CHAPTER XIII
JACK'S AFTER-SUPPER SPEECH
After the swim, Jane had had a long conversation with Mr. Wing, withthe result that a place was set for Breck at the table in the saloon.Purple wildflowers, picked on the island and thrust into a low bowl,stood in the center of the table and gave a gala air to the saloon.Ellen had arranged them and said to Mabel that she had not realizedhow much she missed flowers till she saw these.
Jane and Breck watched for Frederick Gray on deck, both of themfeeling shy and self-conscious. Finally, his dory slid up alongsidethe "Boojum" and the boy, in immaculate white ducks, was soon standingbeside his new friends.
"Everybody is down in the saloon. Let's go down and get theintroductions over," Jane said, leading the way.
Frederick Gray had been looking forward all day to the little supperparty. Breck and Jane had delighted him with their warm friendlinessin the morning and he was anxious to see if their friends were ascharming as they were. It was a rare treat to the boy to mix with hisown kind. His father could find little time to spare to his son, soengrossed was he in his inventions, and the younger children, ofcourse, kept his mother very busy. She did all the work, as theisolation of Hurricane Island made the servant question impossible.Since his sister's departure for Columbia, he had been far lonelierthan he cared to admit. In fact, he had not realized how alone he wastill he saw this group of natural, kindly people.
"Reading from the left to the right, first row standing are mybrother, Jack Pellew, Ellen Birch, and Mr. Wing. Seated, are FrancesBliss, Charlie Preston and Mabel Wing. The gentleman lying down is TimReynolds and it is his boat that we want you to take back toNantucket," Jane said in oratorical tones, "and all youaforementioned, this is my friend Frederick Gray."
"Mr. Wing," Fred said, going forward to shake hands with him, "it isvery kind indeed of you to let me be with you tonight. I haven't seenso many new people at one time for years."
"It is great for us to have you with us," Mr. Wing said. "We werebeginning to need a little new blood, and your coming and Tim's comingjust started things nicely rolling again."
Fred could not but feel at home at once with the cordial welcome hehad received and he soon found himself seated by Tim talking of thetrip he was to make with the "Sabrina." He told Tim that Virg Bradfordhad consented to go with him and then he was so eloquent in his praiseof the little "Sabrina" that Tim immediately decided his pet would beperfectly safe in such appreciative hands. So the few minutes beforesupper passed very quickly for Fred and Tim. But they rather draggedfor Jane and Breck, for they felt, as Jane put it, "on pins andneedles," till they knew how everybody would take it.
The little Dutch steward came in with delicious pea puree and thelittle party fell to with a right good will. The lobsters that Breckand Jane brought back from Hurricane Island formed the special dish ofthe meal and were prepared with an interesting sauce of vinegar andbutter that the steward claimed as his own receipt. With the coffee,Jack rose and announced that he had something to say.
"But we don't want any after-dinner speeches," objected Mabel,"besides this is a supper and who ever heard of after-supper speeches?Fred is the guest of honor, and he ought to be the one to speak ifanybody has to."
"You have but to hear me and I know you will think I was justified inspeaking. I'll make it short and snappy," Jack promised Mabel, "for Iknow you want to talk yourself."
"Jack, you're horrid. Shut up and begin," Mabel commanded.
"Don't give such confusing orders, daughter," Mr. Wing said. "Go on,Jack, I am awfully interested and will keep my daughter quiet if Ihave to gag her."
"Well, it's this," Jack began. "In the first place, I haven't thefaintest idea how a thing like this ought to be done--"
"And we know, of course, that you didn't expect to be called on atthis meeting," Charlie interrupted him.
"But the fact is," Jack ignored him, "that I want to announce theengagement of my sister, Jane Pellew, to Allen Breckenridge," and,quite overcome, Jack sat down.
Everybody was perfectly silent until Frances threw herself into thebreach and saved the situation by saying, "Sloan's liniment--'Don'trub, let it penetrate'--Jack, you did it so suddenly you simply tookour breaths away. I bid to be first to congratulate both thecontracting parties," and she jumped up and ran around to Jane andhugged her and gave Breck's hand a cordial squeeze.
Frances' quickness galvanized the little party into life and all thegirls kissed Jane repeatedly and the men wrung Breck's hand again andagain. Then the questions began, "When did it happen?" "Isn't itawfully sudden?" "Wasn't Jack funny?" "You didn't know he was going todo it, did you, Jane dear?"
And Jane was infinitely grateful to Jack for the part he playedbecause he couldn't have acknowledged Breck in a more sincere andgracious manner.
"Why, Breck," teased Mr. Wing, "I believe you are quite used to havingannouncements of this kind made about you. You are behaving like aprofessional fiance."
"I am scared to death, really," Breck admitted with a grin, "but Ihave been under fire enough to have learned not to let my knees shakevisibly."
"And I want to tell you right now, that I think that plan of yours andJane's to run Hurricane Island as a summer colony is good and I hopeand believe that you will make a good thing of it. You can count on meto talk it up because I want my stock in the company to bring in bigreturns," Mr. Wing said, shaking Breck's hand once more.
Afterwards, Breck told Jane that he felt like the President of theUnited States at his inauguration, his hand had been pumped up anddown so much. Jane had laughed and said that she herself felt likeJoffre must have after nearly all the school children in the countryhad proudly kissed him.
"Why not have some of these husky males carry Tim up on deck?"suggested Frances, "I don't believe it will be too cold. Anyway, thereis a wonderful moon and Jack can take his banjo up and sing to us."
Her plan was approved and Tim was carefully carried up and depositedon the deck mattress, while the rest sat around on pillows. Jack cameup with his banjo and started thrumming.
"What shall it be?" he asked. "It is no use you saying, though,because I don't know anything but the darky songs I have picked up athome."
"As if they weren't the most tuneful songs in the world!" Ellen added.
"Why not sing that Revival Hymn, Jack dear?" asked Jane.
And Jack began:
"Oh, whar shill we go w'en de great day comes, Wid de blowin' or de trumpets en de bangin' er de drums? How many po' sinners'll be kotched out late En fine no latch ter de golden gate?
No use fer ter wait twel termorrer! De sun mus'n't set on yo' sorrer, Sin's es sharp ez a bamboo-brier-- Oh, Lord! fetch the mo'ners up higher!
W'en de nashuns er de earf is a-stan'in' all aroun', Who's a gwine ter be choosen fer ter w'ar de glory-crown? Who's gwine fer ter stan' stiff-kneed en bol', En answer to der name at de callin' er de roll?
You better come now ef you comin'-- Ole Satun is loose en a bummin'-- De wheels er distruckshun is a hummin'-- Oh, come 'long, sinner, ef yon comin'!
De song er salvashun is a mighty sweet song, En de Pairidise win' blow fur en blow strong, En Aberham's bosom, hit's saft en hit's wide, En right dar's de place whar de sinners oughter hide!
Oh, you nee'nter be a stoppin' en a lookin'; Ef you fool wid ole Satun you'll get took in, You'll hang on de aidge en get shook in, Ef you keep on a stoppin' en a lookin'.
De time is right now, en dish yer's de place-- Let de sun er salvashun shine squar' in yo' face; Fight de battles er de Lord, fight soon en fight late, En you'll allers fine a latch ter de golden gate.
No use fer ter wait twel ter-morrer, De sun mustn't set on yo' sorrer-- Sin's es sharp ez a bamboo-brier-- Ax de Lord fer ter fetch you up higher!"
Jack had sung the old song delightfully, with the colorful wails ofthe darky and deserved the thanks and applause he got
for singing it.He refused to sing any more, saying he wanted to smoke.
"I'll sing you one," volunteered Charlie immodestly.
"Oh, Charlie, haven't you any shame?" giggled Mabel. "I never in allmy life heard of any one suggesting singing or playing himself. Itjust isn't the thing. You are supposed to blush furiously and shakeyour head the first time you are asked. Of course, you are askedagain, then you say that you haven't got your music or you aren't invoice or your hands are chapped. On the third request, you allowyourself to be dragged unwillingly to the piano or the center of theroom, according to your talent. And here you blatantly nominateyourself. I blush for you, I blush for you."
"Don't pay any attention to her, Charlie," urged Frances. "I didn'tknow singing was among your accomplishments. While I tremble at theresult, we are all brave souls and most humbly I beseech you sing."
"I may not be a Caruso or a Martinelli, but I do know some plantationsongs, just as everybody below the Mason-Dixon line does, and coupledwith the three cords I know on the banjo I can give a very creditableperformance. Am I among friends?"
With a flourish of the banjo and a reckless expenditure of his threecords, Charlie began in an effectively low voice:
"De gray owl sing fum de chimbly top: 'Who-who-is-you-oo?' En I say: 'Good Lawd, hit's des po' me, En I ain't quite ready fer de Jasper Sea; I'm po' en sinful, en you 'lowed I'd be; Oh, wait, good Lawd, 'twell termorrer!'
De gray owl sing fum de cypress tree: 'Who-who-is-you-oo?' En I say: 'Good Lawd, ef you look you'll see Hit ain't nobody but des po' me, En I like ter stay 'twell my time is free; Oh, wait, good Lawd, 'twell termorrer!'"
"I take it all back, Charlie," offered Mabel, "I liked that a lot."
Fred said a regretful good-bye and, with a promise that he and Virgwould weigh the anchor of the "Sabrina" the minute the "Boojum"signaled, he dropped over the side into his dory and rowed slowly overthe moon-lit water to the silent Hurricane Island.