All Aboard: A Story for Girls

by Frank V. Webster

  CHAPTER II.

  THE LEAVE-TAKING.

  There were lively times in the Portsea lodging-house, next morning.The many last small tasks that crowd upon the out-going voyager hadkept even Hope too busy to talk much, and she at length stoppedbreathlessly, to cry, as she jammed her dressing-sacque and tooth-brushinto an already over-crowded bag,

  "Dear me! Faith, have you a spot for my hair-brush? It won't fold upnor crush down, and this crocodile is just gorged. I don't know that Ican ever snap his jaws to in the world!"

  Faith looked and smiled an assent.

  "Toss it over! If your alligator-grip is full I can find room in thistelescope, but I hope it won't break my scent bottle."

  "Oh, alligator--yes, but what's the difference? The creatures lookalike in the pictures, I'm sure. That's a darling! Now, if I can everfind the eye for this hook--oh, thank you! How calm you are. Why, myhands fairly shake with nervousness. Now I believe I'm ready."

  "I too," returned Faith, taking up her gloves and smiling at Deborah,who just then opened the door, displaying eyes swollen with weeping andcap awry, and who observed sobbingly,

  "The new lady--Mrs. Rollston--is below, and asked if you was gone. Ithowt as likely she was a-wantin' to see you again, if you don't mind,though she didn't really ask for you. Will you be pleased to comedown?"

  "Yes indeed!" cried Hope. "Where _did_ I put that umbrella? Oh, Iremember! It's tied to the steamer trunk. We may as well take ourluggage all down, as we go so soon."

  "Yes," said Faith, who had already lifted the telescope and a linenrug-holder, embroidered with her initials, and calmly sailed out, whileHope buzzed aimlessly about, picking up sundry small belongings, duringwhich time Debby shouldered her heavier packages and followed. Thegirls allowed no dissimilarity in their costumes, to the smallestdetail, but for convenience' sake had selected their traps and luggageas unlike as possible. When Hope reached the drawing-room Mrs.Rollston was making to Faith a half-apology for her early visit.

  "I knew, if I could time my call exactly right, I would not bother you.There is always a breathing-space while waiting for the cab, and--"

  "And you have exactly hit it!" broke in Hope, coming forward to giveher greeting, as Faith turned away. "We are pleased to meet you again."

  "Thank you. I find myself, in my idle time here, waiting upon myhusband's business, taking more interest than is perhaps strictlyallowable in you both. Can you pardon me?"

  "Freely," said Faith, "and we return it. Hope and I had a smartdiscussion over you, last night. She says you are an American."

  "Does she?" turning swiftly to the sister. "What makes you think so,Miss Hope?"

  "Your manner, your dress, and your accent," was the prompt reply thoughthe girl flushed a little in embarrassment.

  "But how do you young English girls so well understand these points ofdifference when--"

  "Oh, but we're not English girls!" cried Hope.

  "That is, not entirely," qualified Faith. "Our mother was English--"

  "But our father's American!" Hope finished the sentence with atriumphant air, and her visitor laughed.

  "You seem proud of it, too," she said.

  "I am. Faith does not care so much, but I'm very glad it is so. Wewent across with father and Debby once, and stayed a year. It was sucha pleasant time! Father's people live in an old town they callLynn--such a pretty, shady place, with a drowsy air that wakes intoreal life two or three times a day, when the factory people streamthrough the streets--for you see they make shoes there."

  "Do they?" asked the lady with a peculiar smile, as if this were notgreat news to her.

  "Yes. Uncle Albert's house, where we lived, was almost hidden beneathgreat elm trees, and he and Aunt Clarice were so good to us."

  "And we kept bees," put in Faith, looking exactly like her twin in hersudden animation. "I used to help uncle swarm them myself."

  "And we went down to Boston every few weeks," Hope crowded in again,"and that was fine. I love Boston. Its narrow, crooked streets makeme think of our own Portsmouth, here, but with a difference. And oh!the gardens, and the Common, and the Museum--"

  "The cab's at the dure," announced Debby in an abused voice, feelingthat this lively talk was scarce seemly in view of the near separationto follow. Debby cherished grief, and felt it a Christian duty to makemuch of it, perhaps because her sunny nature would of itself throw itoff too lightly.

  At her word all was quickly changed. The two girls forgot the strangewoman to hug the dear old nurse, and finally were escorted by both tothe cab door, Hope crying heartily, Faith showing only misty eyes andquivering lips, but looking paler than her sister.

  It had been arranged that Captain Hosmer, whose business had kept himwith his steamer overnight, should meet his daughters at the pier, andthe cabman had his directions, so whipped up and was off without delay,leaving poor Debby almost a senseless heap upon the door-step--anold-fashioned green door on a retired street in the more ancient partof the suburb--while Mrs. Rollston, in some dismay, bent over her.

  But before the house disappeared from view Faith's straining eyes sawthe two slowly mounting the steps together and turned in great contentto say, "I'm glad that friendly lady is to be at Debby's. She has justhelped the poor dear up the steps as kindly as possible. Poor Debby!She will miss us."

  "Yes." Hope's quick tears were already somewhat stayed, and she nowlooked brightly out, as they clattered across the bridge into the townof Portsmouth proper and began to circle swiftly through the narrowstreets.

  "But she will feel better in a day or two. And oh! Faith, I can't helpbeing glad that we are going, can you? We leave Debby, but we go withfather, and such a fine voyage is enough to make any one happy. Oughtwe to feel all sorry?"

  "No, indeed! Why should we? As you say, we are to go with our father.That alone is a great delight."

  "And, by the way, that lady never told us whether she was American, ornot, did she?"

  "Sure enough! Well, we may never see her again, so what does itmatter? I hope we will, though, for I liked her."

  "And so did I," was Hope's emphatic rejoinder.

  Captain Hosmer opened the cab door for them himself, and gave them thegaze of wondering approval which he reserved for these fair daughters.To him their growth, development, and beauty seemed something magical,incomprehensible. He had left them in the lank, homely, tooth-sheddingperiod, at the time he placed them in school, and when he returned tosee them graduated, here were two blooming maidens on the veryborderland of charming womanhood. The usual love and pride of a fatherwas in him a rapture made up of the love given to his very own, andalso of the admiration that a man, little thrown among women, is apt tofeel for those of his fireside. Then, too, these were the relics of awife most fondly cherished, and he constantly saw in them traits andexpressions which brought her to mind, and filled his heart withtenderness.

  They, in turn, fairly adored the tall, brawny man, whose whole bearingbespoke self-restraint, and the calm exercise of authority, and if hisattitude towards them was both chivalrous and tender, theirs to him wasfondly admiring and respectful.

  "I've been waiting for you ten minutes," he said, flinging his cigaraway. Then he beckoned to a sailor who, cap in hand, stood by, andgiving him a low order, led the girls off at a brisk pace, saying,"Jack will see to your luggage; I've something to show you before weleave."

  With one on either arm he walked them rapidly among the bales, boxes,cordage, wagons, lumber, and people crowding the wharf, then turnedabruptly townwards, entered a short, lane-like street, and finallystopped at a low, quaint-looking old shop, leaning in a tired manneragainst a larger building beyond, thus throwing its doors and windowsinto such oblique angles that Hope declared it made her feel dizzy. Alittle dark man--doubtless to match the little dark house--bowed withmuch suavity in the doorway, as if expecting them, and the captain atonce addressed him.

  "Here we are, Beppo! Bring them along, and be qui
ck about it." But,though his words were commanding, his eyes twinkled at the man, who,ducking his black head once more, disappeared within.

  The girls peered into the doorway, from which issued a by-no-meansagreeable odor, and their father asked, laughingly.

  "Shall we go in?"

  "I think not," said Faith, holding her handkerchief to her daintylittle nose, "but what are those queer--why!" She jumped and caught ather father, for some one had seemed to ask in a gruff voice, right ather ear, "What d'ye want?"

  Her father laughed outright.

  "Scared you, eh? Look out, Hope!" for the latter had stepped inside.

  She answered merrily.

  "Oh, Faith, come! What you heard was a parrot. And there are a lot ofbirds--oh! and cats--such queer ones. Do come and see."

  But at this minute, from some inner apartment Beppo reappeared, a cagein either hand. In one perched a parrot of gorgeous plumage, in theother crouched a beautiful Angora cat, large and tawny, its great brushof a tail curled disconsolately about its ears.

  "What a lovely kitten!" cried Faith, "and so frightened. Poor, poorPussy!"

  "And such a saucy parrot!" chimed in Hope. "Isn't it handsome, though?"

  "He talka--oh, mocha he talka," observed Beppo, holding the cages onhigh with a prideful air. "An' he pussa ver' fine, yes."

  "Well, girls, which do you like the better?" said the captain. "I knowit's the thing to give presents to out-going travelers, and I want todo everything shipshape. But flowers are a nuisance the second dayout, and fruit a drug, so I thought a pet was the thing. It's only todecide which it shall be."

  "Oh, if we can't have both, do let's take the parrot; don't you say so,Faith?"

  "Why, if you wish it, of course, dear, but"--her gaze restedlingeringly upon the other cage.

  "But you want the Persian cat, I see, daughter," put in the captain."Well, well, let's have both, Beppo. We'll find some place to stow'em, no doubt. Have you somebody by to carry them to the steamer?"

  "Me go," cried the man, grinning broadly in delight over this trade,"me vife she stay--me go."

  "But couldn't I carry the poor kitten in my arms, she seems to feelbeing a prisoner so?" asked Faith, distressed for the pet she lovedalready.

  "He might scratch you," said the captain, but Beppo shook his head.

  "Noa, noa, he gooda; but he getta waya. Dis safa. Betta go cagea."

  "Drat the cage!" shouted a hoarse voice, and Faith nearly fell overbackwards, while Hope danced up and down in merry laughter.

  "It's my parrot! Oh, father, _does_ he swear? What will we do withhim?"

  The captain was silently shaking with merriment, but drew himselftogether and turned sternly to the man. "Beppo, you declared that wasa refined, clean-talking bird--now, didn't you? I told you it was fora young lady."

  The man's face fell and he broke into profuse apologies, which grewmore unintelligible as they increased in vehemence. Out of it all theymanaged to gather that this was the parrot's worst expression, and onlylately learned of a "badda carpentiera," who had found difficulty infashioning the wooden cage he was making, and had used "badda wodda" inconsequence. Hope could scarcely wait till he had finished to cry,anxiously,

  "But, father, it isn't a real swear-word, now, is it? And anyhow wecan teach him to do better. Do, _do_ let me have him!"

  Her father gave her a merry glance.

  "They say some women really like to hear a man use strongexpressions--now, it can't be you are like that--or is it that you wantsomebody to reform, eh? However, if you can stand it I can--sailorshave to get used to such things. I can't say I've ever found it reallynecessary to swear though, as some of them maintain. I can do aconsiderable amount of ordering in the worst storm going, and rememberto rule my tongue as well as my crew. In fact, I won't have anythingof the kind aboard, so, my dear, if your bird begins by breaking myrules, what then?"

  "I shall teach him better. Parrots say what they are taught, and if hedoes not hear it, he won't talk it."

  "Well, then, if you'll take him in hand--come on, Beppo, we must bemoving," and the little procession began its march.

  Faith drew a long breath of relief.

  "Well," she remarked, with a dainty lifting of the brows that alwaysmade the captain think of his girl-wife, so long lost to him, "I'mdecidedly grateful that my cat cannot talk. He won't be able todisgrace us, at least."