CHAPTER XIV.
GUESSWORK.
"But," said the captain, at length, "you haven't guessed yet what Ihave for you."
"Sure enough!" cried Hope, suddenly sitting upright. "Is it a sari foreach, or a fez, or--"
"Or a pajama?" laughed Faith.
"No, you are miles away! It's something that is precious, that you canshare equally, and that did not cost me a penny. There! I've givenyou pointers enough for the dullest guesser."
"And only made it harder!" said Hope.
"Let's see, it's precious, and to be shared, and cost nothing? Ididn't suppose one could even pick up a pebble, in Algiers, without itscosting."
"Well, this is not a pebble," returned the father.
"Oh, may we ask questions?" cried Faith. "Like the game of 'TwentyQuestions,' you know?" and, at his nod, she continued excitedly, "Is itanimal, vegetable, or mineral?"
"Well, one might almost say all three," said their father slowly, "forits principal ingredient is certainly vegetable, yet with it is astrong impress of what may be made from a mineral, and neither would beof the least use, but for the animal, which combines the two, to makethem what they are."
"Dear! dear! It grows harder and harder," groaned Hope. "Is itsprincipal element fire, air, earth, or water?"
"Well, you've rather caught me there," laughed the father. "Let mesee--there may be fire of a certain kind in it, though it's not yetvisible; of course it is permeated with air, like everything else, and,judging from its appearance, I should think there was considerableearth about it--" laughing amusedly--"but water? Well, no--it hascrossed water, no doubt, but--"
"Papa, it's a book!" Hope burst out with conviction. "The paper isvegetable, the ink mineral, and the fire is--is--well, genius, youknow, and--wait! I'll ask another question; can it be opened and shut?"
"It can be open--yes. But shut? I hardly see how--"
"Why, surely, papa, you can shut a book," put in Faith.
"But it isn't a book," returned the captain blandly, at which bothstared in dumb amazement.
"Not a _book_? Oh dear!" they sighed in concert.
Their father laughed outright.
"Why don't you ask some more questions?" he cried teasingly.
"Oh, because it seems as if every one mixed us up worse. I was so_sure_ it was a book," groaned Hope, quite crestfallen.
"Well then, is it useful or ornamental?"
"Now, that's a poser!" He ruminated a minute, then said, "It's useful,certainly, but not just what you'd call ornamental. One wouldn't saveit for an ornament--not this one, anyway, but simply for its contents--"
"I have it, I have it!" Faith actually jumped up and down.
"It's a letter! It's a letter from Debby! Now, isn't it? Your'contents' gave it away. Say I'm right, father--come, now!"
"Well, you are. You've guessed it, that's certain."
"Humph!" sneered Hope, distinctly miffed, "who couldn't, after you'dfairly told it? I knew all the time it was a book, or a letter, orsomething."
"You should have said so sooner, Miss Hindsight," laughed her father."But I confess you came pretty close to it, my dear. And here it is.From Debby, surely, because from Portsmouth, but this elegant modernwriting is never hers in the world. She has evidently engaged somefriend to write that address, and it's a neat one."
"Father, you said there was earth about it; how can that be?" broke inHope, scarcely mollified, as yet.
He held it up, and pointed to its worn condition, and two or threeblack thumb-marks.
"Isn't there earth for you?" he laughed. "What is earth but soil?"
"Oh--h!" cried Hope, "is that fair--to play upon words so?"
"Let's call it square anyhow, sweetheart, and you read it aloud tosister and me, won't you?"
Hope could do no less than comply, and the bulky missive was receivedby the listeners with as much respectful enjoyment as if it had been aneat-appearing, well-worded epistle, instead of the rambling,disjointed, much-soiled, and oddly-expressed letter that it was. Thegood woman began and ended every paragraph with lamentations andlongings over her darlings, and the lines between told of her 'good'and 'bad' lodgers, as she distinctly divided them, her few pleasurejaunts, and some of the gossip of the neighborhood, only a few words ofwhich concern this little history.
"You'll recklict," she wrote, "the leddy what come jest a dey or toobefore yoo saled? Well, shees heer yit and I like 'er best ov al. Sheain't to say real lively, yoo no, but shese good compny, and ken talkgood on most enny sub-jick, and she ain't abuv spending a 'our with oldDebby now'n then either. She is thee wun what is riting yure names onthis verry letter--ain't it good ov 'er?"
"Who is this lodger?" asked the captain. "I don't remember seeing her."
The girls looked at each other inquiringly.
"Don't you remember, Hope?"
"I didn't suppose you'd forget, Faith!" were their simultaneousremarks, as each began to laugh.
"No," said Hope then, "I can't remember at all; but I know she waslooking at our rooms just the day before we sailed, and we thought hervery ladylike and pleasant. Don't you know how interested she seemedin our voyage, and how we thought her an American, then recalledafterwards that we had not found out whether she was or not?"
"Yes, it does come back to me," said Faith, and the talk drifted intoother home matters, not essential here.
The next day was more sultry than any they had yet experienced, and thedecks were filled with loungers. Hope and Bess, however, were deeplyoccupied over some new stitch in embroidery, that one was teaching theother, and Faith, who had been romping with the little ones till warmand weary, thought, while resting in a deep steamer-chair by herself,that she would give dear old Debby's letter a second reading. As shedrew it from her pocket for that purpose, and removed the envelope, alittle puff of wind caught the latter from her lap, and sent it lightlyskimming down the deck. Faith, quite unheeding, read on, smiling overher nurse's peculiar spelling, and the envelope sped along its wayunchecked, an unconscious instrument of fate. As if heaven-directed,it presently swerved a trifle from its first course, fluttered to andfro an instant, then neared a woman, who sat listlessly by herself, herarms resting upon those of her chair and her eyes, dark and sad,fastened upon the far horizon. There was a tense quiet in her attitudethat seemed to cover something most unlike quietude within.
A slight noise at her side broke the spell of her gloomy musing and,glancing down, she saw the bit of stiff paper lying motionless besideher, and thinking it something she might herself have dropped, reachedidly down and picked it up.
But at the first glance she was as one electrified. Sitting upright,pallid and eager, she gazed at the superscription, her face growingradiant with hope and joy. At length she rose and, turning about,looked forward along the deck, gay with its groups in light clothing,its covering awnings, and its little children with their picturesqueIndian ayahs.
A short way off sat Faith, smiling over her letter, and to her wentLady Moreham, a soft expression upon her face that made it lovely.
"My dear," she said, as the girl looked up brightly, "is this yours?"
Faith glanced at the envelope, which the speaker did not offer torelinquish.
"Why, yes. Did I drop it? Oh, it blew away. Thank you for returningit."
As she spoke she rose, with instinctive courtesy, and offered herchair, bringing another from a little distance for herself. LadyMoreham accepted it with an absent manner, and, sinking into it, saidquickly, with agitation in her tones,
"I must ask you a question or two, but not out of curiosity, believeme. Was this address written by some one you know--a friend?"
Faith smiled.
"Yes and no, my lady. We have met the one who wrote it--Hope andI--but neither of us can recall her name;" and thereupon she toldsomething of her old nurse, and the coming of the new lodger, justbefore their departure on this journey.
Lady Moreham listened with breathless intere
st, her eyes intent uponthe envelope, which she still held. As Faith touched lightly upon theappearance of the stranger, she said briefly.
"Tell me more, please. Describe everything about her. Was she tall,or short? What colored hair and eyes? What sort of voice?"
"A flutey voice, like some birds I've listened to," returned the girlruminantly, "but with something a bit odd and different in her speechthat made us think her an American, and Hope even spoke of it; but justthen the carriage came to take us to the wharf, and she forgot toanswer."
"Yes, yes," cried the other eagerly, "and she was tall and slender?"
"Very, and a fine figure, we thought. She had light brown hair, andher eyes--"
"Yes, her eyes--" Lady Moreham was bending forward with bated breath,and Faith watched her wonderingly as she continued, "When she looked atyou, listening to what you had to say, was there any peculiarity?"
"Only that they were not of the same size nor color," laughed the girl,"and she had a way of dropping her head a little, and looking upsidewise like a bird."
"True, true!" breathed the lady, "and as you say one eye was brown andone blue."
Faith nodded acquiescence, but smiled to herself, knowing she had saidnothing of the kind.
"But you cannot remember her name?"
"No, neither of us. We only saw her for a few minutes, once or twice,you see."
A little cloud fell over the lady's face, and after a perplexed gaze,in which her eyes, fixed upon Faith, seemed to look through and beyondher, she rose abruptly, said in her usual reserved manner, "Thank youfor your information," and walked away.
Faith, looking after her wonderingly, saw young Allyne standing near,his eyes turned wistfully upon herself. She flushed a little, and sodid he; then, with an impulsive movement, he made a step forward.
"Miss Hosmer," he began quickly, "I've wanted to say a word to yoursister for some time, but no opportunity has offered. Perhaps it willbe just as well to say it to you?"
Faith bowed, not comprehending, and he went on rapidly, as if to hurryover a disagreeable duty,
"I feel that I was inexcusable, the other evening, in my reference toyour sister, and I can't understand myself at all. I suppose shedoesn't care what I think of her--good, bad, or indifferent--but I wantyou, at least, to know that I do think her one of the sweetest, mostmodest, girls I ever saw--too reserved and quiet, indeed, if she has aflaw!"
Faith's drooped eyes were dancing. She knew the young man believedhimself to be speaking to Hope, about herself, and that, to be quitefair, she ought to undeceive him at once. But a spirit of mischief hadtaken possession of her and she felt he deserved some punishment.Besides, it is so rare a chance when one can talk oneself over with aperson who has not learned one's identity! So she answered brusquely,in Hope's own manner,
"I couldn't understand it, either, and it will be hard to make mysister listen. She is a bit inflexible, at times. If you knew herbetter you could never have hurt her so. She is not a flirt, by anymeans!"
"I know it!" groaned Allyne, thoroughly shamed and penitent. "I knewit then, but--I may as well own up--it was the champagne."
"More shame to you!" declared Faith with unusual decision. "That is noexcuse at all, for if it makes you do and say things to regret later.Why don't you simply let it alone?"
He looked at her with a derisive laugh.
"Why don't I?" he began, then catching her earnest expression, checkedhimself. "That's good logic, I suppose," he added.
"More--it's good sense," she argued. "I love oranges, for instance,but they make me ill. Do you suppose I go on eating them? That wouldbe too foolish! Yet men are supposed to have more strength andself-control than women."
The attache drew up a chair and dropped into it, not loth to linger,even to be lectured.
"I don't think men have more of such strength though," he said. "Theirsuperiority is physical, not mental."
"They ought to be ashamed to own it!" cried Faith. "The two should gotogether."
"Well, we are ashamed--_I_ am ashamed!" smiling upon her. "Yet we arewilling to give you girls all the credit you like for your decision ofcharacter, only caring to retain just a little vanity on account of ourown endurance in other ways. And you'll have to own there isn't one ofyou who likes a Molly Coddle!"
"Is it being a Molly Coddle to be strong and true to yourself?"
"Oh, well, you put it nicely, but just look at the fellows who will sitby and never join in the wine and the fun--aren't they a ratherfeeble-looking set?"
"Is my father feeble?" asked Faith, turning such a sweetly arch andtender face upon him that the young man felt his heart thump.
"Well no--hardly!" he laughed.
"Yet he knows enough to leave all liquor alone, and believes himselfthe stronger for it. And don't you, yourself, feel a bit safer onboard this steamer, to know he can perfectly control himself?"
Allyne tapped his chair arm and ruminated.
"_He_ certainly is no Molly Coddle!" he observed, finally, with a vividremembrance of the captain's stern visage and curt manner upon acertain uncomfortable occasion. "I think I never looked at the matterquite in this light before, Miss Hosmer. Nearly every one I meet takeswine, and I've been disgusted with myself that I couldn't keep my headso long as others did when drinking. It never occurred to me to keepmy head by not drinking at all! That's worth considering. Thank youfor a kind word and good thought!"
"You are welcome!" smiled the girl rising. "And I'll leave you todigest it while I go and read to Mrs. Blakely."
"Mrs. Blakely! That old lady with the green goggles?"
"Yes."
"What, in goodness' name do you find to admire in her? I thought shewas a cranky old invalid."
"Well, she is not very young, nor handsome, nor pleasant, and she hastrouble with her eyes--but that's just why I do read to her. Now, nicestrong people with good eyes, and manners--like yourself, for instance,don't need such attention. You can amuse yourselves;" and with alaughing glance, and little mocking courtesy, she slipped away.
He looked after her with admiring eyes.
"She hit me there!" he owned inwardly. "But even her scorn ispleasant. Gad! I can congratulate myself that she isn't the one Iinsulted. She would never have forgiven me--that's certain! As it is,this little girl may intercede with her sister and make it easierthere. I'm glad I had the sand to speak out, anyhow!"
He had been seated some time, lost in thoughts that could not harm him,when Hope came tripping by, intent on finding Dwight, with whom she hadsome scheme on hand, her eyes dancing with fun and expectation.Allyne, looking up, thought his _vis-a-vis_ of a short time since wasback again, the arch, laughing expression with which she had left himnot yet cold on her face. "I have thought it all out," he saidquickly, "and you are right. I mean to try it, at least."
Hope stopped, with a cold stare of astonishment.
"Try it?" she repeated blankly.
"Yes," his face falling like the barometer before a storm. "Surely,you have not forgotten! I'll try going without entirely, if you tellme to. It is best, and you are right. But, if I do, may I not countupon your friendship to help me? And you surely will make it rightwith your sister, also? Though I may value yours the most, I can neverfeel right until that is straightened out."
Hope saw there was something she did not comprehend, but from formerexperiences concluded she could pretty accurately conjecture what hadgone before. In some way this bold offender had seen and talked toFaith, won her soft heart to pardon, and was now suing for her ownforgiveness, with the belief that she and Faith had talked it over, andonly thus could her full friendship be secured. She would lead him onto fuller confession before committing herself. It would serve himrightly for his insolence! Because her sister was soft-hearted was noreason she should be, and when he offended one he must learn that heoffended both.
"I don't know that I can make it right with her," she said guardedly."Why should I try?"
"Oh, but you seemed so forgiving a moment since," he urged. "Youhaven't repented of it so soon, I'm sure."
"I did, did I?" thought Hope, still more puzzled but bound not to showit--then aloud, "But girls sometimes change their minds."
"In a half hour? Then, where is that decision you boast of? No, ifyou are weak enough to do that, there is no use in my trying."
"Trying what?" wondered Hope, and said vaguely, "The two cases arescarcely similar."
"Perhaps not, but how could you consistently call me weak to yield towine, if you are to be helpful and kind one minute, and scornful thenext? You said you would help me to win over Miss Faith, and I thoughtyou also tacitly promised me help in another way. Are you going backon everything, now?"
"No, indeed!" cried Hope, fully comprehending at last. ("So he talkedFaith over, thinking it was I--and she let him think so--sly puss! Ididn't believe it was in her!") Then aloud, "I will do what I can, ofcourse, but Faith, though seeming so gentle, has a strain ofobstinacy--"
"Yes, you hinted at that before."
("Indeed!" laughed the girl inside, "how well she did it!")
"But she is so fond of you, and I long to be friends with both."
"Yes?" interpolated Hope, with an indifferent accent.
"Yes," strongly; "but if I can't have her friendship, I still plead foryours. You can help me--you have helped me already."
"But if she won't listen to me?" queried the girl, keeping her amusedeyes lowered.
"Then give it up, and I will bear her displeasure; but don't double itby adding your own."
"Then, possibly, I had better not say anything--"
"And keep the matter to ourselves?" eagerly.
"Why, y-yes, for the present, at least."
"All right! I'm willing. Only you'll ignore me when she's by, I'mafraid."
Hope turned suddenly away, almost unable to control her laughter.
"I ought to ignore you always," she said, "but--"
"But you won't, I'm sure! And, in time, even she will see how I haveimproved, and relent towards me."
"Do you think so?" asked Hope in a smothered tone.
"Indeed I do! She is too sweet and fine a girl to hold resentment, I'msure. I'll win her over yet!"
"Well, you might try," said the naughty girl in a tone of doubtfulassent, "but my sister is not one to be trifled with, and you were wiseto come to me. If you ever do speak to her, I wouldn't advise you torepeat this conversation--" and, chuckling amusedly, Hope sped on herway, leaving Allyne in great contentment of mind. He looked after herwith a smile.
"It was lucky I tackled the right one!" he muttered. "The other islovely; I suppose, but I like a little more force and fire. In spiteof their resemblance it's easy enough to tell them apart when one isreally interested. Well, I must keep my promise, now, and behavemyself--that is clear!"
All Aboard: A Story for Girls Page 14
