Rockhaven

by Charles Clark Munn

  CHAPTER XIX

  A PHILOSOPHER

  Winn had felt it best to keep silent regarding his suspicions of Weston& Hill, but this new development forced him to unbosom himself to someone and he went to Jess. He waited until the usual evening gathering ofcallers had left the store, and then he told the story of his distrustfrom the beginning and ended by reading a portion of Jack's letter. Tohis surprise Jess received it all as unmoved as a granite ledge.

  "I ain't a mite s'rprised," he said, "I sorter felt all 'long that this'ere boss o' yourn was a swindler 'n' foolin' ye, an' the only reason Itook any stock was jist to help ye."

  "I know it," responded Winn, "and it's that and because you haveinfluenced others to do so, that worries me."

  But Jess only smiled.

  "Keep cool," he said, "an' let yer hair grow. I ain't in it so deep butI kin 'ford to lose all I've put in 'n' take keer o' the rest on 'emhere. What we want to do now is ter cac'late. When the wind getssqually, the fust thing's to shorten sail. I'll 'low yer friend knowshis business, 'n' we'd best send this stock to him 'n' let him sell itif he kin find fools to buy it at the price it's goin', an' then we'dbest lay the men off at the quarry 'n' let 'em go fishin'. We might keeptwo or three on 'em goin'," he added as an afterthought, "jist to keepup 'pearances 'n' lay low till the wind shifts."

  "It may be you are right," asserted Winn, "but I do not know what to doand the situation worries me."

  "No sorter use 'n' worryin'," said Jess tersely, "ye'r healthy, ain'tye?"

  And then Winn laughed. "Yes," he said, "I am, and no worse off than whenI came here, but it disturbs me to find I've been deceived."

  "You'll git used to that," replied Jess, "I hev. I cac'late in my time Ihev hed more'n a hundred pounds o'wool pulled into my eyes 'n' I ain'tblind yit. The only cause I've hed fer blamin' myself is 'most everytime I got skinned it was 'cause I was too dum good-hearted."

  "And that is just why I feel so bad," put in Winn; "you bought thisstock to help me, and if you lose, it's on me."

  Jess laughed heartily.

  "Well, you're shakin' hands with the divil a good ways off," he said,"up to date I'm ahead o' the game a cool hundred 'n' a middlin' goodchance o' gittin' more'n double my money back. I cac'late, of course,this stock ain't wuth a cuss, but if by some hocus-pocus they're sayin'it's wuth what your friend says 'tis, I stand a fair chance o' gittin'square. Better tell him he kin let it go fer a dollar 'n' not hang onfer more. I'll be satisfied if I git my hat back."

  Then Jess, the big-hearted, thought of Winn. "It's none o' my bizness,"he said, "but ez you've made free to trust me, how air ye fixed on thisstock? Hev ye put much money into it?"

  "I've put five hundred, part borrowed," answered Winn candidly, "andthey made me a present of five hundred shares besides."

  "Wal, that's a credit to ye, anyhow," responded Jess with an approvinglook, "an' ye kin feel ye come higher'n the parson." Then after a fewminutes' silent meditation during which he closed his eyes and strokedhis chin affectionately, he added: "As a gineral thing I'd be slow inadvisin' anybody to go crooked, but when ye feel ye're in the hands o'sharpers, it's the only way. Now what I'd advise ye to do is to keep onreportin' the same pay-roll right 'long 'n' lay most o' the men off fera week or two till ye find what yer friend's done with the stock. Whatthey send ye extra may come handy 'fore this cat's skinned and buried.Then ye kin kinder take it easy for a spell 'n' look the island over solong's yer time 'n' wages is goin' on. Let 'em do the fiddlin' while youdance this time. They cac'late ter make ye do all the fiddlin' an' turnabout is fair play."

  JESS HUTTON, PHILOSOPHER.]

  "I'll take your advice and do just what you say," replied Winn eagerly,his spirits once more raised to their normal level by this quaintphilosopher, and as it was late in the evening and the mention of fiddlerecalled Jess Hutton's hobby, he added: "You have lifted a load off mymind, and now please give me a few tunes, Mr. Hutton. I feel likehearing some music."

  And Jess the genial, to whom his fiddle was wife, child, friend, andcompanion, once more drew it forth, and as Winn lighted a fresh cigarand leaned back to enjoy it, again as before was he charmed by the oldman's art.

  And that spell wrought by "Money Musk," "Fisher's Hornpipe," "TheDevil's Dream" and such old-time dance tunes that followed in quicksuccession carried Winn back to his boyhood days and out of the turmoiland strife of city life, and once more he felt himself in the old farmbarn with lanterns swinging aloft and a score of country lads andlassies keeping step with him to the same lively measures. He could seetheir happy faces and the sparkle of their eyes as "balance and swing,""do-see-do" and "all promenade" echoed from the rafters. He could evenfeel the supple waist and warm handclasp of the willing maid who dancedwith him, and when the evening of simple but unalloyed delight was over,came the long walk home with that same farmer's daughter while themoonlight silvered the landscape and the rustling leaves in the maplelane, tinkling like tiny bells beneath their feet. Gone were all thehectic years of city life, the stab of Ethel Sherman, the distrust ofJack Nickerson, and the humiliation of the years with Weston & Hill.Gone, too, all his present dread and the fog that for weeks had obscuredhis course. Once more he felt full of young courage with success andriches almost within his grasp. Then as the evening waned and JessHutton's fingers strayed to the old sweet love songs of Scotland and"Robin Adair" and "Annie Laurie" whispered the burden of theiraffection, the tender eyes of Mona and the wild rock-walled gorge wherehe had first heard her play the same songs touched his heart. With thismemory, so sweet in a way, came a heartache. When the evening was endedand he, having thanked Jess for the good cheer in words and music,betook himself to Rock Lane, he paused a moment in front of Mona's home.Not a light was visible, not a sound except the low murmur of thedistant sea. Only a few seconds he stood there, looking and thinking,and then kept on to his room.

  The mood of the church bells was with him still.