THE CABIN BY THE MARSH
As is customary in many of these little villages along the coast, the
butcher shop was also the country store where groceries, dry goods,
notions, and possibly boots and hats in addition, were sold.
Mr. Keeler eyed the boy in Abner's company, while he was cutting off the
meat.
"Likely lad, that, Mr. Peake," he said. "I reckon he must be the one
that come ashore from the wreck t'other night. I heard all about it,
'cause some of our men were over to help out," he added, in a low tone,
taking advantage of Darry straying off a bit to examine a colored print
that hung on the wall, and offered all manner of inducements to young
fellows wishing to enlist in the navy.
"The boy's all right. He's gwine to live with my missus--if they kin git
on together. But about them as were over, Gus, I've got a notion some on
'em thought it might be a good chanct to wreck a craft. I seen Dilks
there, with his crowd, an' yuh know he's under suspicion o' havin' lured
that schooner ashore with a false light last year. Time's comin' when
them rascals air goin' to git caught. Hangin' 'd be too easy for such
snakes. An' that boy o' his'n promises to be a chip o' the ole block.
He's as bad as they make 'em," returned the surfman, shaking his head.
Nothing so angers a life saver as the mention of a wrecker; for deep
down in his heart he believes that the men who make a living from
salvage after a vessel has gone to pieces on the reefs, or else in
boarding the wreck when the storm has gone down, would not hesitate a
minute about sending any ship to her doom if they believed it could be
done without too much risk.
"If he doesn't get on with the missus let me have a try with him, Abner.
Looks to be a likely lad. They're a scarce article around here--some go
to sea, others are in the service, and more get drowned; while those
that are left seem bad from top to bottom, just like Jim Dilks. Yes, I
could use that younker, I think."
Peake had turned white at mention of the fate that befalls so many young
men of the shore; but he made no remark concerning his feelings.
"I'll remember what yuh say, Mr. Keeler. But I got a notion the boy will
stick with me. When the missus gets to know him she can't help but like
him. He's the clear quill. Take the change out of that bill. We just
got paid last night, yuh see. Darry, let's move along."
The village merchant looked after the couple a little enviously, as
though something about the boy's appearance had awakened his interest.
"I saw Jim Dilks talking to Peake before they came in here. I wager that
young scamp has it in for the new boy in town. He's been a holy terror
for a long time, and for one I think something should be done to put a
stop to his doings. But his father has a grip on the worst elements
here, and everyone seems afraid to rile up the old wrecker. Some say he
used to be a smuggler years back, and even blacker stories are told of
his life in Cuba, before Spain got out of the island. Well, it's none of
my business. I don't dare act alone. If someone else starts the ball
rolling I'll give it a big shove." And so the butcher salved his
conscience for not doing his duty.
Meanwhile Darry and his new friend walked briskly along, talking as they
went.
The boy had seen considerable of foreign ports, and the many strange
things he could tell were doubly interesting to this simple life saver,
who had never been further than to Wilmington in all his life.
"See that light ahead, lad? That's a lamp in the windy o' my shack.
They knows when my night comes around, an' the missus puts that lamp
there. It's a big thing, Darry, to have a light in the windy, ashinin'
only fur you. Makes a feller feel like he had one leetle nest in all
this big world, where some un cared fur him. And that is goin' to be
your home too, boy."
"I don't know how to thank you, Mr. Peake," faltered the lad.
"Then don't try. Besides, mebbe yuh won't like it so well, after all.
Nancy, she ain't so easy to get on with, since leetle Joe went away.
Seems like she jest can't ever git over it. I seen her cryin' the last
time I was over. No use tryin' to comfort the pore ole gal. It left a
sore place in her heart that nothin' kin ever heal. I'm a hopin' that
p'haps with you around she may perk up some."
They were soon at the door. It was thrown open at the sound of Abner's
call, and two rather unkempt little girls rushed out, to be tossed up in
the air by the proud father.
They looked at Darry with wide-eyed wonder, for strangers were uncommon
in this neighborhood, so far removed from the railroad.
"Come right in, Darry. Here's the missus," said the life saver.
A woman came forward, and after greeting Abner, looked with a little
frown in the direction of the boy.
The surfman hastened to explain that Darry was a survivor of the last
wreck, on the shore where so many brave ships had left their bones.
"He's a waif, what's never knowed no home, Nance. The captain picked him
up abroad, but he's English or American, sure enough. With the death of
that captain went his only friend. I liked the lad,--he somehow made me
think of our Joe. Jest the same size, too, and he could wear his clothes
fine. He'd be a great help to yuh, I reckons, if so be yuh would like to
have him stay."
Abner saw a look of coming trouble in the eyes of his wife, and his
voice took on a pleading tone.
His mention of Joe was unfortunate, perhaps, for the woman had never
become reconciled to the loss of her only boy, and always declared
Heaven had dealt unjustly with her when there were so many worthless
lads in the village, who could have been far better spared.
"Just like I didn't have my hands full now, without bringing home any
more mouths to feed," she fumed. "Like as not he's a good-for-nothing
like Jim Dilks, and will only make us trouble right along. Keep him over
at the station if you want, Abner Peake, but you don't quarter him on
me. This is my house, and I'm to be consulted before anybody is brought
here."
Abner had apparently thought this all over.
He simply took Darry's hand and drew the half resisting lad over in
front of the irate woman.
"Nancy, I never knowed yuh to be anything but fair. S'posin' our leetle
Joe was kerried out to sea, an' in a strange land met up with a citizen
as took him home to his wife. What kinder reception do yuh think _he'd_
get? Could any woman look in Joe's face an' send him away from her door?
Wall, then, jest look in the face o' this boy, an' then if so be yuh say
take him away, I'll do it, Nancy," he said, simply.
Almost against her will she was compelled to look.
Well it was for Darry that he had clear eyes in which lurked no guile,
for that gaze of the surfman's "missus" was searching, since she had
before her mind a picture of the lost Joe.
She only nodded her head and said:
"Let him stay."
Perhaps she was too full of emotion to say more; but the husband nodded
his head as though satisfied with what he had done.
"It's all right, boy; she seen Joey in your eyes, jest as I done. Seems
to me yuh kin make good with the ole woman. Don't notice all she says
fur a time. Sure she's suffered some."
Apparently the family had waited with supper for Abner to come home, for
his wife immediately placed the meat on the frying pan, and the odor of
steak quickly filled every cranny of the small cabin of three rooms.
The two little girls were slow to make up with Darry, but he knew how to
interest them in certain ways, and it was not long before they hovered
around him as if he were a curiosity indeed.
Abner tried to make himself as agreeable as possible, for various
reasons.
He saw that his wife had not yet become reconciled to the fact of a
stranger coming among them, and was watching Darry out of the corners of
her eyes from time to time, while a frown would gather on her brow.
She was a sharp-featured woman; but life goes hard with those of her sex
in this coast country, and they grow old at forty.
Darry was studying hard how to please her, for he felt that she was to
be pitied after having lost her only boy so suddenly a year or so back;
and he determined never to forget this if she should scold him
needlessly or show temper.
He anticipated her wants in the line of wood for the fire, cheerfully
assisted in washing up the supper dishes, and was withal so obliging
that ere long the anxious Abner saw the lines begin to leave the
forehead of his better half.
This tickled him more than any well-won fight in the breakers might have
done, for he had a secret dread of Nancy's often ungovernable temper.
"The boy's gone and done it, blame me if he ain't!" he muttered to
himself, when he saw his wife actually smile over at where Darry was
sitting, with one of the twins on either side, entranced with some
figures he was drawing to illustrate a little story he had been telling
them about some sight seen in Naples.
When it came time to retire Darry was given a shake-down in the second
room.
He felt that he had made some sort of an impression upon the surfman's
wife, and that after all she might not prove so hard to win as he had
feared from what little he had heard about her temper.
That night was the most peaceful he had known for some time.
In the morning he was up before any one else stirred, and when Mrs Peake
made her appearance she found a bright fire burning in the kitchen,
plenty of wood on hand, a bucket of water from the spring handy, and a
boy only too anxious to do anything he was told in the way of chores.
Perhaps she may have had a suspicion that it would not last.
"A new broom sweeps clean," she remarked to Abner, as he appeared and
looked at her inquiringly.
"I calkerlate this one means to keep a-going' right along," he said,
"yuh see, the poor critter ain't never had no home before, an' he'll
sorter 'preciate one now. Give him a show an' he'll make good."
When Abner had to return to the other side of the bay Darry went with
him to the store, where a supply of edibles was laid in according to the
list written out by the station keeper; together with a can of oil,
since their stock had run low.
When Abner shook his hand heartily at pushing off, Darry felt as though
another link connecting him with the past had been broken.
Perhaps his face betrayed his feelings, for the old man exclaimed:
"Keep a stiff upper lip, lad, and it'll all come out well. The missus is
interested in yuh already. Tell her that I said to give yuh Joe's gun,
and the traps he left. He writ down how he used to git the muskrats an'
coons, too, so yuh kin understand how to set the traps. Tell the missus
that yuh mean to share an' share alike with her in the money yuh get.
That'll please her, 'cause yuh see cash is some skeerce with we-'uns all
the time. Ten dollars a week don't go far. Sometimes Nancy hunts roots
in the marshes, or picks up a few turkles that sells for a dollar or two
each. To-morrow yuh bring over the mail. I've got a boat as is fair, if
it only had a new pair o' oars. P'raps as a sailor lad yuh could whittle
out a pair to answer. Well, good-bye, Darry, my boy, and good luck. Keep
an eye out to windward for squalls if so be that Jim Dilks shows
alongside."
When the surfman had pulled with a strong stroke for some distance he
paused long enough to wave his hand to the boy; after which Darry turned
away to get the articles Mrs. Peake wanted at the store, and for which
she had doled out the necessary cash to a penny.
It would seem as though Abner must have had a vision of some coming
trouble in connection with the ne'er-do-well son of the notorious
wrecker, Dilks, for even as Darry entered the village street on his way
to the general store he saw the heavily built young ruffian shuffling
toward him.
There was a leer on the features of the bully.
Our hero had knocked around the world long enough to be able to detect
signs of a coming storm when he saw them; and if ever the signals were
set for trouble they certainly gave evidence of being now, when that
shiftless Jim Dilks intercepted the newcomer.