nice to her, and now she caught sight of many surprised and not altogether pleased glances thrown her way.

“But I didn’t know anybody, except red-headed Maisie, when one of her rosy locks came out of her Brownie cap. So how could you expect I’d know you?”

“I didn’t expect it, and I’m glad you didn’t know me, ’cause then you could be nice to me.”

“I can be a whole lot nicer now that I do know you, just you wait and see!”

This speech, and the pleasant smile that accompanied it, were greatly to Lollie’s credit, for he didn’t like Bernice, but having “got into it,” as he expressed it to himself, he was bound to put it through, as he further informed himself, “with a hurrah!”

And so, Lollie laughed and chatted with Bernice as well as with the others near him, and the Elf felt a little better.

But others were not so kind-hearted as Lollie, and, too, they hadn’t his responsibility as a supper partner. So, on the whole, few spoke to Bernice, while all laughed and joked with the others.

Dotty was not sitting near Dolly, but once, when she caught her eye she frowned a little. However, in the gay chatter that was general, no one had much chance to think of personal matters.

Uncle Jim, himself, sat at the head of the table, and Mr. and Mrs. Rawlins at the other end of the wide board.

“This is downright fine!” Uncle Jim said. “I’d like to have a party like this about once or twice a week. I declare I would!”

“You’d get tired of us, sir,” suggested Tod Brown. “We’re not always on such good behaviour.”

“Ain’t, hey? Well, I calk’late you’re always perty good. Good enough, anyway. Don’t want childrun _too_ good.”

“Small danger of that, Uncle Jim,” cried Dolly, laughing. “We’re none of us sprouting wings yet!”

“Except Gracie, there!” and Uncle Jim laughed at his Fairy niece.

“Sure enough, I forgot Grace’s wings. But she’ll moult ’em off to-morrow, and be no more angelic than the rest of us.”

“You’re all good enough for me. I think you’re as fine a lot of little misses and masters as ever I see. I’d like a picture of ye.”

“And you’re going to have one, Uncle,” said Mr. Rawlins, rising from the table.

Soon, with the help of Uncle Jim’s man he had put in position a camera, and bidding them pose, he took two or three flash-light pictures, which caused great exclamations and startled shrieks.

“Those things scare me to death, don’t they you?” said Bernice to Reggie Stuart, who sat at her other side.

“No,” he returned, rather uninterestedly. “I’m sort of used to ’em. I’ve been taken a lot of times that way.”

“Have you?” said Bernice. “How exciting! Where?”

Now as a matter of fact, Reggie’s experiences were not so numerous as he implied, and most of the times he had been “taken” were failures. So, he only shrugged his shoulders and said, “Oh, I can’t remember. It made so little impression on me.”

Bernice felt snubbed, and showed it by looking cross. Reggie saw this, and saying to himself, “old sourface!” he turned back to Dolly, who sat on his other side.

“Good for you, Reg,” she said in a low tone.

“What for?”

“For being nice to Bernie Forbes. I saw you talking to her. She isn’t so bad, now, is she?”

“Dolly, she’s the limit! and if you say B. F. to me again to-night I’ll—I’ll—”

“You’ll what?” and Dolly laughed at the irate youth.

“I’ll take you out to Berwick Lake and drown you all up!”

“Goodness sake! How ferocious! Well, be sure to ask her for a couple of dances.” Roguish Dolly knew Reg wouldn’t do this, but it did no harm, she thought, to suggest it.

Supper over, they returned to the big hall, and sat around the roaring log fire, while the next entertainment took place.

Lollie escorted Bernice dutifully to a chair, and then, feeling his duty done, he left her, and went over to speak to Dotty.

“You wished that on me,” he said, accusingly. “I thought she was you!”

“Why, Lollie Henry! I refuse to be mistaken for Bernice Forbes! How dare you?” Dotty’s dark eyes flashed and she looked a pretty picture in her mock rage.

“Needn’t get huffy,” returned Lollie, serenely. “B. F. is some looker, all right. To-night, anyway.”

Bernice was a pretty girl, and her green costume was exceedingly becoming, but the last few minutes had not been pleasant ones, for since Lollie’s defection, no one had spoken to her, and she looked resentful.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Dotty returned. “She might be pretty if she didn’t look cross enough to bite a nail in two.”

“Guess she’s made that way, and can’t help it,” said Lollie, and then they were called to attention.

It was to be Fortune Telling, Mr. Rawlins informed them.

“And,” he said, “if you will all seat yourselves round the fire, I will tell each and every one of you just what will happen in the years to come. Aren’t you anxious to know?”

“Indeed we are!” cried several, as they took their places.

Mr. Rawlins sat down at a table where were a great many papers.

“These are Fortunes,” he said, indicating some neatly folded sheets. “But it would never do to give them out hit or miss. We must see to it that they get where they belong. And this is the only way it can be done. We will invoke the assistance of the Fire Spirit. You know, Hallowe’en is the birthday of the Fire Spirit or Sun Spirit, or some such thing. My Mythology is a little rusty, but you can ask your teachers in school to-morrow. However, I’ve invoked for your aid to-night the Fire Spirit, and he will help us get the Fortunes right. Now, will some kind gentleman volunteer to help the Fire Spirit help me?”

Nobody offered, as the boys felt a little shy about it, so Mr. Rawlins called on his son, Clayton.

“You’ll do, Son,” he said. “You’re not as handsome as some of those other chaps, and not as wise as some, but on the whole you’re a good sort, so come on, and help your old dad.”

Clayton went up and stood by his father’s side.

“Now, you see,” went on Mr. Rawlins, “all these are Fortunes, and all these are small slips of blank paper. I take a Fortune in my hand. I ask of thee, O Fire Spirit, to tell me for whom it is meant! Clayton, please hold a slip of blank paper to the blazing fire. The Fire Spirit will write upon it.”

Clayton picked up the top slip from the pile, and did as he was told. As he held it, writing began to appear.

“Ah,” said Mr. Rawlins, as everybody watched a name being written on the paper, by no means that they could see. “Has the Fire Spirit written, Son?”

“Y-Yes, sir,” stammered Clayton, a little frightened at what he saw.

“Can you read it?”

“Yes, sir; it says Dotty Rose.”

“Ah, this fortune is for Dotty, is it? I will read it:

“You’ll have a career More brilliant each year; But you’ll climb a steep hill Ere you get what you will.

Take it, Dotty, and keep it always. It may serve as a guidance to your feet in future years!”

Dotty came and took the paper, a little bewildered. “May I have the name the Spirit wrote?” she asked.

“Yes, oh, yes, indeed. Treasure it carefully. The Fire Spirit does not always respond to mortal’s requests.”

Dotty returned to her seat, and with the rest sat breathlessly watching while Mr. Rawlins took up another fortune paper, and motioned for Clayton to hold out another blank paper for the Fire Spirit to write on. “You’re sure it’s blank, are you, Clay?”

“Yes, Father,” and the boy looked carefully on both sides. It was pure white. He held it out to the fire and soon it was written on, in a clear bold hand, just like Dotty’s.

“It says Grace Rawlins, Father.”

“Ah, my Gracie’s fortune. I hope it will prove a good one.” Mr. Rawlins then unfolded and read the fortune he was holding.

“As you pass through future years Here are smiles and there are tears. But the passing days will show Far more happiness than woe.

Good for you, Grace, that’s a nice fortune.”

Grace stepped up and took her fortune and her name paper, and then the next one was tried. This time the Fire Spirit wrote Lorillard Henry, and the verse ran:

For a few years, my boy, you may want for the pelf, But later in life you will earn it yourself. And as the years fly, you’ll get richer and richer, For you’re destined to be a professional pitcher.

They all laughed at this, for Lollie’s love of baseball was well known.

“Another blank, Clayton, and hold it closer to the Fire Spirit. He is old and he can’t see very well.”

“But I don’t want to burn my fingers, Dad.”

“True that would be a pity. And you’re already red-faced from the blaze. Well, try the tongs. It may be more comfortable.”

So Clayton took a slip of blank paper, and fastened it securely in the tongs’ grip and held it out to the Fire Spirit in the flames. He began to write at once, and in a moment the name Bernice Forbes stood out clearly.

Mr. Rawlins read the paper he was holding:

“Fate holds joy in store for you, Loving friendships warm and true. As through life your way you wend, Happiness will crown the end.

A very pretty fortune, Bernice, dear,—may it come true.” Mr. Rawlins spoke so kindly, that Bernice’s pale face glowed with pleasure as she took her two papers.

“Let me hold _my_ name, mayn’t I?” asked Maisie May.

“I don’t know when your name will come,” returned Mr. Rawlins. “It’s as the Fire Spirit decrees.”

“Well, let me hold the next name, anyway. I want to see how that Spirit holds his pen!”

“Surely,” said Mr. Rawlins. “Always glad to oblige. Let her take your place, Son.”

Clayton gave the tongs to Maisie. With careful scrutiny, she looked over the blank bit of paper before she clutched it tightly in the tongs.

“Don’t let it drop into the fire,” cautioned Mr. Rawlins, “or somebody will be without a fortune.”

“No, sir,” said Maisie, watching the paper carefully. And sure enough, as she held it, the name was slowly written thereon.

“It’s Todhunter Brown,” she announced.

“All right,” said Mr. Rawlins, “here goes:

“You will fly Fine and high, In an airship through the sky! Looking down With a frown On your friends in Berwick Town.”

“Hullo, Tod,” said Lollie, “so you’ll get your airship, then! Won’t that be fine! Give me a ride?”

“Yes, indeedy. I’m glad old Fire Spirit knows how much I want an airship, and maybe he’ll give me one.”

“Well, fortune will, and it’s all the same.”

“Let me hold a paper once,” asked Dolly. “I want to see how it is done, really.”

“Now, Dolly Fayre, don’t you seem to doubt the Fire Spirit, or he may run away home and not tell any more fortunes.”

“Oh, I won’t hurt him. I just want to try it once. Come on, Dot, let’s try it together.”

“No, I don’t want to,” and as Dolly looked at her in surprise, she added, “the fire burns my face so.”

“Pooh, never knew you to be afraid of your complexion before.”

“Well, I don’t want to, anyhow. Let Bernice help you, if you need help.”

Oho, so that was it! Dolly thought to herself. Dotty was mad at Bernice’s presence at the party, and took this means of showing it!