But finally he was awakened from a light sleep by a soft pressure
against his foot. Even David started nervously, and "Ghosts" flashed
into his logical and well-ordered brain. But no, it was only the soft
and shivering form of his wife, curling herself noiselessly into a ball
on the foot of his cot. David watched her, shaking with silent
laughter. Surreptitiously she slipped an arm beneath his feet, and
circled them in a deadly grip. If the ghosts got her, they would get
David's feet, and in her girlish mind ran a half acknowledged belief
that the Lord wouldn't let the ghosts get as good a man as David.
Wretchedly uncomfortable as to position, but blissfully assured in her
mind, she fell into a doze, from which she was brought violently by a
low whisper in the room:
"Mrs. Duke."
"Oooooooo," moaned Carol, diving deep beneath the covers.
David sat up quickly.
"Who is there?"
"It is I, Miss Landbury," came a frightened whisper. "Can't I stay
with you a while? I can't go to sleep to save me,--and honestly, I am
scared to death."
This brought Carol forth, and with warm and sympathetic hospitality she
turned back the covers at the foot of the bed and said:
"Yes, come right in."
David nudged her remindingly with his foot. "Since there are two of
you to protect each other," he said, laughing, "suppose you go in to
Carol's bed, and leave me my cot in peace."
This Carol flatly refused to do. If Miss Landbury was willing to share
the foot of David's cot, she was more than welcome. But if she meant
to stand on ceremony and go into that awful big black room without a
minister, she could go by herself, that was all. Carol lay down
decidedly, and considered the subject closed.
"I don't want to sleep," said Miss Landbury unhappily. "I am not
sleepy. I just want a place to sit, where I--I won't keep seeing
things."
"Turn on the light, Carol," said David. "You ought to be ashamed of
yourselves, both of you."
"That's all right," defended Carol. "You are a preacher, and ghosts
don't bother--"
"Don't say ghosts," chattered Miss Landbury.
"Well, what is the plan of procedure?" inquired David patiently. "Are
you going to turn my cot into a boarding-house? You girls stay here,
and I will go in to Carol's bed. Give me my bath robe, honey, and--"
"Oh, please," gasped Miss Landbury.
"And leave us on this porch with nothing but screen around us?"
exclaimed Carol. "I am surprised at you, David."
David turned his face to the wall. "Well, make yourselves comfortable.
Good night, girls."
The girls stared at each other in the darkness, helplessly, resignedly.
Wasn't that just like a man?
"I tell you what," said Carol hopefully, "let's bring the mattress and
the blankets from my bed and put them on the floor here beside David,
and we can all sleep nicely right together."
"Oh, that's lovely," cried Miss Landbury. "You are the dearest thing,
Mrs. Duke."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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