TWO WOMEN'S TROUBLES
After stopping his car before the cottage, John Hampton alighted and
gave a quick glance toward the "Eb and Flo," now abreast of Beech Cove.
He then turned, opened the gate, and hurried up the path to the house.
His every movement was expressive of abounding health and buoyant
vitality. As Mrs. Hampton met him on the verandah, her eyes kindled
with pride. He was so big and manly, and his bronzed, clean-shaven
face glowed with animation. He stooped to kiss her, and then holding
her at arm's length looked anxiously into her eyes.
"Mother dear, what is the matter?" he asked. "You are so pale."
"I have been worrying about you, John," Mrs. Hampton evaded, while a
wan smile flickered about the corners of her mouth. "I was afraid
something had happened to you."
"I was unavoidably delayed, mother. I hoped to get home last night,
but it was late before I saw Mr. Perkins. He kept me waiting a long
time."
"Will he buy the mine?" Mrs. Hampton was eagerly alert now, and some
of the colour had returned to her cheeks.
"He would give me no definite answer, mother. He put me off as usual."
"But he knows the value of the mine, does he not?"
"Oh, yes. He had an expert make a report, which is very favourable, so
I understand. The seam is a long one, but it only comes to the surface
on our place, which will make the mining very easy. Deep shafts would
have to be sunk elsewhere, which would make the work most expensive. I
wish to goodness we could mine it ourselves."
"That is out of the question, John," and Mrs. Hampton sighed.
"Your--your father often talked to me about it, and I remember how he
planned, to form a company, which would build a small railway line into
the mine. But his sudden death upset everything. I have been trying
for years to interest men of money, but so far without any success.
Now, however, with coal at such a price and hard to obtain, I have been
hoping that we might succeed."
"Mr. Perkins wants it for almost nothing, mother; that is the trouble.
The mine is so far back, he said, that it would cost almost more than
it is worth to bring it to the river. I know that is all nonsense, and
told him so."
"Isn't there someone else, John?"
"Only one I know of, and that is Mr. Randall, the lumber merchant. But
he refused point blank to have anything to do with it. He was very
nasty and said his business was lumbering and not mining. I thought he
would kick me out of his office, he was so ugly."
"That was last night, you say?"
"Yes, just before six o'clock."
"He had not heard, then, of his daughter's terrible deed."
John started, and looked keenly into Mrs. Hampton's face.
"Why, what have you heard, about his daughter, mother?" He tried to be
calm, but his heart was beating rapidly.
"I heard that she drowned herself last night."
"Who told you that?"
"Gabriel Grimsby. He called in to rest for a while this afternoon.
You met him, did you not?"
"Indeed I did, the rascal. But he is not anxious to meet me. I let
him have ten dollars some time ago, and he has given me a wide berth
ever since. What did Gabe tell you about Miss Randall?"
"Not very much. He merely said that she was a beautiful girl, much
sought after, and moved a great deal in society. It seems that her
parents wanted to force her to marry a man for whom she did not care, a
Lord Somebody or other, and in despair she took her own life. Poor
girl! it is very sad. You must have heard of it, John, and whether
they have found her body."
John was listening intently to every word, at the same time watching
the "Eb and Flo" bearing steadily up river.
"They have not found her body," he absently replied. "There is great
excitement at Benton's wharf, and the river is now being dragged for
her body."
"Dear me!" Mrs. Hampton sighed. "Her parents must be heart-broken."
"Heart-broken! H'm, they haven't any hearts to break. If they had,
they wouldn't try to force their only daughter to marry a thing like
Donaster."
"It is often done, though, John."
"I know it is. Some parents seem to think nothing of selling their
daughters to the highest bidders. Imagine you, mother, doing such a
thing if you had a daughter."
Mrs. Hampton turned her face toward the door lest John should detect
the colour mounting her temples. But the young man noticed nothing out
of the ordinary. He was looking out upon the river, watching the "Eb
and Flo," now not far away. Presently he turned, and pulled out his
watch.
"Why, it's five o'clock!" he exclaimed. "I had no idea it was so late.
I have to go to the quarry, mother, on--on business. I want to see
someone there."
"To-night?" Mrs. Hampton asked somewhat surprised, for John seldom
went to the quarry, and she could not imagine what business could take
him there now.
"Yes, I must go at once. I shall tell you all about it later."
"But you must have some supper first, dear. Just wait, it will not
take me long."
"Very well, then, mother. While you're getting it ready I will look
after the car. And, say, could you let me have some money to-morrow?
I had only a little with me in the city, and besides having the car
fixed, I had to get a new tire. I got it charged, promising to send
the money as soon as I got home. I guess to-morrow will do, as I have
not time to-night."
What Mrs. Hampton said in reply she did not know. Her brain was in a
tumult as she made her way into the kitchen. How could she explain?
What should she say? John knew about the one hundred dollars they had
in the house, and what reason could she give for spending it? And he
wanted it the next day!
When supper was ready she called John and tried to be as bright and
cheerful as possible as they both sat down to the table. It was a cosy
dining-room, and through the open window drifted the delicate fragrance
of field and garden. But Mrs. Hampton was oblivious to this now.
Amidst scenes of peace and beauty she was living in a world of misery,
for a heavy heart makes the most beautiful surroundings a wretched
mockery.
John was in excellent spirits and ate heartily. So intent was he upon
his own affairs that he did not notice Mrs. Hampton's absent-mindedness.
"I may be away all night, mother," he told her, "so do not be uneasy.
In fact, I might not be home until to-morrow night. You can get along,
can you not? I know it isn't fair to leave you all the work to do, but
I shall make up for it when I come back."
"It must be very important business, John, that will keep you at the
quarry so long. Is it a secret?"
"It is for the present. There is a surprise in store for you." The
young man's face coloured as he spoke, and this the woman silently
noted.
"Agreeable?" she asked.
"I hope so. Just you wait." His boyish laugh rang out as he rose from
the table. He suddenly ceased, however, and turned to his mother.
"Oh, about that money order! It must go to-morrow. If I should not be
back in time, would you mind sending it? But, no, perhaps I had better
take the money with me now, and get it at the store on my way to the
quarry. There will be time, and I don't want to give you all the
trouble. You will have enough to do without anything extra."
"No, no, John, it won't trouble me one bit," Mrs. Hampton hastened to
assure him. "I have to go to the store in the morning, and can get the
money order as well as not. Leave it to me. It's the Empire Garage, I
think you said, where it is to be sent."
"Yes, that's the place. And thank you very much, mother. There's the
bill. It's quite large, I know, but it's the first I've had to pay for
some time."
He laid the paper upon the table, and was about to leave the room, when
a heavy step was heard upon the verandah. In another minute an excited
woman stood before them. She was panting heavily, and her hair was in
much disorder.
"Why, Mrs. Tobin, what's the matter?" Mrs. Hampton asked, alarmed at
her visitor's agitation.
"They've left me! They've left me!" she wailed, sinking down exhausted
in the nearest chair. "Oh, to think that I have come to this!"
"Who have left you, Mrs. Tobin?" John asked. "What do you mean?"
"Sam'l an' Eben, of course. They sailed right by, and never stopped.
What do you think of that?"
"That's nothing to worry about, Mrs. Tobin. They must have some good
reason which they will no doubt explain later."
"You think so, do you?" the visitor demanded. "What makes you think
there is a reason why they should go by without stopping?"
"I have no idea at all," the young man replied. "I only said that
perhaps they had a reason."
"H'm, is that all you know about it? But I tell you there _is_ a
reason, and I'm going to find out. If it wasn't for leaving Flo alone
I'd foot it every step of the way to the quarry this blessed night;
that's what I'd do."
"Come, come, Mrs. Tobin, there is nothing to worry about," Mrs. Hampton
comforted. "Surely you can trust your husband. Don't get so excited.
Think of those poor people who lost their only daughter last night;
drowned herself at Benton's wharf. What is your trouble compared to
theirs?"
"Drowned herself, did you say?" and Mrs. Tobin held up her hands in
horror. "Who was she? and why did she drown herself?"
"She was Mr. Henry Randall's daughter, who was greatly worried over
some love affair, so I understand."
"Is that so? My lands! What's going to happen next? A girl drowned,
and my husband and only son running away from me. It is terrible!"
With considerable effort John kept from smiling as he listened to Mrs.
Tobin. What to her was a very serious matter, was to him cause for
amusement. He was quite sure why the captain had sailed by Beech Cove
without stopping as was his custom. Neither could he blame him. Any
man would do the same who might have the misfortune to be united to
such a woman as Mrs. Tobin. The captain was only acting in
self-defence in his dash by his home and the wife he had chosen. John
pictured to himself the state of affairs on the "Eb and Flo" had Mrs.
Tobin gone aboard and there found the runaway girl. Explanation, he
knew, would be useless, and it would be a very serious matter for the
captain and his fair passenger. In fact, he felt quite proud of the
captain's action, and considered him in the light of a hero. He pitied
him as well, for he knew that he would have to face his wife's sharp
tongue and searching questions upon his next visit home.
While the young man was thinking of these things, Mrs. Hampton was
talking with her visitor. The latter was sipping a cup of tea, and
nibbling at a piece of cake. She was becoming calmer under Mrs.
Hampton's soothing influence, and inclined to take a brighter view of
the situation.
"Keep up courage, Mrs. Tobin," John told her as he turned to leave the
room. "I must hurry away now. If I happen to see the captain I shall
tell him of your anxiety. You might, indeed, worry if your husband had
the habit of running off with some other woman. But he is too old and
steady for such nonsense." John knew how this would arouse the woman,
for jealousy was one of her chief characteristics.
"That is just what I do fear," Mrs. Tobin replied. "Sam'l was always a
little soft about women, and there are too many bad hussies in the
city. When a man is away from home as much as he is, you can never be
sure what he's up to. Why, even now he might have one of them brazen
creatures on board. No, there's no fool like an old fool when it comes
to women."
"But Eben's with him, isn't he? The captain wouldn't surely cut up any
capers with his son on board."
"Eben! H'm! Little good would he be. He lives in the clouds when he
isn't eating and sleeping. He wouldn't notice anything wrong with a
dozen hussies on board. I don't know what I'm going to do with that
boy."
"You are certainly worried about your family, Mrs. Tobin."
"Indeed I am, and no one knows it as well as I do. I'm not even
certain of Flo. She has notions of her own which don't at all agree
with my way of thinking."
John smiled broadly as he bade the woman good-bye, and left the house.
Mrs. Tobin amused him greatly, and he was thinking of the lively scene
that would take place when the captain came home.