A SNATCH AT TIME'S FORELOCK.
Between the exhilarating effects of the breakfast-table chat with
Fenie, and the furtive, embarrassed, yet roguish look which Fenie had
worn for a fraction of a second, when Trixy had made her unexpected
remark in the fort about marriage, Harry Trewman was the happiest youth
in the State of Virginia.
Nevertheless, he did not forget his business duties or his business
training. The lumber case at Norfolk had disturbed his dreams at night,
and was now troubling his day-dreams; the best way to avoid any more
annoyance was to hurry over to Norfolk and settle the business at once.
Besides, now seemed the proper time to come to a definite understanding
with Fenie--an understanding of the kind frequently completed by the
presentation of a ring containing a stone, preferably a diamond. Harry
had seen in a Norfolk shop a ring, which he thought would entirely
answer the purpose, and he would buy it that very morning. Before
he started, however, he took the precaution to beg his sister, half
shamefacedly, to keep all designing bachelors from Fenie for a few
hours.
"Trust me for that," said Kate, in her most earnest manner. "I shall
keep Fenie under my own wing to-day; I shall make sure, at least, that
Lieutenant Jermyn doesn't injure any of your chances."
Kate was as good as her word, and as she and Fenie were really very
fond of each other, they were together all morning. Trixy was with
them; her honest little heart was still full of the injunction to
take the best of care of her Aunt Fee, but the child found little to
do but sit still and listen. The two young women talked as freely
and incessantly as any other couple of old acquaintances, amid
scenes entirely new, and with plenty of time at their disposal, and
Trixy heard much that set her to thinking; but she had so often been
cautioned against asking questions, since she had been at Old Point,
that she found it necessary to think out her puzzles for herself.
Kate's principal cause of fear, also her principal object of
admiration, Lieutenant Jermyn, did not reappear during the morning, and
Kate was mystified, as well as somewhat troubled. Was it possible that
he preferred to chat with Fenie only while her sister was present--or
when he could find her alone? If so, matters were more serious than
Kate had thought. Perhaps--but, pshaw!--Kate rebuked herself with an
indignant blush, for the thought that perhaps Jermyn might desire to
chat with Kate herself, and preferred not to talk to two young women at
once.
Yet she continued to wonder. Like most other young women, and, indeed,
like all Americans not well acquainted with the army, she was of the
impression that officers had nothing to do, while not on parade, but
make themselves pleasing to the general eye, and to young women in
particular. She did not know that most of the officers at Fort Monroe
were either instructors or students at a most exacting post-graduate
school of artillery, where each was expected to impart or receive such
advanced knowledge as would suffice the commandant of a great fort or
the chief of artillery of an army.
As Kate wondered, and feared, and imagined it occurred to her that the
most sensible course would be to "draw out" Fenie. She felt toward
the girl as any young person feels toward one several years younger;
she had a sense of condescension and tolerance which was not always
under good control. Fenie was young, so she was artless, unsuspecting,
and transparent. What would be easier than to learn from her, not for
curiosity's sake, but for Harry's and Fenie's own, all that there might
be between her and Lieutenant Jermyn?
So, as the two girls finally seated themselves on the piazza to look at
the noonday promenaders, Kate asked suddenly:
"What becomes of all the men here in the middle of the day?"
"Oh, they are somewhere with one another, I suppose," replied Fenie.
"Men are very interesting to one another, don't you think so? There's a
club in the fort to which many of them go, I believe."
"Probably those who aren't soldiers go there to meet those who are,"
said Kate. "What fine men those army officers seem to be! I've seen
them only at long range--I believe that's a military expression, isn't
it?--but they seem so manly and self-possessed; so unlike the little
fellows who pass for men in New York."
"Trif," said Fenie, "has often insisted that soldiers have learned
the secret of never growing old, and she seems to be right. From the
youngest to the oldest, I've found them courteous, agreeable and--and--"
"Deferential?"
"Yes; that is just the word. There's nothing consequential or silly
about them, as there is about so many young men and old beaux at home."
"You lucky girl!" exclaimed Kate. "I wonder that your good fortune in
meeting such clever fellows hasn't turned your head."
Fenie indulged in a smile that Kate thought quite unusual in a girl so
young, a smile which was almost grim, as she replied:
"There's a saying in the family that the Wardlow head never gets
entirely off the Wardlow shoulders, and I'm trying to live up to it.
Still, I've enjoyed myself greatly in the general company here."
"General company? No man in particular? What a lot of girls whom we
both know, would give their heads for your chance. Do you know, Fenie
dear, I wouldn't have wondered if by this time you had lost your heart
to some one quite competent to care for it."
Fenie looked so astonished, and also so hurt, that Kate called herself
a brute. Evidently Harry was safe; the assurance was so exhilarating
that Kate lost her own head for a moment or two and began to talk at
random.
"What a capital fellow Lieutenant Jermyn is!" she said. "Do you know,
it was merely Trixy who introduced him to me, yet he at once made me
feel entirely at ease with him."
"Oh, he's charming," replied Fenie. "He's been very kind to Trif and
me. He seems to know every one, and he's made us acquainted with many
pleasant people. Indeed, I suppose that is the reason Trif is not
with us now; she probably is chatting with people whom Jermyn has
introduced."
"What a social paragon he must be! I wish he were here now, for I want
to ask questions about scores of people whom I am meeting."
"The Admiral could answer them, and quite as well, if he were here,"
said Fenie innocently.
"The Admiral?"
"Yes." Then Fenie began to tell what a delightful gentleman the
old Admiral was. In the meantime Trixy was looking about for the
Admiral himself, for it was about the time for the daily inspection
of sand-wells and the award of the prize. But Trixy could not see
the genial old man anywhere, although she strolled the entire length
of the piazza, and then went into the office to ask questions. The
Admiral had gone to the club, in the fort, some one said. Well, the
fort was but two or three hundred steps away, Trixy knew, for she had
been there several times already. She knew, too, where the club was,
for Lieutenant Jermyn had taken her there to show her the picture of a
distant relation of her mother who had been a soldier.
To the club Trixy went, but an elderly officer whom she met said that
the Admiral was not there.
"That's too bad," said Trixy, "'cause some ladies wants him."
Another elderly officer, who was present, admitted that it certainly
was too bad, and said that the Admiral would be greatly disappointed.
"Mebbe," said Trixy, a happy thought coming to her mind, "mebbe
Lieutenant Jermyn is here."
"He is in one of the section rooms," replied one of the officers.
"He's saying his lessons," added the other "Do you ever have lessons,
little girl?"
"Yes, indeed," sighed Trixy. "Some of 'em's awful hard, too, though
mamma helps me all she can. But do you mean that a great big man like
Lieutenant Jermyn goes to school?"
"Indeed, I do."
"Dear me!" exclaimed the child. Then she thought a moment, and
continued:
"Do you suppose his teacher would let him out for a while? Other
scholars get let out of school sometimes, when somebody needs to see
them very much."
"I think it doubtful," said one of the officers, but the other, with a
wink at his companion, said:
"One never knows what can be done until one has tried. Just go over to
that door where you see a cat sitting, ask for the teacher, and tell
him what you want."
"Thank you," said Trixy, trotting briskly in the direction indicated,
while one officer said to the other:
"Colonel, when will you outgrow your fondness for practical jokes?"
"Not while I live, I hope. Besides, where's the harm? Amperthwaite,
the instructor of that section, will be cleverer for the remainder of
the day, after such an interruption, and the boys will be glad of a
moment's truce. I wish I could be there to see and listen."
The door was open, and Jermyn was standing in front of a large
blackboard covered with marks which reminded Trixy of the geometrical
puzzles which her father sometimes cut from cardboard for her. The
instructors and the other officers were looking at the board, and
Jermyn was talking, so no one noticed the little girl in the doorway,
and Trixy was beginning to feel embarrassed. Suddenly an officer, who
had children of his own, attracted attention by coughing violently.
Every one looked at him, and he, in turn, looked toward the door.
"Are you the teacher of this school?" asked Trixy of the one officer
who sat apart from the others.
"Eh? Oh--yes, what is it?"
"Lieutenant Jermyn, one of your scholars?"
"Er--Mr. Jermyn, do you resent the implication?"
"Not for an instant, Captain."
"Well, little girl, what is it?"
"Oh, only if you'd let him out, there's a couple of ladies who'd like
to see him very much; I know they would, because one of them said so."
The only really young lieutenant in the room giggled; the others
smiled, and the instructor, after regarding the blackboard intently a
moment, said:
"Mr. Jermyn, you may consider yourself excused, if you so desire."
Jermyn emerged with his cap in his hand and more than his customary
color in his face. Trixy took his hand, and led him toward the exit
nearest the hotel. Looking towards the club, she saw the two officers
whom she had met, they having moved their chairs nearer the door that
they might observe the proceedings, so she shouted:
"I got him!"
Then each warrior chuckled, although Trixy did not know it, for she was
busily explaining to Jermyn why she had come for him, and how hard she
had first tried to find the Admiral, and Jermyn told her not to feel
the least concern about the interruption, although at the same time he
told himself in entire earnest that he wished that Tryphosa Wardlow had
never married and become the mother of a child like Trixy, for when
would he ever hear the end of the section-room episode?
But Trixy knew nothing of the trouble which she had caused. She
prattled without ceasing until she had conducted the officer to her
aunt and Miss Trewman, to whom she said:
"Here he is. Now, ask him your questions."
Jermyn soon ceased to feel provoked. One of the duties of a soldier
is to endure anything that may lead to desirable ends. It, therefore,
came to pass within an hour that Jermyn assured himself that to make
himself interesting and useful to two young women like Kate and Fenie
was sufficient compensation for any teasing which his comrades might
impose in the future. His feelings must have expressed themselves in
his face, for a lull in the conversation was improved by Trixy, who
said:
"Say, Mr. Jermyn, ain't you glad that I asked your teacher to let you
out of school?"
Then Jermyn had to explain; so did Trixy, and the ladies had to feel
very uncomfortable.