CHAPTER IV OUT TO SEA
The little party was very quiet during the ride, which took two hours.The older members were occupied with their own thoughts, very seriousones, and the young pair engrossed in looking out of the window.
Rolling rocky land; woods where sombre and stately pines and firs made afitting background for the graceful slender white trunks of the birchtrees; miles of ferns close to the tracks; tiny stations; glimpses,between the trees, of rustic dwellings and a few more pretentious summerhomes; flashes of wild flowers; rivers, down whose red mud banks stilltrickled threads of water, although the tide was out; grey farmbuildings; all flowed rapidly past. Then--Yarmouth!
"Stay right here," directed Jack, after they had alighted from the train,leading the way to a pile of crates on the platform, "until I check ourbaggage. I thought we'd keep only the night bag, and pick up the restafter we get the wagon."
Before the children had tired of watching the passers-by, he was backagain, and they walked slowly toward the centre of the city, not pausinguntil they reached the tiny park facing the wharf.
"You and the children had better sit here while I go to find out thelocation of the street where Simon's daughter lives."
"Is that the _Grand Hotel_, where Andre brought Marie after the wedding?"asked Priscilla, looking up in admiration at the big building across thestreet.
"Yes," replied Jack.
"Just think!" cried the child ecstatically, giving a little skip, "I'mreally looking at the place I've heard of so many times."
"Well, your education has begun," said Jack. "See that you make the mostof all your opportunities."
"What a very funny place," observed Priscilla, looking around her.
"It is a park--" began Desire.
"But look at those," interrupted the younger girl, pointing to severalgraves.
"It must have been used as a cemetery first," replied her sister, walkingover to read the inscription on a nearby stone, and closely followed byPriscilla. That moment or two gave Rene the chance for which he hadlonged, and he was off down the road and onto the wharf. Desire turned tolook for him just in time to see a little blue-clad figure dart acrossthe gang plank of the Boston steamer.
"Rene!" she called in desperation, racing toward the dock.
The tug which helped the steamer pull away from her slip was already outin the harbor; bells were ringing, the whistle was blowing, dock handswere running about. Across the gang plank ran Desire and Priscilla justbefore it was withdrawn, and the ropes were cast off. As they lookedhelplessly among the crowds of people and piles of luggage for thetruant, the tug was steadily pulling on the long tow line, and headingthe steamer out to sea.
"My--little--brother," gasped Desire to an officer.
"What about him?" demanded the busy man curtly.
His brisk manner was just enough, in her distressed state of mind, toreduce the girl immediately to tears.
"He got away from us and is on this boat. That's what's about him," saidPriscilla, coming at once to her sister's aid. "Don't mind, Dissy; we'llfind him."
An interested spectator of the scene, a tall, energetic type of woman,now joined the group.
"Let me help you look for him, my dear," she said briskly, putting a handon Desire's shoulder. "No need to worry; he's certainly safe."
"But," choked the girl, now fully conscious that the boat was moving, "wecan't go on. My big brother is waiting for us in Yarmouth! What--whatwill he think? What will he _do_?" She wrung her hands distractedly.
"You could go back on the tug, if the boy's found before she leaves us,"suggested the officer, coming to the rescue as soon as he fullyunderstood the situation.
"There he is!" shrieked Priscilla, darting to the side of the boat whereRene was climbing up on a suitcase to look over the railing at the water.Grasping him firmly by the tail of his jacket, she dragged him backwardacross the salon, and brought him to a violent sitting posture atDesire's feet.
Meanwhile the officer had ordered the tug to be signalled, and she nowcame alongside. No time for anything but hurried thanks to theirbenefactors as the girls and Rene were helped over the side and onto thetug. Noisily, fussily, she steamed away from the big boat, over whoserails hung the interested passengers, and headed to Yarmouth.
"What ever made you do such a naughty thing, Rene?" asked Desire, who hadrecovered her outward composure.
"Wanted to see big boat," replied the child, not at all impressed by thegravity of his offense. Useless to say more now.
"The young feller needs a good whaling," growled the pilot of the tug, ashe brought his boat alongside the wharf.
"There's Jack!" cried Desire, in great relief, catching sight of himstriding rapidly along the street above the docks. "Jump out, quickly,Prissy! Run up and tell him we're all right."
The child sprang to the dock and ran up the incline at top speed, whileDesire lingered to thank the pilot.
"Glad to do it, ma'moiselle. Better keep hold of him hereafter, though."
"I shall," she promised, with a reproachful look at Rene.
The reunited family met in the little park, and sat down on one of thebenches to readjust themselves.
"I'm so sorry, dear," said Desire, putting her hand in Jack's. "You musthave been frantic."
"I couldn't believe my eyes when I came back and found that you had alldisappeared. An old dock hand who saw me looking around said he'd seen aboy, followed by two girls, go aboard the 'Yarmouth.' So, knowing Rene, Icame to a close solution of the mystery. I was just going up to thesteamship office to see what could be done when Prissy grabbed me frombehind.
"Rene," he went on, placing the child directly in front of him so hecould look into his eyes, "you have been a _very_ bad boy; and only thefact that we are out here in a public place prevents me from putting youright across my knee, and giving you something to make you remember yournaughtiness. There is to be _no_ more running away. Do you understandme?"
The little boy, wiggling slightly as if he already felt the punishment,nodded gravely, impressed by his brother's stern face and voice.
"What did you find out, Jack?" asked Desire, when he had released Rene.
"They told me," he began, turning toward her, "that Simon lives on astreet not so very far from here. I thought if you're ready, we mightwalk down there; and perhaps he'd be able to tell us where we could spendthe night."
"Aren't we going to the hotel?" inquired Priscilla, her face clouding.
"No; we haven't enough money to stay there," answered Jack, startingahead with Rene.
The little girl pouted, and shed a few quiet tears to which Desire wiselypaid no attention. Slowly they strolled along the main street, pausing tolook in the window of a stationer's where the books and English magazinesattracted Desire's eye; stopping to gaze admiringly at the jewelry,china, pictures, and souvenirs attractively displayed in another shop.
"Just see the lovely purple stones!" cried Priscilla, who had recoveredher good humor.
"Those are amethysts," explained Jack. "They come from Cape Blomidon,"adding to Desire, "I heard that another vein split open this year."
"Isn't it strange that the intense cold nearly every winter brings moreof the beautiful jewels to light?" commented the girl.
"A kind of rough treatment which results in profit and beauty," musedJack.
"Yes; and, Jack, maybe it will be like that with us. Things are hard now,but perhaps soon we'll find--"
"Some am'thysts?" asked Rene excitedly.
"Perhaps," replied Jack, giving Desire one of his rare sweet smiles.
The stores had been left behind now, and on every hand were greentree-shaded lawns enclosed by carefully trimmed hedges of Englishhawthorne in full bloom. Desire exclaimed with rapture over their beauty,and the size and style of the houses beyond them. On a little side streetthey paused before a small cottage, half hidden in vines.
"This must be the place," decided Jack, opening the
white gate whichsqueaked loudly as if protesting against the entrance of strangers. Thesound brought a woman to the door.
"I'm looking for Simon Denard," began Jack.
"You've come to the right place to find him," she replied, smiling, asshe came toward them and put out one hand to pat Rene's head. "SimonDenard is my father. I'm Mrs. Chaisson. Come right in."
In the small living room to which she led them sat old Simon, propped upwith pillows in a big chair.
"So here ye are," was his greeting, as the children dashed across thefloor to his side.
"Be careful," warned Desire quickly. "You might hurt Simon."
"Let 'em be! Let 'em be!" protested the old man, beaming upon hisvisitors. "What's an extra stab of pain, or two?"
"Father has told me about you people so often that I feel as if I knewyou," Mrs. Chaisson was saying to Jack, after he introduced Desire andthe children; "so I want you to stay here as long as you're in town; thatis, if you haven't made other plans."
The expression on her kindly face indicated clearly that she hoped theyhadn't.
"But there are so many of us," objected the boy.
"It's perfectly all right, if you don't mind kind of camping out a bit."
"That's what we expect to do all summer," said Desire; "and we'll surelybe glad of any arrangements you make for us, as long as we don't put youabout too much. You are very kind indeed."
"Then it's all settled," said their hostess briskly; "I'll get supperright away; for you must be hungry."
The cottage boasted of a living room, dining room, kitchen, and two smallbedrooms; so stowing away four extra people was something of anachievement. Immediately after they had finished the simple but deliciousmeal that Mrs. Chaisson prepared, Desire shyly offered to help herhostess in preparation for the night.
"Thank you, my dear; if you will clear up the supper table and do thedishes while I hunt up some bedding, it will be very nice."
"Please don't trouble yourself about me," said Jack, detaining Mrs.Chaisson on one of her many trips through the room; "I can sleep on theporch, or anywhere."
"I'll fix some place for you," she replied, putting her hand on hisshoulder. "Just go on with your business arrangements." He and Simon hadbeen discussing the route, customers, stock, and other details.
Like so many childless women, Mrs. Chaisson had a passion for children;and the thoughts of this little family starting out so bravely in searchof a living moved her strongly.
"How I wish I could adopt them all," she thought as she hurried on. "Ifonly we had a little more money; but then, there's Father, too, now; itcouldn't be done, even with the help of that fine big boy. I don't wonderthat his sister almost worships him."
Nine o'clock saw them all settled for a good sleep. Old Simon in his ownroom, Mrs. Chaisson sharing hers with Priscilla, Desire on the couch inthe living room, and Jack and Rene in hammocks on the screened porch. Ithad been decided before they slept that as soon as breakfast was over,they would start out upon the great adventure.
"There is no use in hanging around here," Jack had said to Desire intheir goodnight talk on the front steps.
"Wouldn't it seem rather odd, or ungrateful, to hurry away so soon?"suggested the girl. "Mrs. Chaisson has been so very good to us."
"I know that," replied Jack quickly; "and for that very reason, we can'ttake advantage of her. Then too, the longer we stay, the harder it willbe for both sides when we do go."
The boy had immediately sensed the good woman's distress over theirundertaking, and felt that the kindest act would be their immediatedeparture.
"Of course I realize," he went on, "that it's nice for you to have alittle rest, and a woman's companionship; but--"
"Don't worry over me, Jack dear," replied his sister, slipping her handinto his. "Whatever you decide is all right. So we'll all be ready earlyin the morning."
"You're a good little soul," answered Jack, with an affectionategoodnight kiss. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
Completely happy at his words of commendation, Desire entered the house;and soon everyone was fast asleep. Shortly after midnight, she wassuddenly awakened by the sound of a screen door closing, and stepscrossing the porch.