“I promise,” Anne said as she kissed the little old lady, who was so like her own grandmother. Then she slipped away.
Miss Torrence had to bend her head to battle through the snowstorm that was beating down upon the campus when she emerged from the basement door and so it was, when she entered the little grove, that she did not see a dark figure standing close to a tree trunk and almost hidden by low growth of pines.
Nor did she enter her mother’s room, for the even, quiet breathing assured her that the little old lady was fast asleep.
Miss Torrence was unusually tired and so she turned out the low light in the den without glancing around. It was not until the next morning, while she and her mother were at breakfast, that she heard the story of a visitor.
“I don’t recollect what her name was, daughter, but she was the nicest, kindest girl. I’m sure she must be one of your favorites up at the school. Something had frightened me. I don’t like to tell it, being as you say I fancy things, but I did think that I heard the window open in your study and then, by and by, something fell, crash, but pretty soon this nice girl came and told me the wind outside was blowing things around pretty much.”
Miss Torrence looked both troubled and puzzled. She knew what her mother did not, that the pupils of Vine Haven Seminary were not permitted to leave the school after dark, and surely no one would choose a wet, cold, blustery night to take a walk on the ocean cliff.
As soon as she had her mother settled in a comfortable chair in the bow window, where boxes of ferns and flowers were growing, and a canary in a cage sang cheerily, Miss Torrence went at once to her den. Her first glance revealed the fallen flower pot; her second the rummaged desk. At that moment there came a rapping on the front door and the young teacher hastened into the living room, troubled and perplexed, to answer the summons.
CHAPTER XIV
FINDING THE CULPRIT
When Miss Torrence opened the door, half expecting to see the mysterious visitor of the night before, she beheld instead the editor of the Manuscript Magazine.
“Oh, Virginia, I am so glad you came. Mother-mine, if you will excuse us, I would like to take Virginia at once to my study, as it is nearly time for us to go up to the school, and I have much to discuss with her.”