AN UNEXPECTED MEETING
It was only a day or two after this that Ellen, going for the mail, met
Cap’n Belah on the road. He grinned when he saw her. “Wal, I hear you
women folks met up with your match the other afternoon,” he said.
“I think you might call it a drawn game,” Ellen retorted; “neither party
got the better of the other.”
“That was a right cute trick of you folks, going and coming in a
motor-bo-at so they couldn’t get their bearings,” the cap’n went on. “If
they’d hove to in their own craft, you couldn’t have got away so spry. I
snum I never see a bo-at go slicker than she does, slips through the
water like a fish; howsomever, you got the best of the boys that time.”
“It was Cousin Rindy’s idea. She couldn’t walk so far, and the boat made
it the easiest way to get to the bridge with the whole party.”
“So ’twas. Wal, you won’t have to try any more tricks. I’d know as
you’ve heard that the boys has sailed for another port, picked up stakes
and left Halsey’s, lugged away all their dunnage, too.”
Ellen hadn’t heard, but she did not betray her ignorance, only asking,
“When did they leave?”
“Struck their tents and sot sail early this morning, cal’lated they
might come back another year, but, land! you can’t count on young folks.
Step in and have a word with my woman, can’t ye?”
But Ellen had no notion of stopping, eager as she was to carry home her
news. Mabel saw her coming and met her on the porch. “I have a sad, sad
piece of information for you,” Ellen exclaimed. “We shall never have the
bliss of meeting Robert MacDonald. He and all his comrades have left for
parts unknown.”
“Really?” Mabel looked her surprise. “Do you suppose they were so
chagrined at the success of our little manœuvre that they couldn’t stand
the jeers of the populace? We did get the best of them.”
“It was diamond cut diamond, it seems to me. Well, that episode is
finished. It was fun while it lasted, but it reminds me of some of these
modern stories that leave you hanging up in the air. Adieu, Robert!” She
kissed her hand in the direction of Halsey’s Island, and the two went
in.
“Do you know that at last I have persuaded Miss Rindy to go off on a
spree with me?” said Mabel as she began to open her mail. “We’re going
up to Portland for the day. You know I’ve been begging her all summer,
and at last she is going, just to get rid of my teasing, she says. We’re
going to ride all over town, do a little shopping, have lunch at that
nice hotel, in the dining-room at the top where you get such a lovely
view, and then we’ll go to a movie. Isn’t the prospect sufficiently
alluring to tempt you to join us?”
“Leave this lovely island just to spend the day in a city? No, thank
you, ma’am. Moreover, two is company; three is a crowd. You two will
have a much better time without me, and it will be exciting to see what
you bring home.”
“I accept your point of view, but don’t say you were not invited.”
So the matter was settled to Ellen’s satisfaction, and the next morning
saw her two housemates off for what Mabel was pleased to call their
“spree.” Ellen busied herself about the house for an hour, then she went
down to the rocks with her writing materials, accomplished a letter to
Caro, and one to Jeremy Todd; then Beulah called her to dinner, so the
morning went. Beulah, it may be said, had made the acquaintance of
several maids of like color, and enjoyed with them hilarious laughter,
mirthful pokes and digs when some appreciated joke was made, and feasts
either on the rocks or off in the woods.
“Me an’ some other colored ladies is plannin’ to have a little fessible
in de woods dis afternoon,” she confided to Ellen. “Miss Rindy, she say
she don’t min’. I be back in time to git supper. Yuh don’t keer, does
yuh, Miss Ellen, if I leaves yuh to yo’ own wicked revices?”
Ellen laughed. “I don’t mind in the least, so long as you’re back in
time to get supper. If I’m not here, you know where to find the key.”
“We goin’ have a gran’ feas’,” Beulah gave further information;
“ice-cream an’ bananas, an’ peanuts and half a watermillion.”
“Take care you don’t make yourself ill,” Ellen warned.
“Law, Miss Ellen, it tek mo’n dem little things to discommoderate mah
stummick. Miss Rindy say we has lobsters fo’ supper, an’ I sho’ wants
room fo’ dem. I sutt’nly does decline to lobsters.”
“I think you’d better decline them altogether after all that other
mess,” responded Ellen, who was busy formulating her own plans for the
afternoon. She had just conceived the idea of paying a parting visit to
the haunted house. It was barely possible, she considered, that a
farewell message had been left by the unknown Robert. It would do no
harm to see.
She set off on her walk, making her way leisurely along the shore,
deciding that it would be the more interesting route when one was alone.
She stopped to look in the little pools where starfish, sea-urchins, and
various other sea creatures made their abode. From a pebbly beach she
picked up two or three talisman stones, gray, banded about by a dark
streak. Here, too, seaweeds, brilliant green and feathery, pink or
yellow, attracted her. “Mabel and I must come here and gather some,” she
told herself.
Leaving the beach, she climbed the rocks, cut across a field, and
reached the road which led to the bridge. There was no one in sight when
she came up to the haunted house, which she entered in the usual way, by
means of a back door. She tiptoed across the big room and opened the
cupboard by the side of the great fireplace, but before she could look
to see if anything was there she started back, for the strains of a
violin came clearly to her ears. She looked wildly around for a way of
escape, for the music was coming nearer and nearer. It was just outside!
It was at the door! Ellen rushed toward the stairway, and had just set
foot on the first step when a voice said: “Don’t run away. I am
perfectly harmless.”
She turned to face an entirely strange young man. For at least ten
seconds the two stood and looked at each other; then the young man
rushed forward, holding out his hand. “It is Cronette! Of course it is.
I forgot, you may not be able to recognize me, but you will recognize
your old friend violin.” He held it out to her and she took it
mechanically.
“You are—you are——” she stammered.
“Reed Marshall, your old friend, Cronine. Naturally you don’t remember
my looks, but you haven’t forgotten me, have you?”
“Oh, no; oh, no,” Ellen recovered herself. “How could I forget you? But
I never really knew what you looked like.”
“But I couldn’t forget what you looked like, once having seen you. Isn’t
this the greatest luck? Let’s sit down and tell each other the story of
our lives. How do you happen to be ’way down East? I am that glad to see
you that I could dash over to the Amen corner and shout Glory! Where are
you staying?”
“Over on Beatty’s Island with Miss Wickham. She has a cottage there, and
Cousin Rindy and I are spending the summer with her. Where are you
staying?”
“Here, right here. I came up with a crowd of fellows to camp out on a
little island off here. The rest of the bunch had to leave, but Tom
Clayton and I skirmished around to find a spot where we could bunk. We
are both daffy about this coast, and want to do some sketching. We
happened on this old place, which we are able to get for a mere song.
The house threatened leaks and hants and sich, so we decided it would be
more cozy if we fixed up the stable, hen-house, or whatever it is
called. We have begged, borrowed, stolen, and bought sundry and varisome
things to make us comfortable, and we’re going to stay on till the ghost
gets too much for us.”
“Oh!” exclaimed Ellen. “It is all quite wonderful, isn’t it?” She was
still bewildered at the turn of events.
“I’ll say it is, but most wonderful of all is this running across you.
By the way, Cronette, what brought you over here? Very few ever come
around this way.”
The color flamed up into Ellen’s face as she stammered, “I—I—just was
curious to—to—see——”
“The ghost? You don’t believe in ghos’es, do you?”
Ellen’s face was still flaming. “I—yes—no—I don’t know,” she answered in
confusion.
Reed regarded her steadfastly for a moment; then he said, “Cronette,
honest Injun, can it be possible that you are my wood-nymph?”
“Your wood-nymph?” she spoke in surprise. “Why, that was Robert
MacDonald,” and then again the color surged up into her face as she
realized that she had said too much.
It was Reed’s turn to look surprised. “Robert MacDonald? Who is the
bird? Oh, I say, Cronette, what’s the use of beating about the bush?
Tell your uncle all about it and I’ll ’fess up, too.”
Ellen hesitated, but at further urging she said: “We, Mabel and I, came
over to see the haunted house. We found a card, Mr. Robert MacDonald’s
card. On it was written ‘Compliments to the ghost,’ and so we drew our
own conclusions. We thought it would be a lark to answer it, which we
did. Perhaps you know the rest, and can tell me who is Robert
MacDonald.”
Reed looked puzzled for a moment, then he struck his forehead
tragically. “Dolt that I am!” he exclaimed. “I see it now. I didn’t
happen to have a card of my own that first time I visited this mansion,
so I took one that I happened to have in my pocket, one that a fellow
gave me some time ago. I actually had forgotten his name, and had no
intention of forging his initials when I signed my own, which are the
same, you see.”
“Then we shall never meet Robert,” rejoined Ellen half regretfully.
Reed laughed. “Are you then so disappointed? I’m pleased to pieces
myself. To think that you should be my wood-nymph is the jolliest sort
of a surprise, and we’ll keep it a secret all to ourselves.”
“How can we keep it a secret when all those men know?”
“What men?”
“All those you were with on Halsey’s Island, and that met us in a body
on the bridge.”
Reed threw back his head and shouted. “That’s one on you, Cronette, for
I didn’t tell them a thing except that I had a date with a female person
whom I didn’t know, and until I saw her I thought we’d better march in
company. Well, you know how it came out, and if the boys didn’t jolly me
well, you miss your guess. That was some blind game, Cronette, and I
must acknowledge myself the loser. In all that horde of white-robed,
goldenrod-decked females I never looked for you; even your hair didn’t
show under that hat. By the way, now is my chance to get a sketch of
you, the chance I missed last winter. May I make it? We’re old friends,
you know. You’ll let me come over to see you, won’t you, and may I bring
Tom along? He’s an all-right fellow, lots of talent and a great pal of
mine.”
Ellen gave her consent. She had liked Tom’s looks, and recalled his
little act of courtesy in the post-office. She told Reed about it.
“Just like Tom,” he responded. “He’s always looking out for the other
fellow. At this very moment he is off helping his cousin to establish
herself at Beatty’s. She has taken a cottage there for a month. Nice
little woman she is; you’ll like her. Queer, Cronette, but it seems as
if I had known you all my life, although this is really only the second
time we have met.”
Ellen considered this for a moment before she said, “Probably it is
because we both know Don Pedro so well, and then you know the violin is
a common bond.”
“It’s quite as if I had adopted a member of your family, isn’t it? No
end of comfort it is, too,—quite like a brother. You know the song,
‘Fiddle and I’?”
“I know it and love it. I am very glad you have the violin,” she said
after a moment’s silence. “It was very generous of you to buy it.”
“Why, no, it wasn’t; I wanted it in the worst way. Would you like to
hear it again?”
“Oh, please.”
He picked it up and held it lovingly as he played several short bits.
While not a finished performer he played with some skill and much
feeling, and so absorbed were both in the performance that neither
noticed the time till suddenly the boat whistled at the landing next to
Beatty’s.
Ellen started up. “Goodness!” she exclaimed. “The boat will be here in
another minute or so, and I must run for it. I promised to meet my
friends and help with their parcels.”
“I’ll go with you,” Reed stated. “I must lock up this treasure first,
but I won’t be a minute. Don’t wait; I’ll catch up.”
Ellen started at a swift pace, but Reed’s long legs bore him to her side
before the bridge was reached. The boat was turning a point in sight,
and the whistle for Beatty’s blew before they arrived at the long flight
of steps. Down these they raced, arriving at the wharf just as the
boat’s gangplank was lowered.
Miss Rindy and Mabel came ashore, laden with bundles, some of which
Ellen took possession of. “You’re all out of breath,” Miss Rindy
commented, “and your face is as red as a beet. What have you been
doing?”
“Running for the boat. We were late getting here.”
“We? What we?”
“Mr. Marshall and I.” Ellen turned to present Reed, who loaded himself
with bundles in spite of Miss Rindy’s protests.
“What’s a fellow good for if he can’t be useful once in a while?” he
replied, smiling. “Hello! there’s old Tom; I’ll press him into service.
Any more dunnage, Miss Crump?”
“There’s a box somewhere, but that can be sent up.”
“No need when here are two donkeys to carry it. Come here, Tom,” he
shouted as his friend was walking off.
Introductions were made in short order, and then the party turned toward
home. “Shall we wait for the mail?” asked Ellen.
“Don’t bother about it,” replied Tom. “We’ll bring it to you later. My
cousin will want hers anyway.”
“But it will give you extra trouble and a longer walk,” Miss Rindy was
ready again to protest.
“What’s a walk more or less?” remarked Reed. “It’s no distance to your
cottage.”
“How do you know?” asked Miss Rindy sharply.
“Your cousin has just told me that it is the second house beyond the
church,” answered Reed triumphantly, with a sly glance at Ellen.
Tom, with box on shoulder, was keeping pace with Mabel, while the other
three followed, Reed the bundle bearer. He spoke truly when he said the
distance was short, for in a few minutes they had reached the cottage
where packages and box were deposited, and the two young men took their
leave, promising to bring the mail later.
As soon as they had stepped off the porch Mabel seized Ellen’s hands.
“Where did you meet him? Who is he? Tell me quick. That Mr. Clayton came
on the boat. He got on at South Heartwell. He is a dear. I’m crazy about
him. He is such an unaffected ingenuous sort of lamb. What do you think
was his first question? Did I know how to make clam chowder? He said
they wanted to dig some clams, and he could make the chowder if he had a
good recipe. Oh, he is a babe, a darling infant. I never met any one
quite like him.”
Ellen laughed. “You certainly are bowled over, Mab. I’ll tell you all
about it as soon as I get a chance. It’s a long story. Now you must have
your supper. I know you must be starved. That trip on the boat does give
one such an appetite.”
“I wish it were clam chowder instead of lobster,” said Mabel as they sat
down, “for then we could ask Mr. Clayton to have supper with us and see
if he likes the kind of chowder we have.”
“As if any one could possibly not like our kind; it’s the best ever,”
retorted Ellen. “You can ask him for some other time; he won’t melt
away.”
“How do I know what he will or won’t do? If he stayed to-night, in
common decency he’d have to come back.”
“Then why not ask him to stay?” Miss Rindy spoke up. “I suppose he might
put up with lobsters; they are not usually despised, and there is an
abundance for all, your young friend, too, Ellen. It will be mighty
handy to have them open that box.”
The upshot of the matter was that when the young men returned with the
mail they were urged to stay, the supper was supplemented by various
supplies which the shoppers had brought from Portland, and all went
merry as the traditional marriage bell. Miss Rindy promised to make
chowder for them if they would supply the clams, and this offer brought
forth an invitation to come to the studio and partake of a supper when
the chowder should be the center of the feast.
“I don’t suppose you have a place to cook it, or anything to cook it
in,” scoffed Miss Rindy.
“We have an excellent oil stove, a large iron pot, and various other
utensils,” Reed boasted. “Suppose you all make a preliminary visit and
take account of stock.”
“And if anything is lacking, I can borrow it from my cousin,” Tom
remarked.
“Or, if the supply isn’t equal to the demand, we can bring our own
dishes from here,” promised Mabel.
“It’s a pretty long walk for an old limp-it like me,” objected Miss
Rindy.
“Limpet? You’re no limpet; they cling close to the rocks; I’m surprised
at you making such a feeble joke,” said Mabel merrily.
“I didn’t mean it for a joke; it’s a solemn fact,” replied Miss Rindy
plaintively.
“Oh, you needn’t walk,” declared Reed. “We’ll come around in the boat
and get you. There is a good little landing just below the bridge, as I
believe you are aware.”
Then every one laughed, and Reed declared he would like to make a study
of Ellen in a white dress and with goldenrod somewhere in the picture.
Then Tom insisted that he must do a like study of Mabel, who blushed and
stammered that she was not paintable.
“Oh, aren’t you? I should say you were.” Tom squinted up his eyes and
looked at her, causing greater confusion on her part.
“I speak to do Miss Crump, too,” cried Reed; “she’d make a stunning
subject, so much character to get.”
“There you go,” exclaimed Tom; “I was going to speak for her, but I was
going about it more diplomatically. I didn’t mean to blurt out my wishes
in that bald way.”
“What’s the matter with both of us painting her if she will be so
utterly angelic as to sit for us?” said Reed.
“Go along with you,” cried Miss Rindy. “The idea of asking a creature
like me to sit; I’m no beauty.”
“Dear lady,” said Tom, “there is something better than magazine-cover
beauty, and that thing you have.”
“You’ve said it, boy,” Reed agreed. “Come, Miss Rindy, I may call you
that, mayn’t I? You are going to be good and sit for us. We won’t keep
you long, and we’ll do anything in the world you ask of us, split wood,
run errands, any old thing, won’t we, Tom?”
“Very well, since you have eliminated the claim for beauty I’ll promise,
and you can begin your tasks by opening that box you brought up.”
“That’s easy. Lead us to it,” said Reed.
So was begun an intimacy, the results of which were far-reaching.
“When we said we didn’t know what might be around the corner, we must
have had a subconscious awareness of those two boys,” said Mabel, as the
two girls parted for the night. “It’s a lovely world, Ellen.”
“It’s a lovely island,” sighed Ellen, “but the summer is flying too
fast.”
“‘Gather rosebuds while ye may,’” quoted Mabel. “It’s the best summer I
ever had, and I mean to make the most of what is left of it.”
“Meaning?”
“Draw your own conclusions, miss. I’m not referring to ghosts.”