AMANDA'S CONSCIENCE
Amos Cary and Jimmy Starkweather lay on the warm sand in the narrow
shadow cast by a fishing dory pulled up on the beach. No chief returning
from far-off islands could have been more a hero than was Amos among the
boys and girls of the settlement. They followed him about, and listened
eagerly to all that he had to tell them of the Indians. Then, too, he
was to go in the "Sea Gull" with Captain Nash, the swiftest schooner and
the smartest captain sailing out of the harbor, and Jimmie Starkweather
felt that Amos was having greater good fortune than any boy could hope
for.
"Maybe the 'Sea Gull' can't get out of port," said Jimmie, digging his
bare toes in the soft sand. "The English ships keep a sharp outlook for
a schooner loaded down with salt fish. I'll bet Captain Nash won't get
beyond Chatham."
"Pooh!" responded Amos scornfully. "We can sail right away from their
old tubs. But 'twill be great if they do follow us."
"'Twould be just your good fortune," said Jimmie. "I do wish my father
would let me go with you, Amos. Who knows what adventures you may have!"
For a few moments the two boys did not speak; they lay looking out over
the beautiful harbor, and their minds were full of vague hopes of
adventure. Jimmie was the first to break the silence.
"You won't see Shining Fish again, will you, Amos?"
"No; did I show you what he gave me?" And Amos pulled out a stout
deerskin thong from inside his flannel blouse. The claw of a bird was
fastened to the thong. "See! It's a hawk's claw," exclaimed Amos; "and
as long as I wear it no enemy can touch me. I gave Shining Fish my
jack-knife," continued Amos. "You'd like him, Jimmie; he knew stories
about chiefs and warriors, and he had killed a fox with his bow and
arrow. He told me about a chief of their tribe who lived long ago and
was the strongest man that ever lived. He used to go on long journeys,
way beyond Cape Cod, with his band of warriors, and once he met an
unfriendly tribe, and they laughed when the braves told how strong their
chief was. 'Can he conquer a wild bull?' one of them asked, and the
brave answered, 'Aye, or two wild bulls.'
"So the unfriendly Indians laughed louder, and were glad, for they
thought they could destroy the chief even without a battle. Well, they
arranged that this brave chief was to go alone into a fenced-in place
and meet two wild bulls, and if he conquered them the unfriendly tribe
would own him the strongest chief in the world, and would be subject to
him. It was great, Jimmie, to hear Shining Fish tell it. He said the
great chief marched into the place where the bulls were, and they came
dashing toward him, and their hoofs rang upon the ground, and their
nostrils sent out sheets of flame, but the chief never flinched a step,
and the bulls stopped short and trembled. Then the chief sprang upon the
nearest, and seized him by the horns, and they wrestled until the bull
fell to its knees tired out. Then he grabbed at the other, and threw it,
and all the Indians began to wonder how any chief could be so strong."
"S'pose it's true?" questioned Jimmie.
"Sure!" answered Amos. "What's Captain Stoddard doing to his boat?" he
continued. Captain Enos was evidently not bound out on a fishing trip,
for he was making his boat as tidy as possible.
"He's going to sail over to Brewster to fetch Anne back," answered
Jimmie.
"But Anne is going to Boston with Rose Freeman," said Amos.
Jimmie shook his head. "No, the Freemans won't take her because she ran
away," he explained, and looked up in amazement, for Amos had sprung to
his feet and was racing along the beach toward Captain Stoddard's boat
as fast as his feet would carry him.
Jimmie laughed. "I'll bet Amos wants to go to Brewster," he decided.
Amos did not want to go to Brewster. But he had instantly resolved that
Anne must not be stopped from going to Boston. Even as he ran he could
see that there was no time to spare in reaching Captain Enos, for he was
already pushing off from shore.
"Captain Enos! Captain Enos!" he called frantically, and the captain
looked toward him. "Wait a minute! wait!" yelled the boy, and the
captain waited, saying good-humoredly:
"Never saw such a boy as that one. He can't bear to see a boat put off
unless he's in it."
"Captain Enos, you mustn't bring Anne back," said Amos as he ran out
into the shallow water and grasped the side of the boat. "It wouldn't be
fair; it wasn't her fault," he added.
"Whose fault was it?" asked the captain.
"Wait!" commanded Amos, remembering his promise to his sister. "Wait
just ten minutes, Captain Enos, before you start. I'll be back," and
away went Amos up the beach and along the sandy path to the house.
"Amos is going to come out first rate, I can see that plain enough,"
said Captain Enos, watching the boy's flying figure, and he was not
surprised when he saw Amos coming back with Amanda held fast by the
hand.
The boy and girl stopped at the edge of the water.
"Tell him, Amanda," commanded Amos.
"It's my fault," whimpered Amanda. "I got my mother to tell Mrs.
Stoddard that Anne slapped me and ran off with the luncheon. And she
didn't. I slapped her."
"Clear as mud," muttered the captain; then in a louder tone, "Amos,
you're going to make a good American sailor, and we're all going to be
proud of you. And I guess Amanda's going to do better after this," and
he pushed off from shore.
"But you won't go to Brewster now!" called both the children.
"I'll have to. Must go and tell the Freemans that we're willing for Anne
to go to Boston, and to tell Anne that her Aunt Martha knows the truth.
You just run up and tell Mrs. Stoddard all about it, Amanda," he
answered; and, having sent his boat into deep water, the captain drew in
his oars and began hoisting the big mainsail.
For a few moments the boy and girl stood watching him. Then, with a long
sigh, Amanda turned to go toward the Stoddard house. Amos began to feel
a little sorry for her.
"Say, Amanda, I'll go tell her," he called.
"You mind your own business, Amos Cary," and Amanda turned toward him
angrily. "I'll tell Mrs. Stoddard myself, and then I'll go home and tell
my mother. I'll tell everybody, and when everybody hates and despises
me I reckon you'll be satisfied," and without waiting for any response
she went on up the path.
Amos turned and went back to the shade of the boat, but Jimmie
Starkweather was no longer there. He wished more than ever that he was
back with Shining Fish. Then he remembered that in another week he would
be on board the "Sea Gull." He watched Captain Stoddard's sloop until it
was only a white blur against the distant shore, and then went up the
beach toward home.
Captain Enos had a favoring wind and a light heart, for he was glad to
know that their little maid had not been to blame. "She ran away because
she had not been fairly treated. 'Tis what older people sometimes do,"
he said to himself. "'Twas the very reason that sent our fathers out of
England to America. I'll not fetch Anne back, for she called to me from
the window and would have told me all the story had I been willing to
listen," and then because his mind was at ease the captain began to sing
an old song that he had learned as a boy. He had a musical voice, and
the words drifted back pleasantly:
"A fit and fa-vor-able wind
To further us provide;
And let it wait on us behind,
Or lackey by our side;
From sudden gusts, from storms, from sands,
And from the raging wave;
From shallows, rocks, and pirates' hands,
Men, goods, and vessel save."
In Brewster time was going very smoothly with Anne. The Freemans were
kind and pleasant people, and the big house was filled with many things
of interest to a little girl. First of all there was black Hepsibah, a
black woman whom Captain Freeman had brought, with her brother Josephus,
from Cuba when they were small children. They had grown up in the
Freeman household, and were valued friends and servants. Anne liked to
hear Hepsibah laugh, and the negro woman's skirts were as stiffly
starched as those of Mrs. Freeman herself, who had taught Hepsibah, and
trained her to become an excellent housekeeper.
On the high mantelpiece in the dining-room were great branches of
white coral, brought from the South Seas; on each side of the front
door were huge pink shells. And in the funny little corner cupboard
were delicately tinted pink cups and saucers, and the mahogany table
was always set with a tall shining silver teapot, and a little fat
pitcher and bowls of silver, and the plates were covered with red
flowers and figures of queer people with sunshades. Rose told her that
these plates came all the way from China, a country on the other side
of the earth.
"When does your father say we shall start for Boston?" Anne asked, as
the two girls walked down the shady pleasant street that led to the
wharves. Anne was not a dull child, and she noticed that no word had
been said of Boston, and began to wonder if Mr. Freeman blamed her for
running away. "Perhaps your father thinks I am a wicked girl to have run
away," she added before Rose could answer.
"Oh, Anne, no indeed; nobody would think you wicked," Rose answered
promptly. "But father sent a letter to Captain Enos by Amos, and he
expects that the captain will get word to us to-day or to-morrow----"
"To say whether I may go or not?" interrupted Anne. "Oh, Rose!" and
there was a pleading note in the little girl's voice, "I do want to go
so much, and I do wonder and wonder why Amanda should have slapped me,
and why Aunt Martha should have punished me. I do wish I could hear Aunt
Martha say again that I was a good child, as she used often to do."
Rose clasped the little girl's hand affectionately. "I believe that
Amanda was jealous because you were to have this visit," said Rose, "and
who knows, perhaps by this time she is as sorry as can be, and has told
Mrs. Stoddard all about it. Perhaps word may come this very night that
your Aunt Martha thinks you are a good child, and forgives you for
running away."
As the girls walked along they met a party of men carrying rifles, and
hurrying toward Brewster Common.
"They are going to the training field," explained Rose, at Anne's
surprised exclamation, "and may have to march to Boston to-morrow.
Father is anxious to get home."
The wharves at Brewster were much larger and better cared for than the
Province Town landing places; but there were few boats to be seen. Far
out a sloop, coming briskly on before a favoring wind, attracted the
girls' attention.
"Rose, that's the 'Morning Star,' Uncle Enos's sloop. I know it is,"
declared Anne; "and he will never let any one else sail her, so it's
Uncle Enos! Let's hurry! He's coming straight for this very wharf."
The big sloop swung round, the mainsail came rattling down, and Captain
Enos ran his craft skilfully up beside the long wharf just as Anne,
closely followed by Rose, came running down the pier.
"Uncle Enos! Uncle Enos!" exclaimed Anne joyfully. "I'm so glad you've
come," and she clasped both hands around his brawny arm as he stepped on
the wharf. "And here is Rose," she continued as the elder girl stepped
forward to speak to the captain.
"Growing more like a rose every day," declared Captain Enos, as he shook
hands with Rose. "And here is our little maid all ready to start on the
great journey, eh?" and he looked kindly down into Anne's smiling face.
"And what would you girls say if I told you that I had sailed over here
to take Anne back to Province Town?"
"Oh, Uncle Enos!"
"Oh, Captain Stoddard!" exclaimed the girls fearfully.
"Wouldn't like it, eh? Well," said the captain, "then we won't have it
that way, and Anne may go with you."
"Oh, Uncle Enos!"
"Oh, Captain Stoddard!" The exclamations were the same, but the words
were in such joyous tones that Captain Enos began to laugh heartily, as
did Rose and Anne, so that it was a very merry party that went gaily up
the street toward Mr. Freeman's house, where Captain Enos was warmly
welcomed.
After supper he and Anne had a long talk together about Amanda and Amos.
"Amanda's had a hard time, I reckon," declared the captain, "and if I
know aught of her parents she will remember this all her life, and will
not be so ready to bear false witness against her neighbor."
"I did not so much mind Amanda's slapping me," replied Anne soberly,
"but I thought when Aunt Martha shut me up that 'twas because she no
longer loved me."
"Tut, tut, and so you walked off into the wilderness. A very wrong thing
to do, Anne," and Captain Enos's voice was very grave. "Your running
away has made a sad talk in the settlement, and some of the people are
ready to say that we have not treated you well, or you would not have
fled from us."
Anne began to realize, for the first time, that she had acted very
selfishly. Thinking of nothing but her wish to go to Boston with Rose
she had made her best friends anxious and unhappy.
They were sitting on the broad sofa in the quiet sitting-room, and Anne
leaned against Uncle Enos and said quickly: "I ought to go straight back
to Province Town!" She said it in such a sharp voice that Uncle Enos
looked at her wonderingly, and saw that tears were very near falling.
"No, Anne," he answered kindly. "I want you to go with the Freemans, and
have a pleasant visit. Your father's ship will be in Boston in a few
weeks, and he will rejoice to find you there and will bring you safely
back to Province Town."