CHAPTER VI
MORE NEWS
"They told me at your office you had come here, Mr. Howbridge," saidNeale. "And I hurried on as fast as I could."
"Did they send you here to find me?" asked the lawyer.
"Yes, sir."
"With any message?" As Mr. Howbridge asked this Ruth noticed that herguardian seemed very anxious about something.
"Yes, I have a message," went on Neale. "It's about--"
"The Jackson case?" interrupted the lawyer. "Is there a decision fromthe court and--"
"Oh, no, this isn't anything about the Jackson case or any other," Nealehastened to say. "It's about my father. And--"
Ruth and Agnes could not help gasping in surprise. As for the twosmaller Kenway children all they had eyes for was the houseboat.
"Oh, your father!" repeated Mr. Howbridge. "Have you found him, Neale?"There was very evident relief in the lawyer's tone.
"No, sir, I haven't found him. But you know you told me to come to youas soon as I had found that tramp mule driver again, and he's back intown once more. He just arrived at the lower lock with a grain boat, andI hurried to tell you."
"Yes, that was right, Neale," said Mr. Howbridge. "Excuse me, MissRuth," he went on, turning to the girl, "but I happen to be this youngman's legal adviser, and while I planned this for a pleasure trip, itseems that business can not be kept out of it."
"Oh, we don't mind!" exclaimed Ruth, with a smile at Neale. "Of coursewe know about this, and we'd be so glad if you could help find Mr.O'Neil."
"All right then, if the young ladies have no objection," said thelawyer, "we'll combine business with pleasure. Suppose we go aboard the_Bluebird_. I want Miss Ruth's opinion of her and--"
"I don't see why in the world you want _my_ opinion about this boat,"said the puzzled girl. "I'm almost sure there's a joke in it,somewhere."
"No, Martha, no joke at all, I do assure you," answered her guardian."You'll understand presently. Now, Neale, you say this mule driver hascome back?"
"Yes, sir. You know I went to you as soon as he gave me a hint that myfather might have returned from Alaska, and you said to keep my eyesopen for this man."
"I did, Neale, yes. You of course know this story, don't you, MissRuth?" he asked.
"Yes, I believe we were the first Neale told about it."
"Well," went on Mr. Howbridge, while Tess and Dot showed signs ofimpatience to get on board the boat, "I told Neale we must find out morefrom this Hank Dayton, the mule driver, before we could do anything, orstart to advertise for Mr. O'Neil. And now, it seems, he is here again.At first, Neale, when I saw you hurrying along, excited, I was afraid Ihad lost a very important law case. I am glad you did not bring badnews."
Ruth stole a glance at her guardian's face. He was more than usuallyquiet and anxious, she thought, though he tried to be gay and jolly.
"We'll have a look at this boat," said Mr. Howbridge, as they advancedtoward it. "I'll get Minerva's opinion, and then we'll try to find HankDayton."
"I know where to find him," said Neale. "He's going to bunk down at thelower lock for a while. I made him promise to stay there until he couldhave a talk with you."
"Very good," announced the lawyer. "Now come on, youngsters!" he criedwith a gayer manner, and he caught Dot up in his arms and carried heraboard the boat, Neale, Ruth and the others following.
It was a typical houseboat. That is, it was a sort of small house builton what would otherwise have been a scow. The body of the boat was broadbeamed forward and aft, as a sailor would say. That is, it was verywide, whereas most boats are pointed at the bow, and only a little lessnarrow at the stern.
"It's like a small-sized canal boat, isn't it?" remarked Agnes, as theywent down into the cabin.
"But ever so much nicer," said Ruth.
"Oh, look at the cute little cupboards!" cried Dot. "I could keep mydolls there."
"And here's a sweet place for the cats!" added Tess, raising the coverof a sort of box in a corner. "It would be a crib."
"That's a locker," explained Mr. Howbridge, with a smile.
"Oh, I wouldn't want to lock Almira in there!" exclaimed the littlegirl. "She might smother, and how could she get out to play with herkittens?"
"Oh, I don't mean that it can be locked," explained the lawyer. "It isjust called that on a boat. Cupboards on the wall and the window seatson the floor are generally called lockers on board a ship."
"Is this a ship?" asked Dot.
"Well, enough like one to use some of the same words," replied Mr.Howbridge. "Now let's look through it."
This they did, and each step brought forth new delights. They had gonedown a flight of steps and first entered a small cabin which wasevidently intended for a living room. Back of that was very plainly thedining room, for it contained a table and some chairs and on the wallwere two cupboards, or "lockers" as the lawyer said they must be called.
"And they have real dishes in them!" cried Tess, flattening her noseagainst one of the glass doors.
"Don't do that, dear," said Ruth in a low voice.
"But I want to see," insisted Tess.
"So do I!" chimed in Dot, and soon the two little sisters, side by side,with noses pressed flat against the doors, were taking in the sights ofthe dishes. Mr. Howbridge silently motioned to Ruth to let them do asthey pleased.
"Oh, what a lovely dolls' party we could have here!" sighed Dot, as sheturned away from the dish locker.
"And couldn't Almira come?" asked Tess, appealing to Agnes. "And bringone of her kittens?"
"Yes, we'll even allow you two kittens, for fear one would getlonesome," laughed Mr. Howbridge. "But come on. You haven't seen it allyet."
There was a small kitchen back of the dining room, and both Ruth andAgnes were interested to see how conveniently everything was arranged.
"It would be ever so much easier to get meals here than in the CornerHouse," was Ruth's opinion.
"Do you think so?" asked the lawyer.
"Yes, everything is so handy. You hardly have to take a step to reachanything," added Agnes. "You only have to turn from the stove to thesink, and another turn and you have everything you want, from a toastingfork to an egg beater," and she indicated the different kitchen utensilshanging in a rack over the stove.
"I'm glad you like it," said Mr. Howbridge, and Ruth found herselfwondering why he said that.
They passed into the sleeping quarters where small bunks, almost likethose in Pullman cars, were neatly arranged, even to a white counterpaneand pillow shams on each one.
"Oh, how lovely."
"And how clean and neat!"
"It's just like a sleeping car on the railroad."
"Yes, or one of those staterooms on some steamers."
"A person could sleep as soundly here as in a bed at home," was Ruth'scomment.
"Yes, unless the houseboat rocked like a ship," said Agnes.
"I don't think it could rock much on the canal."
"No, but it might on a river, or a lake. I guess a houseboat like thiscan go almost anywhere."
There were two sets of sleeping rooms, one on either side of a middlehall or passageway. Then came a small bathroom. And back of that wassomething that made Neale cry out in delight.
"Why, the boat has an engine!" exclaimed the boy. "It runs by motor!"
"Yes, the _Bluebird_ is a motor houseboat," said Mr. Howbridge, with asmile. "It really belongs on Lake Macopic, but to get it there throughthe canal mules will have to be used, as this boat has such a bigpropeller that it would wash away the canal banks. It is not allowed tomove it through the canal under its own power."
"That's a dandy engine all right!" exclaimed Neale, and he knewsomething about them for one summer he had operated a small motor crafton the Gentory River, as well as running the Corner House girls'automobile for them. "I wish I could run this," he went on with a sigh,"but I don't suppose there's any chance."
"I don't know about that," said the lawyer, musingly. "That is what I
brought Minerva here to talk about. Let's go back to the main cabin andsit down."
"I'm going to sit on one of the lockers!" cried Tess, darting off aheadof the others.
"I want to sit on it, too!" exclaimed Dot.
"There are two lockers on the floor--one for each," laughed Mr.Howbridge.
As the little party moved into the main cabin, Ruth found herselfwondering more and more what Mr. Howbridge wanted her opinion on. Shewas not long, however, in learning.
"Here is the situation," began the lawyer, when they were all seatedfacing him. His tone reminded Ruth of the time he had come to talk tothem about their inheritance of the Corner House. "This boat, the_Bluebird_, belongs to an estate. The estate is being settled up, andthe boat is going to be sold. A man living at the upper end of LakeMacopic has offered to buy it at a fair price if it is delivered to himin good condition before the end of summer. As the legal adviser of theestate I have undertaken to get this boat to the purchaser. And what Ibrought you here for, to-day, Minerva," he said, smiling at Ruth, "is toask your opinion about the best way of getting the boat there."
"Do you really mean that?" asked the girl.
"I certainly do."
"Well, I should say the best plan would be to start it going, and steerit up the canal to the river, through the river into the lake and up thelake to the place where it is to be delivered," Ruth answered, smiling.
"But Mr. Howbridge said the boat couldn't be moved by the motor on thecanal," objected Agnes.
"Well, have mules tow it, then," advised Ruth. "That is very simple."
"I am glad you think so," replied the lawyer. "And the next matter onwhich I wish your advice is whether to start the boat off alone on hertrip, or just in charge of, say, the mule driver."
"Oh, I wouldn't want to trust a lovely houseboat like this to only amule driver!" exclaimed Ruth.
"That's what I thought," went on her guardian, with another smile. "Itneeds some one on board to look after it, doesn't it?"
"Well, yes, I should say so."
"Then how would you like to take charge?" came the unexpected question.
"Me?" cried Ruth. "_Me?_"
"You, and all of you!" went on the lawyer. "Listen. Here is thesituation. I have to send this houseboat to Lake Macopic. You dwellersof the Corner House need a vacation. You always have one every summer,and I generally advise you where to go. At least you always ask me, andsometimes you take my advice.
"This time I advise you to take a houseboat trip. And I make this offer.I will provide the boat and all the needful food and supplies, such asgasoline and oil when you reach the river and lake. Everything else ison board, from beds to dishes. I will also hire a mule driver and engagesome mules for the canal trip. Now, how does that suit you?"
"Oh! Oh!" exclaimed Agnes, and it seemed to be all she could say for amoment. She just looked at Mr. Howbridge with parted lips and sparklingeyes.
"How wonderful!" murmured Ruth.
"Can we go?" cried Tess.
"The whole family, including Neale," said Mr. Howbridge.
"Oo-ee!" gasped Dot, wide-eyed.
Agnes and Neale stared entranced at each other, Agnes, for once,speechless.
"Well, now I have made the offer, think it over, and while you are doingthat I'll give a little attention to Neale's case," went on Mr.Howbridge. "Now, young man, suppose we go and find this mule driver whoseems to know something of your father."
"Oh, wait! Don't go away just yet!" begged Ruth. "Let's talk about thetrip some more! Do you really think we can go?"
"I want you to go. It would be doing me a favor," said the lawyer. "Imust get this boat to Lake Macopic somehow, and I don't know a betterway than to have Martha and her family take it," and he bowed formallyto his ward.
"And did you really mean I may go, too?" asked Neale.
"If you can arrange it, and Miss Ruth agrees."
"Of course I will! But, oh, there will be such a lot to do to get ready.We'd have to take Mrs. MacCall along, too," she added.
"Of course," assented Mr. Howbridge. "By all means!"
"And would you go too?" asked Ruth.
"Would you like me to?" the lawyer countered.
"Of course. We'd all like it."
"I might manage to make at least part of the trip," was the reply. "Thenyou have decided to take my offer?"
"Oh, I think it's perfectly _wonderful_!" burst out Agnes.
As for Tess and Dot, it could be told what they thought by just lookingat them.
"Very well then," said the guardian, "we'll consider it settled. I'llhave to see about mules and a driver for the canal part of the tripand--"
An exclamation from Neale interrupted him.
"What is it?" asked the lawyer.
"Why couldn't we hire Hank Dayton for a mule driver?" Neale asked. "He'srough, but I think he's a decent man and honest, and he knows a lotabout the canal and boats and mules."
"It might not be a bad idea," assented Mr. Howbridge. "We'll find himand ask him, Neale. And it would be killing two birds with one stone. Hecould help you in your search for your father. Yes, I think that will bea good plan. Girls, I'll leave you here to look over the _Bluebird_ atyour leisure while Neale and I go to interview the mule driver."
"And I hope he will be able to tell you how to find your father, Neale,"said Agnes, in a low voice.
"I hope so, too," added the boy. "You don't know, Aggie, how much I'vewanted to find father."
"Of course I do, Neale. And you'll find him, too!"
Neale went on with Mr. Howbridge, somewhat cheered by Agnes' sympathy.