AN INVITATION ACCEPTED
It was a small incident, of course; scarcely to be noted at all when
it was over. Yet the impression left upon Sheila's mind was that
Orion Latham was deliberately endeavoring to injure his cousin's
business with the _Seamew_. If he talked like this before the more
or less superstitious Portygees, how long would Tunis manage to keep
a crew to work the schooner?
Had she dared she would have taken Orion to task there and then for
his unfaithfulness. The fellow was, as Cap'n Ira had once observed,
one of those yapping curs always envious of the braver dog's bone.
To the girl's disgust, too, Orion Latham showed plainly that he
considered that he, as an older acquaintance of the girl, could
presume upon that fact. He clung to her throughout the evening like
a mussel to duck grass. Of all the Big Wreck Cove youth, he was the
only one that she could not put in his place.
She did not think it wise to snub him so openly that Orion would
take offense. This course might do the captain of the _Seamew_ harm.
She foresaw trouble in the offing for Tunis, in any case, and she
did not wish to do anything that would spur Orion to further and
more successful attempts to harm his cousin's business.
There was another matter troubling Sheila's mind after Orion had
come to the harvest-home festival. Mason Chapin likewise appeared at
the church. But Tunis did not come. He knew, of course, of the
festival, and he had known when he sailed last for Boston that the
Balls and Ida May intended to go. It did seem as if Tunis might have
come, if for only a little while, before going home.
These thoughts made Sheila rather inattentive to other proposals,
and she found herself obliged to go down to supper with Orion, since
he had outsat and outtalked all the other young men who had hovered
about her. She was nice to Orion; the girl could scarcely be
otherwise, even to those she disliked, unless some very important
matter arose to disturb her, but she did not enjoy the remainder of
the evening, and she was glad when Cap'n Ira and Prudence were ready
to go home. It was full time, the girl thought.
Even then Orion Latham assumed altogether too much authority.
Sheila had been about to send little John-Ed around for Queenie and
the carryall, but Orion put the boy aside with a self-assured grin.
"Nobody ain't going to put you in the carriage, Ida May, but me," he
declared. "I'll get the old mare."
He seized his cap and went out. In a few minutes they had said
good-bye, and the old couple and the girl went out on the church
steps. Sheila saw the carryall standing before the door. A figure
stood at the old mare's head which she presumed to be Orion's.
"The chariot is ready, I cal'late," said Cap'n Ira. "Come on,
Prudence."
Sheila helped the old woman into the rear seat and then aided Cap'n
Ira as well. She got in quickly in front, but as she was about to
gather up the reins the man holding Queenie's head came around
swiftly and stepped in beside her to the driver's place.
"I swan! That you, Tunis?" exclaimed Cap'n Ira.
"Looks like it," the captain of the _Seamew_ said gravely. "All
clear aft?"
"You can pay off, Tunis," returned the old man. "Tuck that robe
around your knees, Prudence. This night air is as chill as a breath
off the ice barrens."
Orion loafed into the lamplight by the steps before Queenie got
into action. His scowl was unseen, but his voice was audible--as it
was meant to be--to Sheila's ears.
"There he is--hoggin' everything, same as usual. How did I know he
was hanging around outside here, waiting to drive her home? Just as
though he owned her! Huh! He may be skipper aboard that dratted
schooner, but that gives him no right to boss me ashore. I won't
stand it."
"Sit down to it, then, 'Rion," snickered one of the other young
fellows. "I cal'late Tunis has got the inside course on all of us."
The girl said nothing to the captain of the _Seamew_ at first. It
was Prudence who asked him why he had not been in the church.
"I could not get over here until just now," Tunis replied quietly.
Sheila wondered if he really had been detained on the schooner.
Perhaps he had refrained from coming to the festival for fear the
good people of Big Wreck Cove would notice his attentions to her. He
had never been publicly in her company since he had brought her down
from Boston. Orion Latham's outburst there at the church door was
the first cue people might have gained of anything more than a
passing acquaintanceship between the captain of the _Seamew_ and the
girl who had come to live with the Balls.
These thoughts bore down the girl's spirits tremendously. The
simple pleasure of the evening was quite erased from her memory. She
remained speechless while old Queenie climbed the hill to the Head.
The desultory conversation between Cap'n Ira, Prudence, and the
young shipmaster scarcely attracted the girl's attention. If Tunis
looked at her curiously now and then, she did not see his glances.
And she merely nodded her understanding of his statement when Tunis
said, speaking directly to her:
"The _Seamew's_ going to lie here over Sunday this time, Ida May."
"That'll be nice for you, Tunis," Aunt Prue put in. "You can go to
church. You don't often have that privilege. Seafarin' is an awful
godless life."
Queenie sprang ahead gallantly at the sound of a hearty sneeze from
Cap'n Ira, just then, and they were soon at home. Tunis jumped out
and aided the old woman and then the captain to alight. Sheila got
out on the other side of the carriage. She would have preferred to
run on into the house, but she could not really do that. Queenie
must be unharnessed and put in her stable and given a measure of
oats to munch. Of course, Tunis would offer to do this, but she
could not leave him to attend to it without a word.
"I'll help you with Queenie, Ida May," said the captain of the
_Seamew_.
That settled it. She had to remain outside while Cap'n Ira and
Prudence went into the house. Tunis led the old mare toward the
barn. A lantern, burning very dimly, was in a box just outside the
big door, and Sheila got this and held it while Tunis busied himself
with the buckles.
"I didn't mean to interfere," the man said, suddenly breaking the
silence between them. "But as I was coming this way, of course, I
expected to ride along with you. So--"
"What do you mean, Captain Latham?" the girl asked wonderingly.
"Orion said you sent him out to get Queenie."
"Why, I--"
"Of course, you didn't know I was there. I had just reached the
church. But 'Rion is so fresh--"
"He took it upon himself to go," said the girl calmly. "I did not
send him. I guess you know how your cousin is."
"He is too fresh. I'd like to punch him," growled Tunis, to the
girl's secret delight. It sounded boyish, but real. "I don't know
that I can stand him aboard the _Seamew_ much longer. He attends to
everybody's business but his own."
"He means you no good, Captain Latham," she said frankly. "To-night
he was repeating that silly story about the _Seamew_ being haunted."
"Cat's-foot!" ejaculated Tunis. "I wish I'd fired old Horry Newbegin
for starting _that_."
"But 'Rion keeps it up."
"If he believed she was hoodoed, you wouldn't get him aboard with a
wire cable," growled Tunis.
"It would be better for you and for the success of your business,
Captain Latham, if 'Rion was really afraid of going aboard the
_Seamew_," she said with confidence.
"Well, I don't see how I can fire him. He's my cousin--in a way. And
there is enough ill feeling in the family now. Gran'ther Peleg left
all his money to me, and it made Orion and his folks as sore as can
be."
"You are inclined to be too kind. I am not sure it is always wise to
be too easy."
"Like chopping off the dog's tail an inch at a time, so's not to
hurt him so much, eh?" he chuckled.
"Something like that."
"Well, I'm almost tempted to give 'Rion his walking ticket. I've
reason enough. He can't even keep a manifest straight."
"Does he even try?"
"And that also is in my mind," acknowledged Tunis. "I'm pretty well
fed up on 'Rion, I do allow. But I don't know what Aunt 'Cretia
would say." Then he laughed again. "Just about what she usually
says, I guess; nothing at all. But she abhors family squabbles.
"That reminds me, Ida May. This being the first Sunday I've been
home since you came here, I want you should go over with me after
church to-morrow and have dinner at our house."
"Oh, Captain Latham! I--"
"And don't you guess you could employ some other term when speaking
to me, Ida May?" he interrupted. "I get 'captained' almost enough
aboard the schooner and up to Boston. Just plain 'Tunis' for those
that are my friends suits me a sight better."
"I shall call you 'Tunis,' if you like," she said composedly. "But
about taking dinner with you--I am not so sure."
"Why not?" he demanded.
"Your aunt has never called here since I have been on the Head."
"She don't call anywhere. She never did that I can remember. She
goes to church on Sunday sometimes. Occasionally she has to go to
town to buy things. Once in a dog's age she leaves anchor and gets
as far as Paulmouth. But other times she's never off the place."
"I--I feel hesitant about doing what you ask, Captain--Tunis, I
mean."
"Why?"
"You know well enough," said Sheila. "If anything should turn up--if
the truth should come out--"
"Now, are you still worrying about that, Ida May?"
"Don't you think of it--Tunis?"
"Not a bit! We're as safe as a church. That girl will never show up
here on Wreckers' Head. Of course not!"
He seemed absolutely confident. In the dim illumination of the
lantern she looked very closely into his face. Then it was not fear
of exposure that kept Tunis Latham silent. She moved closer to him,
looking up into his countenance, holding the lantern so that her own
face was in the shadow.
"Who suggested my coming to dinner, Tunis? You, or your Aunt
Lucretia?"
"If you knew my aunt! Well! She seldom says a word. But when I have
anything to say, I talk along just as though she answered back like
an ordinary person would. I can tell if she's interested."
"Yes?"
"She's been interested in you from the start, I know. She showed it
in her look the very first time I spoke of you--that day I brought
you here to Wreckers' Head."
"But--but you have never spoken of this before. She did not come to
call."
"I'll tell you," said Tunis earnestly. "I wanted to be sure. Aunt
'Cretia knew your--er--Sarah Honey very well."
"Oh."
"Just about as well as Mrs. Ball did. When she was staying here
with Aunt Prue, she used to run over to our place a lot.
"You don't remember it," continued Tunis, grinning suddenly; "but
you were taken over there when you were a baby."
"Oh, don't! Don't!" cried the girl. "Let us not speak so lightly--so
carelessly. Suppose--suppose--"
"Suppose nothing!" exclaimed Tunis. "Don't have any fears. She
wanted to know just how you looked--every particular. Oh, she has
ways of showing what she wants without getting what you'd call
voluble! I told her about your hair--your eyes--everything. I know
from the way she looked that she accepts the fact of your being the
real Ida May without more question than Cap'n Ira and Aunt Prue."
She was silent, thinking. Then she sighed.
"I will accept the invitation, Tunis. But I feel--I feel that all is
not for the best. But what must be must be. So--oh, I'll go!"