Part 44 (1/2)
”Oho, oho! Did I surprise you, Mr. Ensign?” was the greeting which came to him as he awoke. It was daybreak. There sat Madam Breeze on the Virginia creeper above him, smiling good-humoredly, and shaking the vine gently. He hurried to her side, bade her good morning, and told her the news of Faith and Sophia's rescue. Madam shook with joyful excitement until the vine clattered against the wall.
”Hist!” she cried, ”that will never do! Silence--do you hear?
Softly--hu-s.h.!.+ We must keep cool a while longer--wheeze!” She choked off her cough as she spoke, and sat still, at least as still as she could sit.
Lawe looked out upon the lawn. There was Fairy Dew giving the finis.h.i.+ng touch to her night's work. As she flew with quick wings above the gra.s.s, her arms played rapidly upon the sacs beneath them, and from the many tubes attached thereto the spray flew in all directions.
”Humph!” said the Ensign as he watched with curious interest this fairy spraying machine. ”What a busy little body Fairy Dew must be! See what an immense work she has wrought during the night!”
”Aye, aye! That is what we want. Look how the dew brings out to view yonder Pixie tents on the lawn and in the bushes. Ha, ha! Good, indeed!--wheeze!” The Elf clapped her hands merrily at the sight. But Lawe could hardly enter into the pleasure of the view, for as he saw almost every square foot of his beloved homestead grounds covered with the tents of his foes, showing white and clear under their load of dew-drops, his heart beat tumultuously with grief, shame and anger. He therefore shrugged his shoulders and said nothing.
”Never mind,” cried Madam Breeze, ”we shall see presently. Aha! lookee yonder! There comes the sun! All is well! Hoogh!--hurrah!”
The first rays of the rising sun were beginning to peep between the Two Pines, touch the tip of the Giantstone's poll and shoot out across the river.
”Bless the kind Cloud Elves,” exclaimed Madam, ”they have served us truly, and left the Gate of the Sun open wide. Welcome, welcome, good Sol! Here, this way now, Fairy Sunbeam, follow me.”
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 146.--Dew-Sprinkled Tents upon the Lawn.]
The Elf tossed herself off the vine and bustled away to the front window that looks toward the northeast, facing the great bend in the Ohio River. She shook the window shutter until the slats rattled and fell open.
”In with you now!” she cried to the Sunbeam. ”Right in! Off the floor now, please. Up the white bed-spread. There--that is it; that's it!
Just the spot, full and fair in the Governor's face! Now--wheeze!--rest there a moment, will you? I'll finish up these shutters--hoogh, wheeze--_puff!_”
She laid hold of the green slats and shook them again and again. Harder, Madam, harder, if you would get them open! Once more the Elf threw herself against the barrier, until the window shook.
”Here, Whisk, Keener!” she called. ”Come to my help. And you, Lawe, creep in here and pry up that catch with your spear. All together, now!--Whoo-ooo-_whooff!_”
One of the shutters flew back with a loud bang, and as good hap would have it, the hasp or catch on the end thereof struck the leaf on which Lacemaker the Pixinee was nested and broke it loose from the vine. It floated off upon the wind and Madam Lacemaker was sorely tossed about upon her aerial voyage. Seeing this, a Fairy Sunbeam seized the stem of the leaf and darted off westward with it. Thereat Elf Keener plunged away after careering leaf and flying Sunbeam, and with stout puffs of his breath drove the leaf before him, Madam Lacemaker all the while tumbling back and forth, holding on to the lines of her dainty web, and ever and anon from her kneeling or half-p.r.o.ne posture shaking her fists, and sputtering forth her helpless wrath.
Now through the open s.p.a.ce the sun sent in a broad sheet of golden light that fell full upon Wille's face. The Governor awoke, rubbed his eyes, grumbled at the wind, grumbled at somebody's carelessness, got out of bed and crossed the room to close the shutter. Madam Breeze threw around him the freshest and sweetest breath of the morning as he approached. He leaned out of the window to draw the truant shutter to its place. He was wide awake now. The soft sunbeams fell upon him. He drew a full breath, and sent it forth again with an ”ah--aa-ah!” of hearty relish.
”Well, this is a glorious morning,” he muttered. ”Ah, Nature gives us our sweetest tastes of life, after all. How still it is here! A real relief from the excitement and clamor of my life.” He stood and gazed quietly upon the lovely scene before him. His eyes were fixed upon the rising sun, the glowing hill top and golden zoned river. A feeling of sadness fell upon him. It deepened into regret, as he silently looked and mused. He was thinking,--and who has not so thought?--of the earlier, the purer, the happier morning of life, ere the ambitions and struggles of manhood had awakened within him to warm the heart to fever heat, and taint the freshness and purity of n.o.bler and holier desires and aims.
”Heigho!” he sighed, as he slowly drew the shutter to its place.
He felt a light touch upon his hand. A small, thin voice, but very sweet and familiar, fell upon his ear. It was the well-known greeting of his Brownie friends.
”G.o.d speed, Brother Wille; hail and good speed!”
He looked down, and saw standing upon the window-sill Ensign Lawe and his troopers.
”Welcome, brothers hail and good speed!” he answered. There was a heartiness in his tone and genuine pleasure in his face, which made the hearts of the fairies jump for joy. It was so like the tone and look of old time!
”What do you bring me, brothers?” continued Wille. ”What can I do for you, or what will you do for me?”
”Look yonder, please,” said Lawe, pointing toward the lawn.
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 147.--Fairy Sunbeam and Elf Keener Banis.h.i.+ng Madam Lacemaker Beyond the River.]
The Governor leaned over the window-sill and followed the direction of the Ensign's pointed spear. He started! The Pixie encampment covered the place! The dew drops on the tent-tops were glistening in the sunbeams like jewels.