LAST DAYS TOGETHER.
There was something indescribably disheartening in the looks of the
dismasted "International" as the twins came forth, refreshed by several
hours of welcome slumber, after the long agony of the past night. The
carpenters were already hard at work cutting away the sad remnants of
the graceful, tapering mizzen-mast, which had been one of the beauties
of the comely steamer, and a considerable space had been cleared for
the passengers over which awnings were stretched; but the approach to
it was somewhat choked and difficult.
Faith was first to reach the deck, and as she approached, young Allyne
stepped forward from behind a rubbish heap, and said eagerly,
"I'm glad to see you out, at last! It's a beautiful morning after the
storm. Let me pilot you across these chips to that nice chair."
"Thank you," was Faith's rather stiff response. But he would not give
her time to be cool and unfriendly.
"Would you ever believe it could have been so dreadful last night?" he
rattled on. "But you were very brave, Miss Hosmer!"
"Was I?" asked Faith, almost overpowered by his friendliness.
"Yes, you and your sister both were, for the matter of that--and by the
way, how is Texas this morning?"
Faith's eyes began to dance. She mistrusted he had taken her for her
sister again and, following his glance, became sure of it; for Hope was
now approaching, along with Dwight, and the instant Tom Allyne's eyes
fell upon her he felt intuitively that she was the girl he had been
really waiting for, and his quick, annoyed glance proved the fact to
Faith. She did not feel so chagrined over it as she might, had she
greatly cared for his liking, and answered briskly,
"You mean Andy, don't you? Texas is the parrot, and belongs to Hope.
There she comes now--shall we go to her?"
Nothing loth, Mr. Allyne followed her lead, and, as he stood talking
with the two, made a closer survey than ever before, resolving that he
would not make this mistake again. Had he ever made it before? The
question, suddenly occurring to his inner consciousness, rather
startled him. He would not mind pouring his thoughts out to Hope, who
was so frank and jolly, but he felt rather afraid of this other girl,
whom he had once offended. Yet, the longer he compared the two, as he
stood opposite in merry conversation, addressing first one, then the
other, the more certain he felt that Hope was not the girl in whom he
had confided a few evenings since. And if not, what a donkey he had
made of himself!
He tried to remember just what had passed, and grew silent and
uncomfortable as he made the effort. How was it Dwight never mixed the
two? He began to feel that keen, observing eyes were pretty good
things to have. He should certainly cultivate his own, in future! As
this undercurrent of musings reached definite conclusion, he broke out,
boyishly,
"I'll know you apart after this, or know the reason why!"
"And how?" asked Dwight.
"Well, how do you, my boy?" was the quick counter-question.
Thus caught, the boy flushed and grinned broadly.
"Oh, I don't have to tell," he objected, with a shake of the head.
They all naturally began to insist, however, and he at length yielded,
with the outburst, "Well, if it makes anybody mad, I can't help it."
"Of course not!" laughed Allyne. "Personal remarks are bound to make
somebody mad, but that's just what makes them spicy. Proceed, young
man, proceed!"
"Well then," slowly, "just watch the two for a minute, and make them
laugh--" Of course, at this, they with the others standing near, did
break into laughter--"there! Can't you see? Hope shows all her teeth,
and a big dimple in the corner of her mouth; Faith smiles just enough
to show a little of hers, and there isn't any dimple. So, when I'm not
sure, I just say something funny, and if the mouth is big and dimpled,
I know it's Hope without any mistake. Now, I knew you'd be mad, but
what on earth ails Faith? _She_ looks madder than you do?"
It was a fact. Hope had drawn herself up, not half pleased to have the
size of her mouth--which was a sensitive feature--so questioned; but
Faith had turned entirely away with sudden coolness, miffed because she
did not look jolly, and display a dimple like the special one, the
possession of which she had always envied her sister. It was an
exhibition of female weakness entirely unexpected by Tom Allyne, and
for some reason pleased him wonderfully. He turned from one to the
other, full of hypocritical glee, though the face he then bent upon
Dwight was severe in the extreme.
"See here, sir! Don't you know better than to say such things? Why,
you as much as insinuate that one or the other of these young ladies
has a blemish! Now that--"
"See here!" broke out poor Dwight, not entirely sure who was most
abusing him, "who set me up to saying what I did, anyhow? I think it's
downright mean for you all to turn on a fellow so! You all promised
not to be mad, and now see you!"
"You are right," said Faith, turning quickly. "I am ashamed of myself
for minding such a trifle! But I do sometimes get tired of being
reminded that Hope is so much nicer and jollier than I."
"And I that Faith is so much more refined and ladylike!" added the
other. Then both broke into laughter, Hope's white teeth and deep
dimple showing plainly, and Faith's half-sad sweetness veiling her
merriment to a tamer expression.
"It would spoil everything if you were either of you one whit
different," cried Allyne, with fervor. "And, Dwight, I want to thank
you for letting me into your little secret. I can never be deceived
again."
"Are you certain of that?" asked Mr. Carnegie, as he joined the group.
"I wish I could be so sure! But come, let's drop personalities. I've
been sent to ask you to join a reading-club--"
"A reading-club?" shouted everybody.
"Yes. It is Mrs. Poinsett's hour to read to Lady Moreham, and she
kindly suggested our joining them. Would you like to?"
"Lady Moreham? How wonderful!" murmured Allyne, and the sisters
exchanged meaning glances.
But Dwight looked dubious.
"I'd rather hear one of Quint's yarns," he remarked, frankly.
Quint was a good-natured sailor, with a broad saber cut on one cheek
that would have ruined his looks for some, but made him only the more
interesting to Dwight. Besides, he had a capacity for reeling off
yarns, that was irresistible, and even Hope's charms paled before his
rarer attractions.
The boy now went below to find the man, and the girls started with
Carnegie for the main saloon. After a few steps the latter looked back
over his shoulder, and saw Allyne gazing somewhat moodily after them.
"Aren't you coming?" he asked pleasantly, turning back.
"Am I wanted?" was returned quickly.
"Of course, if you like to go," laughed the young officer, and Allyne
strode forward.
Their loitering had widened the space between them and the girls, and
suddenly Tom Allyne began, in a low voice,
"Carnegie, I haven't had an opportunity before, so now I make haste to
say that I thank you for showing me that a fellow need not be of the
namby-pamby kind because he lets the stuff alone. I used to think that
boys with any spirit must drink and carouse, occasionally, but I've
learned better now. I watched you last night."
The other turned with a rapid movement.
"Watched me?"
"Yes, you were cool and brave. When the captain needed volunteers you
worked like a Trojan, and never flinched. And I believe you knew the
special danger too, as well as----"
"Sh-h!" Carnegie glanced about with an alarmed air. "Did you know
too?"
"I began to suspect soon after we went to work, and a low word of the
captain to his mate, which I, too, caught, convinced me. You see, we
were packed close in there! It wasn't any too safe."
Chester Carnegie's eyes were upon him.
"And you praise me for bravery when you were there and knew it all?" he
said. "I begin to think somebody else is no coward, either, Allyne!"
He held out his hand, and they clasped silently. Then the latter said,
in a deprecating tone,
"Personal fear is not my weakness. I wonder, Carnegie, if these
passengers will ever know how close that fire came to your consignment
of ammunition, last night."
"No, never! How did you suspect my share in the matter?"
"You were the first to offer your services. You persisted in working
at a spot from which the rest of us had been warned, and the captain
allowed it. I knew there must be method in your madness."
"You were right; it was a personal duty, and I could not have done
otherwise. But you had no such motive, Allyne, and yet, understanding
the danger, as you evidently did, you stood to your work as close to me
as you could get. I like a brave man!"
"Well, if it has wiped out old scores, Carnegie--"
"It has. But come--they are beckoning. I'll tell you something,
however. After it was over, last night, and the captain and I were
congratulating ourselves, he remarked, with a jerk of his thumb toward
your grimy self, 'That young man's head is too cool to be muddled up
with the devil's brew. I'm sorry about that!'"
The last words were whispered hurriedly, and there was no time to
respond, but Allyne's face shone as the ladies greeted them, with merry
reproaches for their laggardness, and soon all were seated, quietly
listening to Mrs. Poinsett, who was an excellent reader. Faith was not
so good a listener, that morning, however. It was an exquisite day,
after the storm. The air was of a crystal purity and delicious
coolness, the sea, rough enough to attract the gaze, yet not so rough
as to distract the nerves, and the sky's soft blue was occasionally
flecked with small, faint cloudlets, that seemed like distant flocks of
sheep, grazing in heavenly meadows. Only the battered ship beneath
them recalled the fury of last night's stormburst. But as the memory
of those anxious hours swept over her she looked at Lady Moreham, and
wondered that she should so have opened her heart in that time of
waiting, for just now she seemed as stately and unapproachable as ever.
Then, too, it was so tantalizing that her story should have been broken
off in the middle, and left there. Would they ever hear its close? It
did not seem likely. Moved out of herself by the nearness of death,
the titled dame had reverted to childish days, speaking her thoughts
aloud. Probably nothing would induce her to speak again.
"However," thought Faith, "father knows and perhaps he'll tell us some
day, when he gets a minute's leisure--that is, if he can be convinced
that she would not care. What an honorable man he is! We would never
have known a lisp from his lips."
But it was a busy time with the captain. Only a day or so out from
Bombay, now, he was straining every nerve to restore the vessel to
something like her normal condition before they should enter port, and
it seemed to his daughters that they could scarcely get a daily
greeting from him, even, in his intense absorption. But they could
wait, for, once on shore, he would have more leisure, as the steamer
would be laid up for repairs, and the really saddening thought, now,
was that so soon these friends of a month must all separate, to go
their various ways.
The Vanderhoff party intended soon to start for Poonah, Mr. Carnegie
must take his men to Lucknow, the two attachés were to remain for the
present at the Secretariat, the Windemeres would meet friends at
Magpore, while the Traveler declared vaguely and laughingly that he
would be "off to the jungles," in a day or two. Lady Moreham said
little of her plans.
"I shall let circumstances govern me," she answered courteously to all
questions, and no one ventured to interrogate her further.