A PLAN OF CAMPAIGN.
During his trip from Washington back to Old Point, the Admiral promised
himself several times that he never again would endeavor to complete a
letter begun by any other person. He also resolved that, on reaching
the hotel, he would make a full and frank explanation to Mrs. Highwood,
and would offer to make reparation, so far as was in his power, by
acting as an ally in the lady's campaign to effect the capture of Kate
and Jermyn by each other. He had done some discreet match-making in his
time, so he felt justified in assuring Trif that there were ways in
which he might be useful.
The matter was arranged to his entire satisfaction, in his own mind,
before he fell asleep, but somehow plans made at night, even by persons
of much experience and shrewdness, do not always stand the test of
daylight. He had been at the hotel two or three hours when he came face
to face with Trif; the lady passed him with half-averted face and the
slightest possible inclination of the head. The Admiral felt indignant,
and not a little angry. Could it be possible that matters had gone from
bad to worse during his absence? There was no pluckier man in the
service than Rear-Admiral Allison, retired, but for a moment or two the
old gentleman was tempted to leave Old Point at once.
Soon, however, he regained his courage and did some cautious
reconnoitering. He made the tour of the office, parlors, piazzas, and
beach, and his search was finally rewarded by a glimpse of Kate and her
brother, strolling to and fro on the pier. Had any harm, any publicity,
come of that enraging letter, Kate would probably be more angry than
any one else, and the first person to whom he should explain, so with a
sinking feeling, such as he had not experienced since the time he first
went into action, he strode down the pier. Miss Trewman was not above
the average height of women, but she looked very tall and imperious as
the Admiral marched forward to his fate, whatever it might be. Suddenly
Kate saw him and seemed surprised; then she stepped quickly toward him.
The old gentleman felt himself turning pale, but Kate gave him a smile
which made him as happy, he afterward told her, as if he were again a
young man, and she his sweetheart.
"Oh, Admiral!" exclaimed Kate, "how glad I am to see you back!
Everything here has been stupid since you went away. Has anything gone
wrong with--with any one?"
"Not with you, I'm sure, if looks are any indication. How is Mrs.
Highwood and her sister, and Trixy?"
"Trif appears to be ill, although she says nothing is the matter with
her. Fenie is worrying about Trif, and poor little Trixy seems in
trouble about something."
"H'm," said the Admiral, looking grave.
"Something is the matter," exclaimed Kate. "I see it in your face. Do
tell me what it is. The Highwoods are old friends of ours, and if I
could know of anything that should be done for any of them I would be
very grateful."
"Really, I know of nothing. Lieutenant Jermyn----"
Kate's face colored, and the Admiral's keen eyes twinkled as their
owner continued:
"Jermyn and I ran up to Washington a night or two ago on business, so
I've heard of nothing that has occurred here since then. Jermyn wasn't
able to return with me, but he won't remain long away; indeed, I know
he has the best of reasons for wishing himself back again."
Again Kate blushed, which was exactly what the Admiral hoped would
be the result of his speech. Still, the girl seemed suspicious about
something, so the old gentleman began to talk of something else with
his customary ability. While he was talking, a waiter from the hotel
approached and handed him a telegram.
"Kindly excuse me a moment?" said the Admiral, adjusting his glasses
and opening the envelope. Then he glanced at the dispatch and exclaimed:
"Good!"
"May we congratulate you upon something?--the thanks of Congress, or a
new war?"
"Better still. The business upon which Jermyn and I went North has been
satisfactorily concluded. Will you kindly excuse me a few moments,
until I can write a letter? I will do myself the honor of rejoining
you."
"There is probably some secret government business in the hands of the
Admiral and the Lieutenant," suggested Harry.
"Secret nonsense! It is something which is mixed up in some way with
the strange manner of Trif and Fenie, and the Admiral must simply tell
what it is."
Meanwhile the old gentleman was re-reading the dispatch, which was as
follows:
"That letter is in proper hands. Jermyn."
"Proper hands! Proper hands!" repeated the Admiral to himself.
"Evidently that means his own hands. Fine fellow! He deserves the girl,
if only for the pains he has taken to keep her name from being used
publicly. How I wish I might tell her the whole story! Still, if they
continue to like each other, my time will come. I think that I ought
now to be able to make my peace with Mrs. Highwood. I need merely to
repeat to her Jermyn's own words, and crave the privilege of age to
laugh with her over a matter entirely to her credit."
Within five minutes the Admiral had dispatched a note to Trif, who
languidly opened it and then suddenly dropped her languor and called
Fenie, to whom she said:
"What can the man mean? There can be but one letter that the man refers
to--the one which Trixy gave him, and which she got back so strangely,
and I sent on to Phil, promising that I would tell him something about
it when I reached home. Phil don't know the Admiral, so I can't make
sense out of the matter. It isn't possible that Trixy is making any
more trouble with letters?"
"Don't be silly!" replied Fenie. "What did the poor child know about
the matter?"
"Oh, I'm afraid she overheard us wondering whether the letter ought not
go back to the Admiral, because whoever sent it back to him would be
sure to ask whether he received it, and--Trixy, where are you? Have you
opened any of my letters?"
"No, mamma; really and truly I haven't," was the indignant reply.
"Oh," said Trif, "I do wish I could find out what it means. If I don't
know pretty soon I'm sure I shall go insane."
Fenie made haste to be sisterly and soothing, and Trixy improved the
opportunity to escape from the room. She hurried down to the piazza,
asked every one she knew whether they had seen the Admiral, and finally
she found him talking with Kate and Harry. She did not wait for a lull
in the conversation; she stopped before him and interrupted with----
"Say, you don't want my dear mamma to go insane, do you?"
"Bless me, no! What do you mean, child?"
"Why, she says she's goin' to go insane if she doesn't find out all
about that letter."
The Admiral looked embarrassed; then he said: "You will kindly excuse
me a few moments, Miss Trewman," and quickly led Trixy aside, while
Kate told her brother that she, too, would go insane, she thought,
unless she could know what dreadful mystery was in the air.
The Admiral made haste to send the child to her mother with the request
that Mrs. Highwood would kindly grant an interview in one of the
less frequented parlors, which he designated. Within a few moments he
was talking earnestly with Trif and trying to convince her that the
troublesome letter was in Jermyn's possession.
Then he lost his mental balance for a moment or two, for Trif assured
him that beyond doubt he was mistaken, for she had mailed the letter to
her husband, who by no possibility could have given it to any one.
The Admiral made haste to put Jermyn's dispatch in evidence, and again
Trif was mystified, for although she knew that her husband and Jermyn
were acquainted it seemed scarcely possible that Jermyn had called
on Phil while on the errand which the old gentleman had carefully
explained, with the effect of making her appear his admirer once more.
The Admiral tried to reason it out, and offered the suggestion that
perhaps her husband had done, in a blunt, straightforward way, as most
honest men are likely to do, exactly what she would have wished him to
do.
"You may depend upon it, my dear madam, that what I have suggested is
exactly what has happened. They have met, probably by accident; your
husband has quizzed Jermyn about Miss Trewman, Jermyn has admitted
his interest in the lady; your husband has expressed his interest and
volunteered his assistance, and to show that you also were interested
he has given Jermyn--not the letter, but some word which has satisfied
the young man that the letter reached its proper destination."
"I hope you are right," said Trif, "and for the rest----"
"For the rest," continued the Admiral, "can't you and I afford to
laugh the matter away? I've honestly explained how innocently I was
led to read what Trixy brought me. The letter itself did great credit
to your head and heart; the young people are singularly suited to each
other, and there is no probability that Miss Trewman will ever hear
anything about it, for the manner in which the letter was returned to
you shows that it was forwarded to me by some one who was present when
I thoughtlessly sketched upon it. As no one but army officers, and one
other person, was there, it is probable that some officer returned it,
and army officers are gentlemen; none of them would repeat what he
chanced to see in a private letter, particularly as his most natural
conclusion would be that the letter, having been seen in my possession,
had been written to me by some member of my own family."
Trif felt much better, and finally pleased the old gentleman by
laughing and accepting him as an ally, and also by accepting his
invitation to walk upon the beach and take some delicious air, of
which, through his own carelessness, she had recently been deprived.
Trif was as happy as an innocent soul released suddenly from prison,
and the Admiral, his own honest heart relieved of its burden, was
chatting cheerily and delightfully, when both met Trixy, who looked as
if something dreadful had befallen her.
"My dear little darling, what is the matter?" asked Trif.
"She said she wondered if you'd been doin' anythin' dreadful, 'cause I
said you might get insane."
"She? Whom do you mean?"
"Why, Miss Trewman. And I just told her, 'no, indeed,' and she said it
was too bad that a letter should make anybody such a lot of trouble,
and I told her that the letter wasn't about you at all, but was all
about her, 'cause I heard you and Aunt Fee talkin' about it. Then she
looked awful cross, and I told her she needn't, 'cause 'twas about
somethin' nice for her."
"Trixy, dear, how much more did you tell her?"
"Nothin', mamma. You don't think I'm goin' to tell things to people,
after all you've said to me about not doin' it, do you? I only told her
that you and papa was arrangin' a real nice s'prise for her, and she
asked if the Admiral was helpin' do it, 'cause he seemed to be. But I
didn't tell her nothin' about it--really I didn't."