WESSON BECOMES A NUISANCE.
It did not seem as if we were likely to have any serious trouble. After
a couple of days we actually got down to work on the family tree and
began to make some progress. Miss May showed an astonishing aptitude on
the unfamiliar instrument, as well as a grasp of the subject we were
trying to put into shape. Her white fingers flew over the keys, her
quick mind suggested improvements in my phraseology, and she never
exhibited the slightest sign of fatigue. Once at it we made a regular
thing of working from seven in the morning till eleven, except for a
fifteen minute rest, and made the progress that such devotion warranted,
to the immense satisfaction of us both.
Those days were much alike. We always rose in time to take our ocean
plunge at five and the bath never grew less exhilarating. We took coffee
at half past five, breakfast at half past six, lunch at twelve, slept
from one till four; strolled about the grounds or up to the town--or
took a boat ride till seven; dined; talked nonsense on the veranda or
played a game of whist with Eggert and his wife till ten, and then went
to bed.
On Sunday we went to church, for Miss May wanted to go and I could not
let her go alone. She had a nice little prayer book which she carried
in a most becoming way and she was certainly the prettiest woman in the
house. Wesson was there and looked devotional, though his eyes wandered
in our direction more than I liked. I began to have an incipient
jealousy of the man.
It got to be almost a regular thing that he came out to breakfast.
Sometimes he stayed and talked with Eggert for an hour after Miss May
and I had fastened ourselves down to work. Eggert liked him, which was
natural, for he was always bringing something for the children. He had a
cigar case, too, that was at anybody's call, filled with Havanas that
were mighty good and had paid no duty, St. Thomas being a free port.
Then, of course, he paid for his breakfasts, no doubt liberally. One
evening when I walked up to town alone, I found him on my return
chatting with Miss May in altogether too confidential a manner.
I wondered how long he intended to stay at St. Thomas. He acted quite as
if he had been naturalized there. Well, we should certainly see the last
of him on February 6th, when the "Pretoria" would arrive and bear us
away.
Wesson stayed to dinner, though I don't know that any one invited
him--probably he found the item in his bill. But he went early to town,
which was better than nothing.
That evening something strange happened. I was looking over a small
stock of books that Eggert kept in a case. There was not much choice,
for the subjects were mostly dry ones, though I don't know as he will
thank me for saying so. I happened to light on the only modern work in
the lot, after a long hunt, and brought it to the lamp.
It was entitled "Our Rival, the Rascal," if I do not mistake, and was
made up of letter-press and illustrations relating to prominent
criminals of the day, the work of some heads of a police department, I
believe. On the principle of any port in a storm it was worth spending a
half hour over. I asked Eggert where he got it and he said it had been
given him by a quarantined American not many months before. He looked
over my shoulder for awhile as I turned the leaves, and commented openly
on the villainy in the great world outside his quarantine fence and
little lighthouse, with an air of simplicity that was charming. There
were the lineaments of bank robbers, murderers, sneak thieves,
shoplifters, etc., by the score, evidently photographed in some cases
against their will, with a sketch of the career that entitled each to
this dizzy seat of fame. Once in awhile I recognized a name, that had
appeared in the newspapers, but the majority were rascals with whom I
was wholly unfamiliar.
Marjorie was working with a needle at the other end of the room, talking
in a low tone with Mrs. Eggert. It occurred to me presently that the
book might interest her, and I asked her to come to me. Mrs. Eggert went
to see about some household duty and Miss May and I were left quite
alone.
"Are you interested in criminology?" I asked my companion, as she took
the chair by my side. "If you are, here is entertainment for you."
She stared at me vacantly, and when I turned one of the pages to her
she caught at her throat as if choking.
"Oh, this is awful!" she gurgled. "How could you show a thing like that
to me?"
"My darling," I protested, soothingly, "I did not know you would feel
that way. This is a book that Eggert has just lent me and I thought it
might interest you."
"It is horrible!" she said, going to the open door as if for air. "The
one glance I took was quite enough. What good can it do to print the
faces of those unhappy people? It seems like catching a rat in a trap
and bringing it out for dogs to tear."
She shut her eyes and stood there, still panting. What a nervous
organism she had, to be sure!
"I will put it back on the shelf," I said, "and you shall never think of
it again. I seem fated to wound your tender feelings. Dear little girl,
you know I do not mean to."
But it was she who would not drop the subject.
"It is shameful to print such a book," she repeated. "It is like a
proposal made just before we left America, to publish the names on the
pension roll."
I had an opinion on the latter suggestion, decidedly in its favor. So I
explained that it was feared there were names on the list that ought not
to be there and believed that a publication of the roll would result in
weeding these out.
"And at the same time expose the honest poverty of half a million brave
men!" she said. "All my people were on the Southern side, but I admire
courage and devotion, wherever it is found. To expose the recipient of
these pensions merely in the hope of detecting a few dishonest ones is
shameful! So with that awful book. Some of the men pictured there may be
trying to redeem themselves. What chance will they have with their faces
exhibited everywhere? Oh, Don, Don! You seem a tender hearted man. How
can you endorse such a wicked, cruel thing?"
I said I did not wish to argue the matter, but I understood from the
preface that only persons belonging to the criminal class by profession
were pictured in the book. The miserable man who had made his one error
was not in the list at all.
"But who can tell," she said, growing earnest, "that even some you
mention have not repented of their acts and are trying to redeem
themselves? Did you never read these words of Shakespeare?
"Why, all the souls that were were forfeit once,
And He that might the vantage best have took
Found out the remedy!"
We went to the other side of the veranda, where the moon was shining
beautifully, and took chairs side by side. I gradually succeeded in
turning my companion's thoughts from the disagreeable trend into which I
had brought them, and for several hours we discussed other matters. We
spoke in low tones, for after a short time we were the only persons
awake on the premises.
We both grew to feel the spell of the Queen of Night, nowhere more
lovely than over the Caribbean. Our hands wandered together and I felt
strange thrills that made me wish I were even closer to the lovely being
at my side. In spite of the promises I had made--to her and to
myself--I could not help talking nonsense.
"What harm would it do," I said, at 11 o'clock, "when I leave you at
your door at night, if you gave me just a little--a very little--kiss?
It would sweeten my slumbers, I am sure, and it wouldn't hurt you."
"It would sweeten your slumbers--perhaps," she replied, soberly. "And it
would drive mine away entirely. Do you think that a fair transaction?"
I chose to answer that I thought she was acting cruelly and added that
if she was going to treat me in that way I would go to bed at once. She
was evidently agitated by my manner, for when we reached her door she
stopped.
"I am going to tell you something," she said, impressively. "Yes, at the
risk of lowering myself in your estimation, unless you bid me pause."
"How can I, when I do not know what you are going to say?" I demanded.
"Then you wish to hear it?"
I nodded, curious to learn what was in her mind.
Looking with eyes that scintillated into mine she said, impressively,
"Don, you cannot possibly want that kiss more than I want to give it!"
"Well," I answered, delighted at her communication. "What prevents you?
I promise, on my honor, not to scream--nor even to tell."
"If I leave you to decide," said Miss May, with lips that whitened at
the words, "what will you advise me?"
A chilly breeze swept along the veranda. The figure of Statia Barton
came across my vision, with her finger uplifted in warning. Out on the
ocean I saw a wave that was transparent and beneath it a beautiful
figure, cold and dead.
I raised one of her hands to my lips and breathed a sigh upon it. I was
quieted so easily!
"Good night," I said, with emotion.
"Good night," she replied. "You do not--no, you do not hate me?"
I had turned away, but I faced her again.
"I am--afraid--I love you," I said. "It was not in the compact, I did
not mean to do it, but I'm afraid--I love you."
She entered her door and I passed to my room. Pulling off my clothes at
haphazard I threw them on a chair and donned my pajamas. The bed was
hard. I turned every way to no purpose. Sleep would not come. At last I
sat up, then opened my door noiselessly and stepped barefooted upon the
veranda.
Marjorie's light was still burning. The objects in her room showed with
perfect distinctness through her screen door.
I paused as if petrified at the sight before me. In her white nightrobes
she was kneeling by the bedside, her face buried in her hands.
It was beauty prostrate before its God, doubtless uttering a petition
that he would protect her from evil.
I paced up and down the veranda noiselessly for half an hour. When I
paused again before Miss May's door, the light was extinguished and I
could see nothing.
"Marjorie," I whispered.
"Yes, Don."
"Forgive me. I will not offend you again."
"Yes, Don. Would--would you like to come in and bathe my head? It aches
a little."
"I cannot, Marjorie. Shall I call Mrs. Eggert?"
"Her hands are not like yours."
It was a severe struggle, but I told her I must not come in-that if she
would think a minute she would see I must not. She said "Very well," and
we exchanged good-nights. I went to my couch very proud of the victory I
had won over myself--prouder than it seems to me now I should have been.
We must both have slept some, for I was aroused by hearing Laps barking,
and Marjorie had not made her appearance when the hands of my watch
pointed to half past five. She told me through the partition that she
did not feel like bathing that morning, and I decided to omit the bath
myself.
The barking of Laps was caused by the arrival of Mr. Wesson, whom I
blamed without much reason for the headache I had awakened with. The
fellow irritated me exceedingly and I made up my mind to get away from
the Island without waiting for the Pretoria, if there was any feasible
way to do it.