“I’m feer’d not,” he replied. “It’s mos’ five.” Then with sudden resolve, he turned his horses toward the door. “Gee, I’m glad I hain’t unhitched yet. We’ll take a chanct, Pa,” he shouted up the narrow stairway, “Gotta go to town on an errant.” He was gone, with Dicky at his side, before his father could question him further. The older man having removed his boots, had settled by the stove with his pipe. He decided that Mrs. Martin had sent the boy back on some forgotten errand and thought no more about it.
Meanwhile the girls about whom so much anxiety was being felt were talking with the young stranger who had appeared so unexpectedly.
“But there is only one way out of this old house,” Eleanor Burgess told the girls when Virginia protested that they would better hasten away and return some other day to meet Mrs. Burgess, “and that way lies through the South Wing, which mother and I are occupying.” As she spoke she again opened the door and the five girls caught glimpses of a pleasant fire-lighted apartment which seemed strangely out of keeping with the cold damp old house through which they had been groping until they had been suddenly confronted, not by the expected ghost, but by an inhabitant who was a girl of their own age.
Much mystified, they followed Eleanor and found themselves in a large living room which seemed to combine within its four walls all the requirements of a home, for one corner was lined with shelves on which were many books. There, too, was an old mahogany desk littered with papers and the pencil lying upon them seemed to have been hastily dropped by whoever had been writing. In still another corner, almost screened from their sight, was a small oil stove and a few kitchen utensils, while in the middle of the room, drawn close to the wide fireplace, on which a log was burning, stood a supper table set with two places. The only light in the big room came from two candles on this table, one behind the screen and the fire on the hearth.
Easy chairs and a bed couch covered with bright-colored pillows completed the furnishings. There was a charm about the room which delighted Virginia.
It was evident that someone was behind the kitchen screen, and, upon hearing her name spoken, that someone appeared, smiling a welcome to the unknown girls. A woman, neither old nor young, but with a weary expression on a pale, though truly beautiful face, advanced with her hand outheld.
“And who may these maidens be?” The question was smilingly directed to her daughter, whose flushed cheeks and bright eyes revealed that she was both excited and happy about something.
“Mother-mine, these are five girls from the seminary about which you have told me so often.” Then impulsively turning to the girl nearest, she said, “This is my lady-mother, Mrs. Burgess. Won’t you please tell her your names? I simply can’t remember them.”
“Gladly,” Margaret replied, then when the introductions were made, she looked anxiously at her foster sister, saying, “It is five now. What shall we do? Micky has of course driven past, and do see the snowstorm!”
She glanced at the window, against which sheets of hail and snow were beating.