The Littlest Rebel | Page 7

pointed to an imaginary door halfway between
them and where Virgie sat on the steps, wriggling with delight. "You
kin look in ev'ry room in de house--castle, I means--'cept in des dat one.
Orn'estan me? _Des dat one!_ But ef yo' looks in _dar_,--Gawd he'p
you. I gwine cut yo' haid off," and the fearful sword whizzed
threateningly through the air. "Fyarwell--fyarwell."

"Farewell, my lord," said Mrs. Cary, and then in a whisper, as Blue
Beard stalked away to hide behind a tree. "What do we do now?
_Quick_!"
"Now I come in," cried Virgie. "I'm 'Sister Anne' that looks for the
horseman in the cloud of dust." And jumping up, the child managed to
change the tones of her voice in a surprising manner.
"Good morning, fair sister. Blue Beard has gone away, and now we can
look in his secret room."
"No, Sister Anne, No! I dare not," and Mrs. Fatima shrank back full of
fear from the imaginary door. "Urge me no more. I am afraid."
"But, Mother," cried Virgie, with a little squeal of disappointment.
"You have to. It's part of the play," and she led her up to the invisible
door.
"Now look in--and when you look--drop the keys--an' we'll both
scream."
Slowly the door seemed to open and, after an instant's terrified silence,
both actresses screamed with complete success. Whereupon Mrs.
Fatima dropped to her knees and Sister Anne hugged her tight.
"It's blood. It's the blood of his seven wives. O-o-o-e-e-e!"
A great roar sounded in their ears.
"Mercy! What's that?" cried the terrified Mrs. Fatima.
"It's Blue Beard. He's coming back," whereupon Virgie immediately
left Mrs. Fatima to face her fate alone.
Having spent a night and a day behind the tree, Blue Beard now rushed
upon the castle and roared for his wife.
"Greeting, my lord," said the trembling Mrs. Fatima with a low curtsey
"I hope you have enjoyed your journey."

"'Ooman," demanded Blue Beard severely. "What make you look so
pale?"
"I know not, sweet sir. Am I, then, so pale?"
"You is! What you be'n up to sence I be'n away? Ha! What I tole you?
Look at de blood on dat key! False 'ooman, you done deceib' me. Down
on yo' marrow bones an' prepyar to die!"
"Spare me, my lord. Spare me! I am so--"
It was just about this time that old Uncle Billy, with a bridle in one
hand and a carriage whip in the other came slowly upon the scene. At
the sight of Sally Ann apparently about to assault his mistress the bridle
dropped from his hand and with a tight clutch on the carriage whip he
covered the intervening space at an amazing speed.
"Hi, dar! You li'l woolly haided imp! You tech Miss Hallie wid dat ar
stick an' I bus' you wide open!"
"Oh, stop, Uncle Billy!" cried Virgie in dismay. "We're only having a
play!"
"Maybe you is; but I lay ef I wrop my carriage whip roun' her laig, des
oncet, she'll hop all de way to de river."
At this dismal prospect, which seemed much truer than the play, Sally
Ann began to whimper loudly. "Miss Hallie, ef he stay here, I ain't
gwine to play."
"Whar you git dem whiskers at?" demanded Uncle Billy.
"Shut up!" cried Virgie.
"I'm shuttin'," said Uncle Billy, retreating.
Thus reassured Sally Ann continued:
"I gwine down stairs to git my dinner When I come back, I sho' gwine

kill you. Fyar you well," and Blue Beard, making a wide circle around
the carriage whip, took himself off the scene.
"Now, Mother," Virgie announced, "I have to watch at the castle
window," and she jumped up on the bench.
"Sister Anne; Sister Anne, do you see anybody coming?"
"No one, Fatima--nothing but a cloud of dust made by the wind."
"Look again, Sister Anne. Do you see anybody coming?"
"Oh, Fatima, Fatima. It's growing bigger."
"Dar now," interposed Uncle Billy. "She's seem' som'pin."
"Sister Anne! Sister Anne. And what do; you see?"
"Dust! Dust! I see a horseman in a cloud of dust. Look! Look! He's
coming this way." By this time Virgie's acting had taken on so close a
resemblance to the real thing that both Mrs. Gary and Uncle Billy rose
to their feet in wonder.
"He's jumped the _fence_," cried Virgie. "He's cutting across our fields!
He sees me! He's waving his hat to me!" With the last words the child
suddenly jumped down from the bench and ran through the opening in
the hedge, leaving her mother gazing after her in sudden consternation.
"Name we Gawd! Miss Hallie," gasped Uncle Billy. "You reckon she
done brought somebody, sho' 'nuff? Hi! Hi! I hear sum'-pin. It's a horse.
Lan' er Glory! Hits, _him_!"

CHAPTER II
Round the corner of