Nedra

by George Barr McCutcheon

  CHAPTER VII

  GLUM DAYS FOR MR. RIDGE

  Gibraltar. And the ship stopping only long enough to receive the mailand take on passengers; then off again.

  During the voyage in the Bay of Biscay, Veath had done all in his powerto relieve Hugh of the boredom which is supposed to fall upon the manwho has a sister clinging to him. At first Hugh rather enjoyed thesituation, but as Veath's amiable sacrifice became more intense, he grewcorrespondingly uncomfortable. It was not precisely what he hadbargained for. There was nothing in Veath's manner which could have beenobjectionable to the most exacting of brothers.

  When he was trespassing Hugh hated him, but when they were together,with Grace absent, he could not but admire the sunny-faced, frank,stalwart Indianian. When Hugh's heart was sorest, a slap on the backfrom Veath, a cheery word and an unspoken pledge of friendship broughtshame to take the place of resentment.

  She was troubled, as well as he, by the turn of affairs; her distressmanaged to keep her awake of nights, especially when she began torealize there was no escape from consequences. That usually pleasantword "brother" became unbearable to her; she began to despise it. Tohim, the word "sister" was the foundation for unpublishable impressions.

  Poor Veath knew nothing of all this and continued to "show Miss Ridge agood time." On the second night out of Gibraltar, he and Grace werestrolling the deck. He was happy, she in deep despair. Down at the otherend of the deck-house, leaning over the rail, smoking viciously, wasHugh, alone, angry, sulky. It was a beautiful night, cool and crisp,calm and soft. A rich full moon threw its glorious shimmer across thewaves, flashing a million silvery blades along the watery pavement thatseemed to lead to the end of the world. Scores of passengers werewalking the deck, and all were happy, save two.

  For two days Hugh had found but little chance to speak with Grace. Shehad plotted and calculated and so had he, but Veath gallantly upsetthe plans.

  "This can't go on any longer, or I'll go back," vowed Hugh as he glaredwith gloomy eyes at the innocent path of silver.

  "Your brother is not very sociable of late, is he, Miss Ridge?" askedVeath, as they turned once more up the deck toward the disconsolaterelative. "There are a great many pretty young women on board, but heseems to ignore them completely. I haven't seen him speak to a woman intwo days."

  "Perhaps he is in love," she murmured half sedately. Poor, lonely Hugh!How she longed to steal up from behind and throw her arms about hisneck. Even though both fell overboard, it would be a pleasure, itseemed to her.

  "We ought to go over and jolly him up a bit," suggested Veath,innocently magnanimous. She hated him at that moment.

  "He is probably enjoying himself better than if we were with him," shesaid rather coldly.

  "Lovers usually like moonshine," he said.

  "I did not say he was in love; 'perhaps' was the word, I think," saidGrace.

  "I believe one of the rules of love is that a brother never confides inhis sister. At any rate, she is sure to be among the last."

  "I think Hugh would tell _me_ of his love affairs," she answered, amerry sparkle coming into her eyes. "He thinks a great deal of myopinions."

  "And I suppose you tell him of your love affairs," he said jestingly.She blushed furiously.

  "He has a whole book full of my confidences," she finally said, seekingsafety in exaggeration.

  "Quite an interesting volume. How does it end? With an elopement?"

  "Elopement! What do you--oh, ah, I--ha, ha! Wouldn't that be a jolly wayto end it?" She laughed hysterically, recovering quickly from theeffects of the startling, though careless question. For a few momentsher heart throbbed violently.

  Hugh came swinging toward them, his cigar tilted upward at an unusualangle because of the savage position of the lower jaw. His hands werejammed into his pockets and his cap was drawn well down over his eyes.He was passing without a word, ignoring them more completely than ifthey had been total strangers. He would, at least, have glanced atstrangers.

  "Hello, Mr. Ridge, going below?" called Veath.

  "I'm going wherever the ship goes," came the sullen reply.

  "Hope _she's_ not going below," laughed the disturber.

  "It's my only hope," was the bitter retort from the companionway.

  "He's certainly in love, Miss Ridge. Men don't have the blues like thatunless there's a woman in the case. I think you'd better talk to yourbrother. Tell him she'll be true, and if she isn't, convince him thatthere are just as good fish in the sea. Poor fellow, I suppose he thinksshe's the only woman on earth," commented Mr. Veath, with mocksolemnity.

  "She may be as much at sea as he," she said,--and very truthfully.

  "Well, if love dies, there is a consolation in knowing that the seacasts up its dead," was his sage, though ill-timed remark.

  Grace slept but little that night, and went early to breakfast in thehope that she might see Hugh alone. But he came in late, haggard andpale, living evidence of a sleepless night. Veath was with him and herheart sank. During the meal the good-natured Indianian did most of thetalking, being driven at last, by the strange reticence of hiscompanions, to the narration of a series of personal experiences.Struggle as he would, he could not bring a mirthful laugh from the girlbeside him, nor from the sour visaged man beyond. They laughed, ofcourse, but it was the laugh of politeness.

  "I wonder if she is in love, too," shot through his mind, and a thrillof regret grew out of the possibility. Once his eye caught her in theact of pressing Hugh's hand as it was being withdrawn from sight. With aknowing smile he bent close to her and whispered: "That's right, cheerhim up!" Grace admitted afterward that nothing had ever made her quiteso furious as that friendly expression.

  But jealousy is jealousy. It will not down. The next three days weremiserable ones for Hugh. The green-eyed monster again cast the cloak ofmoroseness over him--swathed him in the inevitable wet blanket, as itwere. During the first two days Veath had performed a hundred littleacts of gallantry which fall to the lot of a lover but hardly to that ofa brother--a score of things that would not have been observed by thelatter, but which were inwardly cursed by the lover. Hugh began to havethe unreasonable fear that she cared more for Veath's society than shedid for his. He was in ugly humor at lunch time and sent a ratherperemptory message to Grace's room, telling her that he was hungry andasking her to get ready at once. The steward brought back word that shewas not in her room. She had been out since ten o'clock.

  Without a word Ridgeway bolted to Veath's room and knocked at the door.There was no response. The steward, quite a distance down thepassageway, heard the American gentleman swear distinctly andimpressively.

  He ate his luncheon alone,--disconsolate, furious, miserable. Afterwardhe sought recreation and finally went to his room, where he tried toread. Even that was impossible.

  Some time later he heard her voice, then Veath's.

  "I wonder if Hugh is in his room?" she was asking.

  "He probably thinks we've taken a boat and eloped Shall I rap and see?"came in Veath's free voice.

  "Please--and we'll tell him where we have been."

  "You will like thunder!" hissed Hugh to himself, glaring at the door asif he could demolish it.

  Then came a vigorous pounding on the panel; but he made no move torespond. Again the knocking and a smile, not of mirth, overspreadhis face.

  "Knock! Confound you! You can't get in!" he growled softly buttriumphantly. Veath tried the knob, but the door was locked.

  "He's not in, Miss Ridge. I'll see if I can find him. Good-by--see youat luncheon."

  Then came Grace's voice, sweet and untroubled: "Tell him we'll go overthe ship another time with _him_."

  "Over the ship," growled Hugh almost loud enough to be heard. "Sothey're going to square it by taking brother with them another time--eh?Well, not if I know it! I'll show her what's what!" A minute later herapped at Miss Vernon's stateroom. She was removing her hat before themirror, and turning quickly as the irate Hugh entered, she cried:r />
  "Hello, Hugh! Where have you been, dear?"

  "Dear! Don't call me dear," he rasped.

  "Why, Hugh, dear,--Mr. Veath looked everywhere for you this morning. Isaid I would not go unless he could find you. You would have enjoyedit so much."

  "And you really wanted me?" he asked guiltily.

  "Of course, I did--we both did. Won't you ever understand that I loveyou--and you alone?"

  "I guess I'll never understand love at all," he mused.

  "Now where were you all morning?" she demanded.

  "He didn't look in the right place, that's all."

  "Where was the right place?"

  "It happened to be in the wrong place," he said. He had been playing asocial game of bridge in the room of one of the passengers. At thismoment Veath was heard at the door. Hugh heartily called out to him,bidding him to enter.

  "Why, here you are! Been looking everywhere for you, old man. Sorry youwere not along this morning," said the newcomer, shakingRidgeway's hand.

  "I didn't care to see the ship," said Hugh hastily.

  "Why, how funny!" cried Grace. "How did you know we had been over theship?"

  "Instinct," he managed to gulp in the confusion.

  Veath started for the dining-room, followed by Grace and Hugh,the latter refraining from mentioning that he had alreadylunched--insufficiently though it had been; but with the return ofreason had come back his appetite and gradually he felt the oldhappiness sifting into his heart.