CHAPTER XXVII.

INSANE BESSIE.

Blanche Elsworth was seated in her sanctum, as she called her room. It was neatly papered, and carpeted, and withal presented a very homelike appearance.

Her pen was flying rapidly over the white paper, and her thoughts were far away from the surrounding scenes, when she was called back to real life by a wild silvery laugh, and a shrill scream in which she recognized the voice of Mrs. Morris.

"Well, upon my soul," said she, as she opened the door without as much as a rap, and appearing with a white, scared face; "you jest oughter come downstairs."

"What is the matter?" Miss Elsworth asked, in alarm.

"Oh, I've seen a ghost, as sure as the world, and if you don't believe it you can come down and see for yourself."

Miss Elsworth arose and followed Mrs. Morris downstairs.

"You'll have to go ahead, for I jest can't get up the pluck to go myself," said Mrs. Morris as they reached the foot of the stairs.

Miss Elsworth opened the outer door, as she stepped into the hall. Then she went to the sitting-room, and into the kitchen, and finally the entire house was searched. Mrs. Morris following close to her at every step.

"Oh, I know I seen one," said Mrs. Morris.

"It must have been your imagination, for there certainly is nothing to be seen."

"Well, I know there was one."

"How did it look, was it large or small, a man, woman or child?"

"Oh, I don't know; I was so scared that I didn't stop to see. I jest see the flutter of something white, and the strangest laugh that ever you heard."

"Yes, I heard the laugh myself, but it must have been some one belonging to the farm."

"Well, I jest don't know what to do; it don't seem to me that I can stay down here to cook the dinner. I shall jest shake from head to foot. Why, I never was so scared in all my life."

Miss Elsworth smiled at Mrs. Morris's foolishness, and after a moment's reflection, she said:

"If you are so badly frightened I will remain downstairs until after dinner, and keep watch around while you are at work."

"Oh, dear, I'll be a thousand times obliged to you if you will."

Miss Elsworth passed the morning in looking about the house, and wandering through the old garden, where the flowers and weeds grew so closely together.

One day after another passed, and nothing had been seen or heard to cause further alarm. She partially convinced Mrs. Morris that her ghost was either the outgrowth of a vivid imagination, or that it was some person trying to frighten her.

The Misses Graves had become frequent visitors at Miss Elsworth's. They were friendly, sociable girls, of the age of thirty-three and thirty-five respectively. Eliza, the elder of the two, was a very quiet, industrious girl, very reserved and lady-like in manner.

Eunice, although in every respect a lady, was a little more talkative, and apparently of a happier disposition.

Their brother, Rosswell, or Ross, as he was commonly called, was a fine specimen of robust manhood. His form and features were fine, and his manner prepossessing. He commanded the utmost respect, especially among the pupils of the village school, where he had taught five successive winters. Not that he was really compelled to labor unceasingly, but it was his choice to devote his leisure time to some useful occupation, so his summers were spent on the farm, and his winters in school. Mrs. Graves was a fair, little woman, with a pleasant smile, though the lines across her forehead told plainly that all had not been sunshine. She soon grew to be a favorite with Miss Elsworth, and Mrs. Morris declared "there never was such a dear little woman ever lived. She was always sending 'em down butter and eggs, and never would take a cent for any of 'em, and often she would bring her sewin' and sit with her, and she knew it was only 'cause she was sorry for her."

One day Miss Elsworth had seated herself in the kitchen doorway to have a little talk with Mrs. Morris while she was doing up the supper work.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha," burst upon the air, and the rocky hills sent back rolling waves of wild, musical laughter.

Miss Elsworth listened, looking around to see from whence came the sound. "Oh, I see you," called out a sweet, clear voice. "You cannot see me though, for I'm too far away."

Blanche Elsworth looked up at the ledge of rocks on the opposite side of the ravine, and there, swinging almost in mid air, up and down on a slender bough, was a fair young girl. She was dressed in a loose white wrapper, and without shoes or stockings. A mass of raven hair floated about her shoulders, and fell in a half tangled fashion to her waist. Miss Elsworth arose and regardless of the entreaties of Mrs. Morris, started toward the spot where the young girl sat.

"Oh, you need not come," she called out, "you cannot reach me."

"I will not harm you. Will you not come down and talk to me?"

"Oh, no, you want to catch me and shut me up."

"Indeed, I will not; I only want to talk to you."

"Will you promise not to touch me?"

"Yes, I will promise."

"Well, stand away then, and I will jump."

"Oh, please do not jump; you will hurt yourself. Climb down the rocks."

"Will I hurt myself? I guess not. I do not think I'll take the trouble to climb down, I can jump."

"Go back," said Blanche, but before she had uttered the words, the light form swayed back upon the air, and grasping the end of the bough came floating down at her feet.

Blanche Elsworth's heart almost stood still, for she expected to see the girl arise from the ground bruised and bleeding, but instead she stood before her quite unharmed, and stepping back she said:

"Now, remember what you promised; for if you try to catch me I'll go right back to the tree tops. I am away from everything up there, and if you should touch me----"

"Oh, I will not catch you," Blanche said, as the girl shrank away from her, "but will you not come to the house with me?"

"Oh, no, you will lock me up. No, I'll never go to the house with you. I would not dare."

"But you see I promised you I would not harm you if you would come down, and I did not, did I?"

"So you did as you promised," she said, coming nearer to Blanche, and looking straight in her face.

Blanche noticed the strange expression in the lovely eyes, and she knew that the burning light which she saw there was that of insanity, though the face was one of childish beauty and innocence.

"Will you not come in?" Blanche asked again.

"If you will promise sure that you will not lock me up."

"I will promise."

"Well, then, I will come, and if you do try to lock me up I'll take this," she said, putting her hand in her pocket, and drawing forth a tiny pistol, which she pointed straight at Blanche's head. "I'll take this and shoot anybody who tries to lock me up."

Blanche's face grew slightly pale, for it certainly was not a very desirable position which she held at that moment, but her presence of mind did not forsake her, and in a coaxing way she said:

"What a pretty little pistol; will you let me see it?"

"Will you promise to give it back to me?"

"Yes, I will."

"Let me shoot the head off that little bird first."

"Please do not, some one might hear you."

"Oh-h-h, yes, and then they would come after me. What is your name," she asked, looking quickly around, "isn't it----"

"What?" asked Blanche.

"Oh, I don't dare to say; some other time maybe I will ask you about it."

"My name is Blanche Elsworth. You may call me Blanche."

"Oh."

"Come with me. I want to show you something real pretty."

"What is it?"

"Views. Just look," she said, giving the young girl a stereoscope, and a basket full of views. "Cover your eyes with this, and you will see the most beautiful places."

"You can't make me believe that; you want to cover my eyes so that you can tie me up."

"No, truly, I will not harm you."

"Let me look into your eyes and see. I can tell by your eyes whether you speak the truth or not."

Miss Elsworth allowed the girl to step close to her, and standing there her wild eyes were fastened on her with a deep and searching gaze.

"No," she said as she turned away, while her head dropped, "no, I know you won't tell a lie. I can see it in your eyes."

"And now you will look at the pretty pictures; there it is, all ready. Now, look, there is a beautiful picture."

The girl did as requested, and at least three minutes elapsed before she lowered the stereoscope. During that time Blanche had turned the pistol around, and taken each cartridge from its pocket; and quickly springing it back to place, she laid it upon the table, saying:

"There, you see I have not harmed your pistol at all, and when you have looked at the pictures you may have it."

"Give it to me," said the girl, as she grasped it and placed it in her pocket. "I would not lose it for the world. You see I must use it as sure as can be. I'd tell you, but I am afraid you would tell."

"No, I would not."

"But you would laugh at me, and call me silly just as they all did."

"No, I would not."

"Well, then, some time I will tell you all about it, but not now."

"Bessie, Bessie," called a voice outside.

"Oh, there's Ross. Now, if I just knew where to hide. Can't you hide me some place?"

"No. I would not dare; but who is Ross?"

"Why, Ross is my brother; don't you know him? At least they say he is."

Before Miss Elsworth had time to reply, a shadow darkened the doorway, and looking up she saw Ross Graves standing there, looking straight into the girl's face.

"Bessie."

A shrill scream burst from the girl's lips, and the wild light in her eyes grew deeper.

"I won't go, I won't go, and you can't take me. I have promised to stay here and live with this beautiful lady."

"Pardon me, Miss Elsworth, if I have troubled you, but you see we dare not let Bessie go where she will, for we do not know what will happen her. She is very reckless sometimes, and, beside, we have had a double fright this morning, for when we discovered that she had gone we looked around for a little revolver, that she delights in handling, and could not find it."

"Oh, you need not look at me, Ross, you can't have it. Go away."

"No, Bessie, I will ask him to let you keep it."

"Miss Elsworth," said Ross, "I am sorry if Bessie has frightened you very badly."

"Oh, she has not frightened me in the least."

"I am very sorry she has troubled you, but it is almost impossible to keep her at home, unless we keep her in close confinement, and that seems very hard, as she is fond of roving."

"You need not keep her in confinement on my account, for I assure you I am not afraid of her."

"There, now, Ross, you see she is not afraid of me, and I am sure I would not hurt her ma out there, would I?" she said, bursting into a loud laugh, then quickly checking herself as Ross frowned and spoke her name.

"Come, Bessie, let us go home."

"I won't go one step until I have looked at all these pretty pictures, so, Ross, you can wait."

Ross accepted the chair Miss Elsworth offered him, and a full hour passed before Bessie consented to go home.

"Let me tell you something before I go," she said, going to Blanche's side, and placing her arm about her neck. "You are not afraid of me, and when I come to see you again," here she bent close and whispered, "I'll tell you if you'll never tell. I only tell it to people who are not crazy."

Blanche promised that Bessie should come again some day after tea, and to make Ross sure that Bessie had done no harm, she very slyly slipped the cartridges into his hand. He looked his surprise as well as his thanks, and, taking Bessie's hand, he led her home.