"Oh, what SHALL I do with you!" she exclaimed. "It is wicked for you to say such things. Do you suppose that Mr. Atkins would find it necessary to work as he is doing to beat a fool? And, besides, you're not complimentary to me. Should I, do you think, take such an interest in one who was an imbecile?""Well, 'tis mighty good of you. Your comin' here so to help Bos'n's fight along is--""How do you know it is Bos'n altogether? I--" She stopped suddenly, and the color rushed to her face. She rose from the rocker. "I--really, I don't see how we came to be discussing such nonsense," she said. "Our ages and that sort of thing! Captain Cyrus, I wish you would go to Washington. I think you ought to go."But the captain's thoughts were far from Washington at that moment.
His own face was alight, and his eyes shone.
"Phoebe," he faltered unbelievingly, "what was you goin' to say?
Do you mean that--that--"
The side door of the house opened. The next instant Mr. Tidditt, a dripping umbrella in his hand, entered the sitting room.
"Hello, Whit!" he hailed. "Just run in for a minute to say howdy."Then he noticed the schoolmistress, and his expression changed.
"Oh! how be you, Miss Dawes?" he said. "I didn't see you fust off.
Don't run away on my account."
"I was just going," said Phoebe, buttoning her jacket. Captain Cy accompanied her to the door.
"Good-by," she said. "There was something else I meant to say, but I think it is best to wait. I hope to have some good news for you soon. Something that will send you to Washington with a light heart. Perhaps I shall hear to-morrow. If so, I will call after school and tell you.""Yes, do," urged the captain eagerly. "You'll find me here waitin'. Good news or not, do come. I--I ain't said all I wanted to, myself."He returned to the sitting room. The town clerk was standing by the stove. He looked troubled.
"What's the row, Ase?" asked Cy cheerily. He was overflowing with good nature.
"Oh, nothin' special," replied Mr. Tidditt. "You look joyful enough for two of us. Had good company, ain't you?""Why, yes; 'bout as good as there is. What makes you look so glum?"Asaph hesitated.
"Phoebe was here yesterday, too, wan't she?" he asked.
"Yup. What of it?"
"And the day afore that?"
"No, not for three days afore that. But what OF it, I ask you?""Well, now, Cy, you mustn't get mad. I'm a friend of yours, and friends ought to be able to say 'most anything to each other. If--if I was you, I wouldn't let Phoebe come so often--not here, you know, at your house. Course, I know she comes with Bos'n and all, but--""Out with it!" The captain's tone was ominous. "What are you drivin' at?"The caller fidgeted.
"Well, Whit," he stammered, "there's consider'ble talkin' goin' on, that's all.""Talkin'? What kind of talkin'?"
"Well, you know the kind. This town does a good deal of it, 'specially after church and prayer meetin'. Seem's if they thought 'twas a sort of proper place. _I_ don't myself; I kind of like to keep my charity and brotherly love spread out through the week, but--""Ase, are the folks in this town sayin' a word against Phoebe Dawes because she comes here to see--Bos'n?""Don't--don't get mad, Whit. Don't look at me like that. _I_ain't said nothin'. Why, a spell ago, at the boardin' house, I--"He told of the meal at the perfect boarding house where Miss Dawes championed his friend's cause. Also of the conversation which followed, and his own part in it. Captain Cy paced the floor.
"I wouldn't have her come so often, Cy," pleaded Asaph. "Honest, Iwouldn't. Course, you and me know they're mean, miser'ble liars, but it's her I'm thinkin' of. She's a young woman and single. And you're a good many years older'n she is. And so, of course, you and she ain't ever goin' to get married. And have you thought what effect it might have on her keepin' her teacher's place? The committee's a majority against her as 'tis. And--you know _I_don't think so, but a good many folks do--you ain't got the best name just now. Darn it all! I ain't puttin' this the way I'd ought to, but YOU know what I mean, don't you, Cy?"Captain Cy was leaning against the window frame, his head upon his arm. He was not looking out, because the shade was drawn. Tidditt waited anxiously for him to answer. At last he turned.
"Ase," he said, "I'm much obliged to you. You've pounded it in pretty hard, but I cal'late I'd ought to have had it done to me.
I'm a fool--an OLD fool, just as I said a while back--and nothin' nor NOBODY ought to have made me forget it. For a minute or so I--but there! don't you fret. That young woman shan't risk her job nor her reputation on account of me--nor of Bos'n, either. I'll see to that. And see here," he added fiercely, "I can't stop women's tongues, even when they're as bad as some of the tongues in this town, BUT if you hear a MAN say one word against Phoebe Dawes, only one word, you tell me his name. You hear, Ase? You tell me his name. Now run along, will you? I ain't safe company just now."Asaph, frightened at the effect of his words, hurriedly departed.
Captain Cy paced the room for the next fifteen minutes. Then he opened the kitchen door.
"Bos'n," he called, "come in and set in my lap a while; don't you want to? I'm--I'm sort of lonesome, little girl."The next afternoon, when the schoolmistress, who had been delayed by the inevitable examination papers, stopped at the Cy Whittaker place, she was met by Georgianna; Emily, who stood behind the housekeeper in the doorway, was crying.
"Cap'n Cy has gone away--to Washin'ton," declared Georgianna.
"Though what he's gone there for's more'n I know. He said he'd send his hotel address soon's he got there. He went on the three o'clock train."Phoebe was astonished.
"Gone?" she repeated. "So soon! Why, he told me he should certainly be here to hear some news I expected to-day. Didn't he leave any message for me?"The housekeeper turned red.
"Miss Phoebe," she said, "he told me to tell you somethin', and it's so dreadful I don't hardly dast to say it. I think his troubles have driven him crazy. He said to tell you that you'd better not come to this house any more."
