Elsie's children

by Martha Finley

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THIRD.

  "Sacred love is basely bought and sold; Wives are grown traffic, marriage is a trade." --RANDOLPH.

  They came safely into port. A little crowd of eager, expectant friendsstood waiting on the wharf; among them a tall, dark-eyed young man, with abright, intellectual face, whom Molly, seated on the deck in the midst ofthe family group, recognized with almost a cry of delight.

  The instant a plank was thrown out, he sprang on board, and in anothermoment she was in his arms, sobbing, "Oh, Dick, Dick. I thought I'd neversee you again!"

  "Why?" he said with a joyous laugh, "we've not been so long or so farapart that you need have been in despair of that."

  Then as he turned to exchange greetings with the others, his ear caughtthe words, "We had an awful night, expecting every moment to see flamesbursting out from the hold."

  "What, what does it mean?" he asked, grasping his uncle's hand, while hischeek paled, and he glanced hastily from side to side.

  "We have had a narrow escape," said Mr. Dinsmore.

  The main facts were soon given, the details as they drove to their hotel,and Dick rejoiced with trembling, as he learned how, almost, he had lostthese dear ones.

  A few days were spent in Philadelphia, then Mr. Dinsmore and the Travillassought their seaside homes, Dick going with them.

  Their coming was hailed with joy by Mrs. Dinsmore and her daughter Rose,who had been occupying their cottage for a week or more.

  The Conlys would linger some time longer in the city, laying in a stock offinery for the summer campaign, then, joined by Mrs. Delaford, they toowould seek the seashore.

  The cottages were quite out of the town, built facing the ocean, and asnear it as consistent with safety and comfort.

  The children hailed the first whiff of the salt sea breeze with eagerdelight, were down upon the beach within a few minutes of their arrival,and until bedtime left it only long enough to take their tea, finishingtheir day with a long moonlight drive along the shore.

  They were given perfect liberty to enjoy themselves to the full; the onlyrestrictions being that they were not to go into danger, or out of sightof the house, or to the water's edge unless accompanied by some oldermember of the family or a trusty servant.

  The next morning they were all out again for a ramble before breakfast,and immediately after prayers Vi, Rosie, Harold and Herbert, with a manservant in attendance, returned to the beach.

  The girls were collecting shells and seaweed, the two boys skipping stoneson the water, Ben, the servant, watching the sport with keen interest, andoccasionally joining in it.

  Absorbed in their amusements, none of them noticed the approach of a youngman in undress uniform.

  He followed them for some moments in a careless way, as if he were butcasually strolling in the same direction, yet was watching with closeattention every movement of Vi's graceful figure.

  She and Rosie were unconsciously widening the distance between theirbrothers and themselves, not noticing that the boys had become stationary.

  Perceiving this, and that they were now out of earshot, the strangerquickened his pace, and coming up behind the lads, hailed them with, "Sohere you are, my fine fellows! I'm pleased to meet you again!"

  "Oh," exclaimed Herbert, looking round, "it's the gentleman that tellssuch nice stories! Good-morning, sir. We're glad to see you, too."

  "Yes, indeed," assented Harold offering his hand, which the strangergrasped and shook heartily. "We're having a splendid time skipping stones.Did you ever do it?"

  "Many a time when I was a little chap like you, I used to be a famoushand at it. Let's see if I can equal you now."

  He was soon apparently as completely engrossed with the sport as any ofthem, yet through it all was furtively watching Vi and Rosie as theystrolled slowly onward, now stooping to pick up a shell or pausing amoment to gaze out over the wide expanse of waters, then sauntering onagain in careless, aimless fashion, thoroughly enjoying the entire freedomfrom ordinary tasks and duties.

  The boys knew nothing about their new companion except what they had seenof him on board the vessel; their mother had not understood who was theirstory-telling friend, and in the excitement of the storm and the hastyvisit to the city, he had been quite forgotten by all three. Nor were anyof the family aware of his vicinity; thus it happened that the lads hadnot been warned against him.

  Vi, however, had seen him with Virginia and knew from what passed directlyafterward between her grandfather and aunt (though she did not hear theconversation) that the stranger was not one whom Mr. Dinsmore approved.

  Not many minutes had passed before she looked back, and seeing that shehad left her brothers some distance behind, hastily began to retrace herfootsteps, Rosie with her.

  The instant they turned to do so, the captain, addressing Harold, artfullyinquired, "Do you know that young lady?"

  "I should think so! she's my own sister," said the boy proudly. "Thelittle one too."

  "Pretty girls, both of them. Won't you introduce me?"

  "Yes, I suppose so," returned the boy a little doubtfully, and taking amore critical survey of his new acquaintance than he had thought necessarybefore; "you--you're a gentleman and a good man, aren't you?"

  "Don't I look like it?" laughed the captain. "Would you take me for arogue?"

  "I--I don't believe you'd be a burglar or a thief, but----"

  "Well?"

  "Please don't think I mean to be rude, sir, but you broke the thirdcommandment a minute ago."

  "The third? which is that? for I really don't remember."

  "I thought you'd forgotten it," said Herbert.

  "It's the one that says, 'Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy Godin vain,'" answered Harold, in low reverent tones.

  "I own to being completely puzzled," said the captain. "I certainlyhaven't been swearing."

  "No, not exactly; but you said, 'By George,' and 'By Heaven,' and mammasays such words are contrary to the spirit of the command, and that no onewho is a thorough gentleman and Christian will ever use them."

  "That's a very strict rule," he said, lifting his cap and bowing low toViolet, who was now close at hand.

  She did not seem to notice it, or to see him at all.

  "Boys," she said with gentle gravity, "let us go home now."

  "What for, Vi? I'm not tired of the beach yet," objected Herbert.

  "I have something to tell you; something else to propose. Won't you gowith me?"

  "Yes," and with a hasty "good-bye," to the captain, they joined theirsisters, who were already moving slowly toward home.

  "What have you to tell us, Vi?" asked Harold.

  "That I know grandpa does not approve of that man, and I am quite suremamma would not wish you to be with him. The sun is getting hot and thereare Dick and Molly on the veranda; let's go and talk with them for awhile. It's nearly time now for our drive."

  "Miss Wi'let," said Ben, coming up behind, "dat fellah's mighty pow'fulmad; swored a big oath dat you's proud as Luficer."

  "Oh, then we won't have anything more to do with him!" exclaimed the boys,Herbert adding, "but I do wish he was good, for he does tell such famousstories."

  They kept their word and were so shy of the captain that he soon gave uptrying to cultivate their acquaintance, or to make that of their sisters.

  Mrs. Noyes and he were boarding at the same hotel, and from her he learnedthat Mrs. Delaford and the Conlys were expected shortly, having engagedrooms on the same floor with herself.

  The information was agreeable, as, though he did not care particularly forVirginia, flirting with her would, he thought, be rather an enjoyable wayof passing the time; all the more so that it would be in opposition to Mr.Dinsmore's wishes; for the captain knew very well why, and at whosesuggestion, Virginia had been summoned away from his society on board thevessel, and had no love for the man who so highly disapproved of him.

  The girl, too, resented
her uncle's interference, and on her arrival, withthe perversity of human nature, went farther in her encouragement of theyoung man's attentions than she, perhaps, would otherwise have done.

  Her mother and aunt looked on with indifference, if not absolute approval.

  Isadore was the only one who offered a remonstrance, and she was cut shortwith a polite request to "mind her own business."

  "I think I am, Virgy," she answered pleasantly, "I'm afraid you're gettingyourself into trouble; and surely I ought to try to save you from that."

  "I won't submit to surveillance," returned her sister. "I wouldn't live inthe same house with Uncle Horace for anything. And if mamma and AuntDelaford don't find fault, you needn't."

  Isadore, seriously concerned for Virginia's welfare, was questioning inher own mind whether she ought to mention the matter to her uncle, whenher mother set that doubt at rest by forbidding her to do so.

  Isa, who was trying to be a consistent Christian, would neither flirt nordance, and the foolish, worldly-minded mother was more vexed at herbehavior than at Virginia's.

  Isa slipped away to the cottage homes of the Dinsmores and Travillaswhenever she could. She enjoyed the quiet pleasures and the refined andintellectual society of her relatives and the privileged friends, bothladies and gentlemen, whom they gathered about them.

  Lester Leland, who had taken up his abode temporarily in that vicinity,was a frequent visitor and sometimes brought a brother artist with him.Dick's cronies came too, and old friends of the family from far and near.

  Elsie sent an early invitation to Lucy Ross to bring her daughters andspend some weeks at the cottage.

  The reply was a hasty note from Lucy saying that she deeply regretted herinability to accept, but they were extremely busy making preparations tospend the season at Saratoga, had already engaged their rooms and couldnot draw back; beside that Gertrude and Kate had set their hearts ongoing. "However," she added, "she would send Phil in her place, he musthave a little vacation and insisted he would rather visit their oldfriends the Travillas, than go anywhere else in the world; he would put upat a hotel (being a young man, he would of course prefer that) but hopedto spend a good deal of time at the cottage."

  He did so, and attached himself almost exclusively to the younger Elsie,with an air of proprietorship which she did not at all relish.

  She tried to let him see it without being rude; but the blindness ofegotism and vast self-appreciation was upon him and he thought her onlycharmingly coy; probably with the intent to thus conceal her love andadmiration.

  He was egregiously mistaken. She found him, never the most interesting ofcompanions at times an intolerable bore; and was constantly contrastinghis conversation which ran upon trade and money making, stocks, bonds andmortgages, to the exclusion of nearly everything else except fulsomeflatteries of herself--with that of Lester Leland, who spoke withenthusiasm of his art; who was a lover of Nature and Nature's God; whosethoughts dwelt among lofty themes, while at the same time he was entirelyfree from vanity, his manner as simple and unaffected as that of a littlechild.

  He was a favorite with all the family; his society enjoyed especially bythe ladies.

  He devoted himself more particularly to sculpture, but also sketchedfinely from nature, as did both Elsie and Violet; the latter was beginningto show herself a genius in both that and music, Elsie had recently underLeland's instructions, done some very pretty wood carving and modeling inclay, and this similarity of tastes made them very congenial.

  Philip's stay was happily not lengthened, business calling him back to NewYork.

  Letters came now and then from Mrs. Ross, Gertrude or Kate, telling oftheir gay life at Saratoga.

  The girls seemed to have no lack of gentlemen admirers; among whom was aMr. Larrabee from St. Louis, who was particularly attentive to Gertrude.

  At length it was announced that they were engaged.

  It was now the last of August. The wedding was to take place about themiddle of October, and as the intervening six weeks would barely affordtime for the preparation of the trousseau, the ladies hurried home to NewYork.

  Then Kate came down to spend a week with the Travillas.

  She looked fagged and worn, complained of ennui, was already wearied ofthe life she had been leading, and had lost all taste for simplepleasures.

  Her faded cheek and languid air, presented a strange contrast to thefresh, bright beauty and animation of Elsie and Violet, a contrast thatpained the kind, motherly heart of Mrs. Travilla, who would have been gladto make all the world as happy as she and her children were.

  Elsie and Vi felt a lively interest in Gertrude's prospects, and had manyquestions to ask about her betrothed;--"Was he young? was he handsome? washe a good man? But, oh _that_ was of course."

  "No, not of course at all," Kate answered, almost with impatience. "Shesupposed he was not a bad man; but he wasn't good in their sense of theword--not in the least religious--and he was neither young nor handsome."

  A moment of disappointed silence followed this communication, then Elsiesaid, a little doubtfully, "Well, I suppose Gerty loves him, and is happyin the prospect of becoming his wife?"

  "Happy?" returned Kate, with a contemptuous sniff. "Well, I suppose sheought to be; she is getting what she wanted--plenty of money and asplendid establishment; but as to loving Mr. Victor Larrabee--I couldabout as soon love a--snake; and so could she. He always makes me think ofone."

  "Oh, Kate! and will she marry him?" both exclaimed in horror.

  "She's promised to and doesn't seem inclined to draw back," replied Katewith indifference. Then bursting into a laugh, "Girls," she said, "I'vehad an offer too, and mamma would have had me accept it, but it didn'tsuit my ideas. The man himself is well enough, I don't really dislike him;but such a name! Hogg! only think of it! I told mamma that I didn't wantto live in a sty, if it was lined with gold."

  "No, I don't believe I could feel willing to wear that name," said Violetlaughing. "But if his name suited, would you marry him without lovinghim?"

  "I suppose so; I like riches, and mamma says such wealthy men as Mr. Hoggand Mr. Larrabee are not to be picked up every day."

  "But, oh, it wouldn't be right, Kate! because you have to promise tolove."

  "Oh, that's a mere form!" returned Kate with a yawn. "Gerty says she'smarrying for love--not of the man but his money," and Kate laughed as ifit was an excellent joke.

  The other two looked grave and distressed, their mother had taught themthat to give the hand without the heart was folly and sin.