Had a bomb been exploded at “White Point,” the excitement could hardly have been greater than that caused by Bobbie’s announcement that the marriage would occur that night. Such hurrying and scurrying for the numberless preparations which Sallie Tom insisted should be made had not been seen since the war began. Peter Black could hardly saddle the horse, in such a tremor was he over the great news, and Colonel and Mrs. Tayloe were gratefully pleased that the marriage should be consummated even in such an unexpected way.
And now, while Bobbie was riding like mad through the fast-falling snow and gathering darkness, Dorothy and his mother were deep in the mysteries of certain old trunks, which, in the beginning of the war had been brought over from “Grey Cliffs,” and in one of which lay her mother’s wedding gown and veil.
It was a good five miles to the court-house, near which, fortunately, was the minister’s heme; and though it was bitterly cold, and the snow cut like ice in his face, Bobbie knew and felt nothing save the unutterable happiness that filled his heart. He had made Peter Black stay at home to help the women folks, and on he rode madly. He stopped only long enough at the Rev. Dr. Miles’s house to tell the dear old gentleman that his services would be needed at once, and to get his promise to go over with all the family to the wedding. “Bundle them up in the sleigh, and take the whole business over,” he called, as he rode off, scarcely waiting to take breath. “We can’t have much of a frolic, but you all must be there.”
It took quite a long time to get through at the court-house. The old clerk was indulging in his one and only dissipation of the year, and fully an hour was lost in finding him, and one or two others, and getting the license ready. The Reverend Doctor and his family had already started when Bobbie passed his way again. He stopped for a moment to find out, and then decided to make a short cut for home.
The wedding had been fixed for nine o’clock, Sallie Tom declaring it was “monstrous” to talk of “gettin’ up a weddin’ supper in ten minutes,” and they had laughingly agreed to the hour she set. From the time Bobbie left Sallie Tom began bossing the whole affair, and soon everybody in the house was running at her command. Uncle Lias’s rheumatism was pretty bad, but she showed him no mercy, and gave the parlors to him to fix up right. Every stick of wood she knew it was necessary to watch, but this “was Mars’ Bobbie’s weddin’ night, and they should have as much fire as they wanted, if they friz for it the rest of their lives,” she thundered to Uncle Lias, who ventured to remonstrate on her reckless prodigality in heaping up the logs in the great fire-places in the parlors. Peter Black was piling the mantels and pictures with beautiful holly and mistletoe; and between the windows where the ceremony was to take place he had placed the white silken cushions on which his young master’s father and mother had knelt when they were married so many years ago. Fortunately, Anne Carter had come over just after Bobbie left—pretty Anne Carter, Dorothy’s dear friend and almost sister—and under her fingers the rooms began to wear the festive look of other days. The great wax candles sputtered for a moment, and then flared up bravely in the beautiful old silver candlesticks, and soon the rooms were a flood of warm, rich light. Anne surveyed them for a moment, then ran up-stairs to report the progress made to Dorothy. “Sallie Tom is snorting like an old porpoise,” she declared, sitting down for a moment, and fingering almost reverently the beautiful old lace veil lying on the bed, and stroking softly the quaint, old-fashioned wedding gown. “She seems on the eve of spontaneous combustion, but the dining room is a sight to behold! Where in the name of reason she has raked up all those good things to eat will ever be one of the mysteries of life to me. It looks so much like old times,” she went on, still handling the soft, pretty things composing the bridal outfit, “that it makes me positively sick to think of the awful change. You know we’ve been on half rations for months, and how we’re going to hold out is beyond my ken. Sallie Tom always was an uncanny old animal, anyhow, and I believe she’s cunjured those things from the man in the moon; but the very smell has made me disgracefully hungry, and I wish Bobbie would make haste and come, so we can begin on the supper.” Dorothy laughed a little, and looked up at the clock. “He ought to be here now,” she said: “it’s seven, and he’s had plenty of time to get back.” “Perhaps the Yanks have nabbed him,” suggested Anne, getting up and giving a last touch to the silk stockings. “Father wrote us, some time ago, he thought our section would be visited soon, and to look out for the raiders, as he called them.”
Dorothy turned white to her lips, and caught hold of the chair nearest to her, while her voice died away in her throat; and Anne, turning, saw at once the effect of her thoughtless words. “Why, Dorothy,” she cried, going straight to her and putting her hands on her shoulders, “you didn’t think I was in earnest—I was joking, of course. You know there’s no danger way off here, and Bobbie is as safe as I am. For heaven’s sake, don’t look like that!” Dorothy smiled faintly, and the color came slowly back to her face. “I don’t know what is the matter, but I have the most curious feeling that something is going to happen—what—what was that?” she cried nervously, catching Anne by the arm. “I’m sure I don’t know,” answered Anne; “but I must say going to get married is having a curious effect on you; now do hurry and get into the wedding garments,” she went on, kissing her hurriedly, “while I go and see who’s arrived. I don’t doubt Bobbie has ‘hollered’ at every house in the neighborhood as he passed by—now hurry, do,” and Anne ran hastily down-stairs, her heart beating a little faster than usual at the noises she heard outside. It was only the Rev. Dr. Miles and family, however, and Colonel and Mrs. Tayloe, with Dr. Trevillian, were welcoming them in hearty, hospitable fashion when she reached the door. “Where is Bobbie?” she called out, almost before speaking; “Didn’t he come with you?” “No; he went on to the court-house,” answered Mrs. Miles, brushing the snow carefully from her best silk gown; “and if poor old Mr. Turpin is in his usual Christmas condition it will take some time to make out what Bobbie wants.” Anne saw the uneasiness Mrs. Tayloe was trying so hard to conceal, and knew that to keep everybody from crying everybody must laugh, and she began in her own inimitable way to start the ball rolling. The Rutherfoords had gotten over, Bobbie having called to them, they said, also Mrs. Trent and her daughter; and Colonel Tayloe and the Doctor were besieged by the women for news of the war. Every household in the county had one or more members in the army, and every item of the life, with all its hardships and its every exciting detail, was eagerly sought after.
Dorothy was still up in her room, now fully dressed for the ceremony. Like a quaint, sweet picture of a day gone by, she stood in her mother’s wedding gown waiting for Bobbie.
Anne Carter held her off at arm’s length and surveyed her critically, from the two provoking little curls that wouldn’t lie smooth under the beautiful veil to the tiny satin slippers that restlessly slipped out now and then under the gown, and then she kissed her hastily. “I never knew before exactly how wickedly good-looking you were, Dorothy Trevillian—it’s a shame to be married with nobody but dear old Dr. Miles and his family, and old Mrs. Rutherfoord and her maidens three, and pious Mrs. Trent and that proper daughter of hers, to see you. Not a man down-stairs except the two fathers. Heigho! what’s that?” In a flash she was gone, and Dorothy, left standing at the open door, listened.
The parlor doors were thrown wide open, and Sallie Tom rushed wildly in. “Gord A’mighty!” she cried hoarsely, clutching first at the Colonel and then at the Doctor, “Gord A’mighty, get out o’ heah, Mars’ Robert, and tek de Doctor wid you—dey done come. Peter Black seen six of ’em down de road whar he gone to look fur Mars’ Bobbie; dey on dere way heah—he heah’d dem talkin’ ’bout how to git heah. For Gord’s sake, hurry up in de loft, top o’ de garret, and I’ll manage so dey won’t fine you. Dey got orders to ’rest you all, and mos’ special Mars’ Bobbie, whar got some papers. Peter Black heah’d ’em say so. Move long, all o’ you, and help put out dese lights and shet dese rooms up, so dey won’t ketch on to nothin’ special. You mus’ tell ’em,” she said, turning to Mrs. Tayloe, who, white as a sheet, was sitting perfectly limp in her chair, “you mus’ tell ’em de parson is a goin’ to tek his Christmas supper wid you, and dese heah friends, too. Go ’long in de libr’y and shet up dis heah part de house.”
Every hand was instantly at work, and in a minute or two only the smoldering fires gave evidence of the rooms having been used. Colonel Tayloe and the Doctor had exchanged a few hurried words. They mortally hated to hide in the loft, but it was their only resource. If found, it would mean new anxiety and disaster to the women. They must take Sallie Tom’s advice.
It took but a minute to reach the garret, and there through an opening she thrust them into a side loft and closed the door, drawing a line filled with old and long-disused garments across it, so that, unless closely inspected, the door was not apt to be seen.
Down-stairs the utmost confusion reigned supreme. Mrs. Tayloe’s chief thought was Bobbie, but by a superhuman effort she managed to conquer herself, and think what was best to be done. The Miles children were crying, but were ordered by Anne to keep quiet, and if they dared speak a word the soldiers would eat them alive.
Quickly the dining room was dispossessed of all the wedding paraphernalia, and only the necessities of a ministerial tea remained.
Dorothy had heard the confusion, and before Anne could reach her the wedding garments were off, and she, in her usual quiet dress, was hurriedly putting them back in the trunks. “They will search the entire house,” she said in answer to Anne’s look of astonishment, “and they must see nothing that would give them an idea of anything unusual going on.”
Dorothy was herself now, quiet and brave, and ready for whatever might await her. The last thing had hardly been put away, the room straightened and the lights lowered, before they heard the muffled sound of horses’ hoofs upon the snow outside, and soon a thunderous knock at the door. Through the blinds they had seen several horsemen, one of whom seemed to be giving directions to the others.
Dorothy slipped down the stairs, and for a moment looked into the library. “Please do not look so frightened,” she called to the others, “Sallie Tom and I will manage.” Then she went on to the door. A furious gust of wind blew wildly around the corner of the house, and a voice outside called out: “There is no use in resisting, you might as well open at once.” Dorothy pushed Sallie Tom aside, and threw open the door. Two officers stood without with pistols in hand, and as the light fell full upon the slight, girlish figure standing in the doorway, they drew back, as if startled themselves. For a moment no one spoke, then the taller of the two stepped forward and lifted his cap. “I am sorry to trouble you,” he said courteously, putting his pistol in his belt as he spoke, “but I understand General H.’s scout, Robert F. Taylor, is here, and we are under orders to search the house, and produce him, if possible, and also any other soldiers who may be found here.”
Sallie Tom gave a most vicious snort, and Dorothy laid her hands upon her. “You are at perfect liberty to search the house, gentlemen,” she said quietly, trying hard to control her voice, as she motioned them to enter that she might close the door, “but I am afraid you will have your trouble for nothing, you are just a little too late; the gentleman you are looking for did take his Christmas dinner with us, but that was five hours ago; he left immediately afterwards.” She looked up almost provokingly into their faces, and the least bit of a smile quivered on her lips, as the officers exchanged glances.
It was impossible that this slip of a girl, this beautiful thing, could be fooling them. They must search the house anyhow—could they be allowed at once?
“Certainly,” she answered promptly, “Sallie Tom will show you every inch of it.” “It is terribly cold,” she continued, seeing them rub their hands together, “won’t you let the rest of the men come in also? they can at least get warm while waiting.”
“Oh, they don’t mind,” one of them smilingly rejoined, “they are accustomed to waiting, and cold, too, and besides I would not care to fill your whole house.”
“I hardly think half a dozen men would do that,” she answered gravely. “I suppose you would like to begin your search at once, however,” she continued as she threw open the parlor door. “You can walk in and examine at your leisure. You will pardon my leaving you, we have friends to tea. Sallie Tom will show you every inch of space in the house.” She bowed to them courteously and left.
The two men looked at each other blankly for a moment, and then the younger one began to laugh at the expression on the other man’s face. “This beats my time,” he said softly to the one in command—a lieutenant, evidently, from his uniform. They lowered their voices so that Sallie Tom couldn’t hear. “I’ll bet an even hundred that fellow’s about here somewhere, and that girl’s determined to save him. She’s the coolest thing I’ve struck since I entered the service, and by long odds the prettiest. Did you notice her eyes?” “Hush,” said the other, “that old woman’s a regular hawk, she’s pretending not to notice. Come, we must search the house thoroughly, though it’s a nasty piece of business. I wish that girl hadn’t been so polite.” The two men began to walk around the room, looking more at the many old and elegant things it contained, than with any expectation of finding a clue here to the hiding place of any rebels that might be in the house. Their looks and bearing gave evidence that they were gentlemen, who, while they disliked their invasion of private property, were determined to obey to the letter the orders they had undertaken to fill. These orders were to capture the daring scout of General H⸺ and bring him to where their company was camping temporarily, some five miles below “White Point.”
A scouting party of some six or seven men, under their young lieutenant, had volunteered to make this capture, if possible, having heard that young Taylor, as they thought the name was, would no doubt spend his Christmas at home. They knew very well the importance attached to this holiday by the Southern people, and what a time for home-coming it was, and were confident of springing a trap and catching their unwary victim in it. So confident of success had they been, that they would take only some six or seven in their party, and now to be met in this coolly prepared-for manner, and by such a demoralizing pretty girl, was upsetting to their soldierly dignity and calculations. They moved slowly round the room for a minute or two, talking in an undertone. Sallie Tom, snorting in a suppressed kind of way, was walking about moving chairs and sofas, shaking out curtains, and opening the doors of cabinets full of bric-a-brac, but still not a word did she utter. How on earth was she going to keep Bobbie away, and give him the signal of danger, was what she was turning over her mind. Her cabin was a good distance from the house. If she could only get there without exciting suspicion, or if Peter Black had already gotten there with Dorothy’s message, all might yet be well. She lifted herself up straight and changed her tactics—that is, she ceased to snort; she would do the amiable act. It was Christmas night; perhaps she could make the whole crowd drunk; and, if so, the Colonel and Doctor could slip off with Bobbie.