PART III
When the boat which we saw approaching the island had come near enoughfor us to distinguish its occupants, we found that it contained fivepersons. Three sat in the stern, and two were rowing. Of those in thestern, we soon made out one to be a woman, and after putting oureyesight to its very best efforts, we were obliged to admit that therewas only one female on board.
"Now, that's disapp'intin'," said Mrs. Aleshine, "for I've wondered andwondered which I should like best, Emily or Lucille, and now that onlyone of 'em has come, of course I can't tell."
The boat came on, almost directly toward the passageway in the reef, andit was not long before the two women had been able to decide that Mr.Dusante was an elderly man, and that the lady was moderately young, andin all probability his daughter.
"It may be," said Mrs. Aleshine, "that the mother, whether she wasEmily, or whether she was Lucille, has died, and for that reason theyare comin' back sooner than they expected."
"Well, I hope you're wrong there, Barb'ry Aleshine," said Mrs. Lecks,"for they'll see lots of things here that will freshen up theiraffliction, and that won't make 'em any too lively people to be with."
"On the other hand," said Mrs. Aleshine, "it may be that Emily, or elseLucille, has got married, and has gone away with her husband to travel,and by the time she's got a little baby she'll come here to live onaccount of the sea air for the child, and that'll make the housepleasant, Mrs. Lecks."
"I'd like to know how long you expect to live here," said Mrs. Lecks,regarding her friend with some severity.
"That's not for me to say," replied Mrs. Aleshine, "knowin' nothin'about it. But this I will say, that I hope they have brought along withthem some indigo blue, for I nearly used up all there was the last timeI washed."
During this dialogue I had been thinking that it was a very strangething for the owners of this place to visit their island in such afashion. Why should they be in an open boat? And where did they comefrom? Wherever they might live, it was not at all probable that theywould choose to be rowed from that point to this. From the generalcharacter and appointments of the house in which we had found a refuge,it was quite plain that its owners were people in good circumstances,who were in the habit of attending to their domestic affairs in a veryorderly and proper way. It was to be presumed that it was their customto come here in a suitable vessel, and to bring with them the storesneeded during their intended stay. Now, there could be little or nothingin that boat, and, on the whole, I did not believe it contained theowners of this island.
It would not do, however, to assume anything of the kind. There mighthave been a disaster; in fact, I know nothing about it, but it was myimmediate duty to go and meet these people at the passage, for, if theywere unable to unlock the bars, their boat could not enter, and I mustferry them across the lagoon. Without communicating my doubts to mycompanions, I hurried into the skiff, and pulled as far as possible intothe passage through the reef. The bars, of which there were more than Iat first supposed, were so arranged that it was impossible for a boat togo in or out at any stage of the tide.
I had been there but a few minutes when the boat from without cameslowly in between the rocks; and almost as soon as I saw it, itsprogress was suddenly stopped by a sunken bar.
"Hello!" cried several men at once.
"Hello!" cried I, in return. "Have you the key to these bars?"
A stout man with a red beard stood up in the stern. "Key?" said he,"what key?"
"Then you do not belong here?" said I. "Who are you?"
At this, the gentleman who was sitting by the lady arose to his feet. Hewas a man past middle age, rather tall and slim, and when he stood upthe slight rolling of the boat made him stagger, and he came nearfalling.
"You'd better sit down, sir," said the man with the red beard, who I sawwas a sailor. "You can talk better that way."
The gentleman now seated himself, and thus addressed me:
"I am, sir, the Reverend Mr. Enderton, lately missionary to Nanfouchong,China, and this is my daughter, Miss Enderton. We are returning to theUnited States by way of the Sandwich Islands, and took passage in asailing-vessel for Honolulu. About two weeks ago this vessel, in someway which I do not understand, became disabled--"
"Rotten forem'st," interrupted the man with the red beard, "which giveway in a gale; strained and leaky, besides."
"I did not know the mast was rotten," said the gentleman, "but, sincethe occasion of our first really serviceable wind, she has been makingvery unsatisfactory progress. And, more than that, the whole force ofseamen was employed night and day in endeavoring to keep the water outof the tea, thereby causing such a thumping and pounding that sleep wasout of the question. Add to this the fact that our meals became veryirregular, and were sometimes entirely overlooked--"
"Prog was gettin' mighty short," interpolated the red-bearded man.
"You can easily discern, sir," continued the gentleman, "that it wasimpossible for myself and my daughter to remain longer on that vessel,on which we were the only passengers. I therefore requested the captainto put us ashore at the nearest land, and, after more than a week ofdelay and demur, he consented to do so."
"Couldn't do it," said the man, "till there was land nigh enough."
"The captain informed me," continued the gentleman, "that this islandwas inhabited, and that I could here find shelter and repose until avessel could be sent from Honolulu to take me off. He furnished me withthis boat and three seamen, one of whom," pointing to the red-beardedman, "is a coxswain. We have been rowing ever since early this morning,with but a very moderate quantity of food and much discomfort. Now, sir,you have heard my story; and I ask you, as one man to another, if youstill intend to bar your water-gates against us?"
"I did not bar the gates," I said, "and I would gladly unlock them if Icould. I belong to a shipwrecked party who took refuge here some twoweeks ago."
"And how did you get in?" hastily inquired the red-bearded coxswain.
"Our boat sunk when we were within sight of the island, and we came hereon life-preservers, and so got under the bars."
The two men who had been rowing now turned suddenly and looked at me.They both had black beards, and they both exclaimed at the same moment,"By George!"
"I won't stop here to tell any more of our story," said I. "The greatpoint now is to get you all ashore, and have you cared for."
"That's so!" said the coxswain. And the two sailors murmured, "Aye, aye,sir."
The bar which stopped the progress of the larger boat was just under thesurface of the water, while another a foot above the water kept my skiffabout six feet distant from the other boat. There was some looseflooring in the bottom of the coxswain's boat, and he ordered two of theboards taken out, and with them a bridge was made, one end resting onthe bow of the larger boat, and the other on the iron bar by my skiff.
"Now," said the coxswain, "let the lady go first."
The elderly gentleman arose, as if he would prefer to take the lead, buthis daughter, who had not yet spoken a word, was passed forward by thecoxswain, steadied over the bridge by one of the sailors, and assistedby me into the skiff. Then her father came aboard, and I rowed with themto the wharf.
Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine came forward most cordially to meet them.
"Mr. Dusante, I suppose?" said Mrs. Lecks, while Mrs. Aleshine hurriedlywhispered in my ear, "Is it Lucille or Emily?"
As quickly as possible I explained the situation. For a few moments Mrs.Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine stood speechless. Nothing which had happened tothem, the wreck of the steamer, the sinking of the boat, or ourexperience with life-preservers, affected them so much as thisdisappointment in regard to the problem of the Dusante family. Travel bysea was all novel and strange to them, and they had expected all sortsof things to which they were not accustomed, but they had neverimagined that Fate would be so hard upon them as to snatch away thesolution of this mystery just as they were about to put their hands uponit. But, in spite of this sudden blow
, the two good women quicklyrecovered themselves, and with hearty and kindly words hurried themissionary and his daughter to the house, while I went to bring over themen.
I found the three sailors busy in securing their boat so that it wouldnot be injured by the rocks during the rising and falling of the tide.When they had finished this job, they had to do a good deal ofscrambling before they reached my skiff.
"We thought at first, sir," said the coxswain, as I rowed them acrossthe lagoon, "that it was all gammon about your not livin' here, andhavin' no keys to them bars; but we've come to the 'pinion that if you'dbeen able to unlock 'em you'd have done it sooner than take all thistrouble."
I now related my story more fully, and the men were greatly astonishedwhen they heard that my companions in this adventure were two women.Upon my asking the coxswain why he had come to this island, he repliedthat his captain had heard that people lived on it, although he knewnothing about them; and that, as it would be almost impossible to gethis brig here with the wind that was then prevailing, and as he did notwish to go out of his course anyway, he made up his mind that he wouldrather lose the services of three men than keep that missionary on boarda day longer.
"You see, sir," said the coxswain, as we went ashore, "the parsonwouldn't never take it into account that we were short of prog, andleakin' like Sam Hill; and because things were uncomfortable he growledup and he growled down, till he was wuss for the spirits of the men thanthe salt water comin' in or the hard-tack givin' out, and there wasdanger, if he wasn't got rid of, that he'd be pitched overboard and leftto take his chances for a whale. And then, by sendin' us along, thatgive the crew three half-rations a day extry, and that'll count for agood deal in the fix they're in."
When I reached the house I took the men into the kitchen, where Mrs.Aleshine already had the table spread. There were bread and cold meat,while the tea-kettle steamed by the fire. In a very short time threehappy mariners sat round that table, while Mrs. Aleshine, with beamingface, attended to their wants, and plied them with innumerablequestions. They had not finished eating when Mrs. Lecks entered thekitchen.
"I put that minister and his daughter in the two front bedrooms," saidshe to me, after hospitably greeting the three men, "which me and Mrs.Aleshine had run and got ready for the Dusantes, as soon as you went inyour boat to meet 'em. The young lady was mighty nigh worn out, and gladenough of the tea and things, and to get into bed. But the gentleman hewanted a soft-boiled egg, and when I told him I hadn't come across nohen-house yet on this island, he looked at me as if he didn't halfbelieve me, and thought I was keepin' the eggs to sell."
"Which it would be ridiculous to do," said Mrs. Aleshine, "in the middleof an ocean like this."
"If he lets you off with soft-b'iled eggs, ma'am," said the coxswain,very respectfully, "I think you may bless your stars."
"Aye, aye, sir," said the two sailors with black beards.
Miss Ruth Enderton and her father did not make their appearance untilthe next morning at breakfast-time. I found the young lady a verypleasant person. She was rather slight in figure, inclined to be pretty,and was what might be called a warm-colored blonde. Her disposition wasquite sociable, and she almost immediately stepped into the favor ofMrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine.
Mr. Enderton, however, was a person of another sort. He was a prim andsomewhat formal man, and appeared to be entirely self-engrossed, withvery vague notions in regard to his surroundings. He was not by anymeans an ill-tempered man, being rather inclined to be placid thanotherwise; but he gave so little attention to circumstances and eventsthat he did not appear to understand why he should be incommoded by thehappenings of life. I have no doubt that he made existence on board thedisabled brig a hundred times more unsatisfactory than it wouldotherwise have been. With his present condition he seemed very wellsatisfied, and it was quite plain that he looked upon Mrs. Lecks, Mrs.Aleshine, and myself as the proprietors of the establishment, havingforgotten, or paid no attention to, my statement in regard to our cominghere.
As soon as she thought it fit and proper--and this moment arrived in thecourse of the first forenoon--Mrs. Lecks spoke to Mr. Enderton on thesubject of the board which should be paid to the Dusantes. She statedthe arrangements we had made in the matter, and then told him that as heand his daughter had the best accommodations in the house, eachoccupying a large, handsome room, she thought that he should pay fifteendollars a week for the two.
"Now, if your daughter," she continued, "can do anything about the housewhich will be of real help, though for the life of me I don't see whatshe can find to do, with me and Mrs. Aleshine here, somethin' might betook off on account of her services; but of course you, sir, can't donothin', unless you was to preach on Sundays, and not knowin' whatdenomination the Dusantes belong to, it wouldn't be fair to take theirmoney to pay for the preachin' of doctrines which, perhaps, they don'tbelieve in."
"MR. ENDERTON WAS A PERSON OF ANOTHER SORT."]
This financial proposal aroused Mr. Enderton's opposition. "When I camehere, madam," he said, "I did not expect to pay any board whatever, andI think, moreover, that your rates are exorbitant. In Nanfouchong, if Iremember rightly, the best of board did not cost more than two or threedollars a week."
"I don't want to say anything, sir," said Mrs. Lecks, "which might lookdisrespectful, but as long as I've got a conscience inside of me I'mnot goin' to stay here and see the Dusantes lose money by Chinesecheapness."
"I don't know anything about the Dusantes," said Mr. Enderton, "but I amnot going to pay fifteen dollars a week for board for myself anddaughter."
The discussion lasted for some time, with considerable warmth on eachside, and was at last ended by Mr. Enderton agreeing to pay board at thesame rate as the two women and myself, and each week to deposit in theginger-jar eight dollars for himself and daughter.
"You may not care to remember, sir," said Mrs. Lecks, with coldseverity, "that Mr. Craig and me and Mrs. Aleshine puts in servicesbesides, although, to be sure, they don't go into the jar."
"I only remember," said Mr. Enderton, "that I am paying an unjustifiableprice as it is."
Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine, however, were not at all of this opinion,and they agreed that, if it should be in their power, they would see toit that the Dusantes lost nothing by this close-fisted missionary.
After dinner--and I may remark that the newcomers were not consulted inregard to the hours for meals--Mrs. Lecks had an interview with thecoxswain on the subject of board for himself and his two companions.This affair, however, was very quickly settled, for the three marinershad among them only one dollar and forty-three cents, and this, thecoxswain explained, they would like to keep for tobacco. It wastherefore settled that, as the three sailors could pay no money, as muchwork as possible should be got out of them, and to this plan theyagreed heartily and cheerfully.
"There's only one thing we'll ask, ma'am," said the coxswain to Mrs.Lecks, "and that is that we be put in a different mess from the parson.We've now eat two meals with the passengers, and me and my mates isagreed that that's about as much as we can go."
After this, therefore, the three men had their meals in the kitchen,where they were generally joined by Mrs. Aleshine, who much delighted intheir company. But she made it a point sometimes to sit down with us inthe dining-room, merely to show that she had as much right there asanybody.
"As to the work for them sailormen," said Mrs. Aleshine, "I don't seewhat they're goin' to do. Of course they don't know nothin' aboutgardenin', and it seems to me that the best thing to be done is to put'em to fishin'."
Mrs. Lecks considered this a good suggestion, and accordingly thecoxswain and his companions were told that thereafter they would beexpected to fish for eight hours a day, Sundays excepted. This plan,however, did not work very well. During the first two days the sailorscaught so many fish that, although the fishermen themselves hadexcellent appetites for such food, it was found utterly impossible toconsume what they brought in. Consequently, it was ordered tha
tthereafter they should catch only as many fish as should be needed, andthen make themselves useful by assisting Mrs. Aleshine and Mrs. Lecks inany manner they might direct.
I found it quite easy to become acquainted with Miss Ruth Enderton, asshe was very much inclined to conversation. "It's ever so long," shesaid, "since I've had anybody to talk to."
She had left the United States when she was quite a little girl, and hadsince seen nothing of her native land. She was, consequently, full ofquestions about America, although quite willing to talk of her life inChina. Society, at least such kind as she had ever cared for, had beenextremely scarce in the little missionary station at which she had livedso long, and now, coming from a wearisome sojourn on a disabledsailing-vessel, with no company but the crew and a preoccupied father,she naturally was delighted to get among people she could talk to. WithMrs. Lecks, Mrs. Aleshine, and myself she soon became very friendly, andshowed herself to be a most lively and interesting young person.
I did all that I could to make Miss Ruth's time pass agreeably. I rowedwith her on the lagoon, taught her to fish, and showed her all thepleasant points on the island which could be easily reached by walking.Mr. Enderton gave us very little of his company, for, having discoveredthat there was a library in the house, he passed most of his time inthat room.
"You have made a very fair selection of books, sir," he remarked to me,"but it may readily be conceived, from the character of the works, thatyour tastes are neither ecclesiastic nor scientific."
Several times I explained to him the ownership of the library and thehouse, but he immediately forgot what I had said, or paid no attentionto it. When he paid his board at the end of the week, he handed themoney to Mrs. Lecks; and although before his eyes she put it into theginger-jar, beneath the paper of fish-hooks, I know very well that heconsidered he was paying it to her for her own use and behoof. He wascomfortably lodged, he had all that he needed--and very nearly all thathe wanted--to eat, and I do not know that I ever saw a man morecontented with his lot.
"I DID ALL THAT I COULD TO MAKE MISS RUTH'S TIME PASSAGREEABLY."]
As for the coxswain and the two sailors, they had a very pleasant timeof it, but Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine would not think of such a thingas allowing them to eat in idleness the bread of the Dusantes. Afterthey had been with us a few days, Mrs. Lecks told me that she thoughtshe could show the coxswain and his mates how to dig and gather thegarden-stuff which was daily needed.
"To be sure," said she, "that work goes ag'in' part of your board, butfishin' and bringin' in fire-wood don't take up quarter of the time ofthem sailors, and so that the garden work is done, I don't suppose itmatters to the Dusantes who does it. And that'll give you more time tomake things pleasant for Miss Ruth, for, as far as I can see, thereisn't a thing for her to do, even if she knows how to do it."
The three mariners were more than willing to do anything desired by Mrs.Lecks or Mrs. Aleshine, to whom they looked up with great admiration andrespect. The latter was their favorite, not only because she was withthem a great deal during their meals and at other times, but because ofher genial nature and easy sociability. The men were always trying tolighten her labors, and to do something that would please her.
One of them climbed to the top of what she called a "palm-leaf-fantree," and brought therefrom some broad leaves, which he cut and trimmedand sewed, in true nautical fashion, until he made some fans which wereheavy and clumsy, but, as he said, they would stand half a gale of windif she chose to raise it. The coxswain caught or trapped two sea-birds,and, having clipped their wings, he spent days in endeavoring to tamethem, hoping to induce them, as far as the power in them lay, to takethe place of the barn-yard fowls whose absence Mrs. Aleshine continuallydeplored. Every evening the two black-bearded sailors would dancehornpipes for her, much to her diversion and delight.
"I've often heard," she remarked, "that in these hot cocoanut countriesthe tricks of the monkeys was enough to keep everybody on a steadylaugh, but I'm sure sailormen is a great deal better. When you get tiredof their pranks and their tomfooleries you can tell 'em to stop, whichwith monkeys you can't."
It was about ten days after the arrival of the missionary's party that,as I was going to get ready the boat in which Miss Ruth and myselfgenerally rowed in the cool of the evening, I saw Mrs. Lecks and Mrs.Aleshine sitting on the beach in the shade of some low-growing trees.They were evidently waiting for me, and as soon as I appeared Mrs. Lecksbeckoned to me; whereupon I joined them.
"Sit down," said Mrs. Lecks; "there's somethin' I want to talk to youabout. Mrs. Aleshine and me have made up our minds that you ought to behurried up a little about poppin' the question to Miss Ruth."
This remark astounded me. "Popping the question!" I exclaimed.
"Yes," continued Mrs. Lecks, "and me and Mrs. Aleshine know very wellthat you haven't done it yet, for both of us havin' been through thatsort of thing ourselves, we know the signs of it after it hashappened."
"And we wouldn't say nothin' to hurry you," added Mrs. Aleshine, "if itwasn't that the groceries, especially the flour, is a-gettin' low. We'vebeen talkin' to them sailormen, and they're pretty well agreed thatthere's no use now in expectin' their captain to send for 'em; for if hewas a-goin' to do it at all, he'd 'a' done it before this. And perhapshe never got nowhere himself, in which case he couldn't. And they saythe best thing we can all do when the victuals has nearly give out,provided the Dusantes don't come back in time, is to take what's left,and all get into their big boat, and row away to that island, which Idon't know just how far it is, that the captain of our ship was goin'to. There we can stay pretty comfortable till a ship comes along andtakes us off."
"But what has all that to do," I asked, "with Miss Ruth and me?"
"Do?" cried Mrs. Lecks. "It has everythin' to do. When it's all settledand fixed between you and Miss Ruth, there'll be nothin' to hinder usfrom gettin' ready to start when we please."
"But, my dear friends," I said with much earnestness, "I have not theslightest idea of proposing to Miss Enderton."
"That's just what I said to Mrs. Aleshine," said Mrs. Lecks, "and that'sthe reason we let our irons cool, and come out here to talk to you. It'sjust like a young man to keep puttin' off that sort of thing, but thiscan't be put off."
"That's so!" cried Mrs. Aleshine; "and I'll just let you see how thematter stands. There is housekeepers who allows a pint of flour a day toeach person, but this is for farm-hands and people who works hard andeats hearty, and I've found that three quarters of a pint will do verywell, if the dough is kneaded conscientious and made up light, so thatit'll rise well when it's put into the oven. Now I've measured all theflour that's left, and me and Mrs. Lecks we've calculated that, allowin'three quarters of a pint of flour a day to each one of us, there's justeight days more that we can stay here--that is, if the Dusantes don'tcome back before that time, which, of course, can't be counted on. Soyou can see for yourself, Mr. Craig, there's no time to be lost, evenconsiderin' that she hasn't to make up anything to be married in."
"THEY WERE EVIDENTLY WAITING FOR ME."]
"No," said Mrs. Lecks; "just for us and three sailors, that wouldn't beneeded."
I looked from one to the other in dumb astonishment. Mrs. Lecks gave meno time to say anything.
"In common cases," said she, "this might all be put off till we gotsomewhere; but it won't do now. Here you are, with everythin' in yourown hands, but just get away from here, and there's an end of that.She's as pretty a girl as you'll see in a month of Sundays, and if sheleaves here without your gettin' her, there's no knowing who'll snap herup. When we've got to that island, you may see her once a week, butmaybe you won't. She may go away in one ship, and you in another, andthere may be somebody right there--a missionary, for all I know--who'llhave her before you have a chance to put in a word."
"And that's not the worst of it," said Mrs. Aleshine. "Supposin' themDusantes come back before we go. There's no knowin' what that Mr.Dusante is. He may be a brother of Emily an
d Lucille. And what sort of achance would you have then, I'd like to know, with Miss Ruth right herein his own house, and he ownin' the rowboat, and everythin'? Or it maybe he's a widower, and that'll be a mighty sight worse, I can tell you."
"No matter whether they're widowers or never been married," said Mrs.Lecks, "there'll be plenty that'll want her as soon as they see her; andif it isn't for the girl's own pretty face, it'll be for her father'smoney."
"Her father's money!" I exclaimed. "What are you talking of?"
"There's no good tellin' me anything about that," said Mrs. Lecks, verydecidedly. "There never was a man as close-fisted as Mr. Enderton whohadn't money."
"And you know as well as we do," said Mrs. Aleshine, "that in themcountries where he's been the heathens worship idols of silver and idolsof gold, and when them heathens is converted, don't you suppose themissionaries get any of that? I expect that Mr. Enderton has convertedthousands of heathens."
At this suggestion I laughed outright. But Mrs. Lecks reproved me.
"Now, Mr. Craig," said she, "this is no laughin' matter. What me andMrs. Aleshine is sayin' is for your good, and for the good of Miss Ruthalong with you. I haven't much opinion of her father, but his money isas good as anybody else's, and though they had to leave their trunks onboard their ship, what little they brought with them shows that they'vebeen used to havin' the best there is. Mrs. Aleshine and me has set uptill late into the night talkin' over this thing, and we are both of onemind that you two need never expect to have the same chance again thatyou've got now. The very fact that the old gentleman is a preacher, andcan marry you on the spot, ought to make you tremble when you think ofthe risks you are runnin' by puttin' it off."
"I've got to go into the house now to see about supper," said Mrs.Aleshine, rising, "and I hope you'll remember, Mr. Craig, when yourbread is on your plate, and Miss Ruth is sittin' opposite to you, thatthree quarters of a pint of flour a day is about as little as anybodycan live on, and that time is flyin'."
Mrs. Lecks now also rose. But I detained the two for a moment.
"I hope you have not said anything to Miss Enderton on this subject," Isaid.
"No," replied Mrs. Aleshine, "we haven't. We are both agreed that asyou're the one that's to do what's to be done, you are the one that's tobe spoke to. And havin' been through it ourselves, we understand wellenough that the more a woman don't know nothin' about it, the morelikely she is to be ketched if she wants to be."
The two women left me in an amused but also somewhat annoyed state ofmind. I had no intention whatever of proposing to Miss Ruth Enderton.She was a charming girl, very bright and lively, and withal, I hadreason to believe, very sensible. But it was not yet a fortnight since Ifirst saw her, and no thought of marrying her had entered into my head.Had Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine, or, more important than all, had MissEnderton, any reason to believe that I was acting the part of a lover?
The latter portion of this question was almost immediately answered tomy satisfaction by the appearance of Miss Ruth, who came skipping downto me and calling out to me in that free and hearty manner with which awoman addresses a friend or near acquaintance, but never a suspectedlover. She betrayed no more notion of the Lecks and Aleshine scheme thanon the day I first met her.
But, as I was rowing her over the lagoon, I felt a certain constraintwhich I had not known before. There was no ground whatever for the wildimaginings of the two women, but the fact that they had imaginedinterfered very much with the careless freedom with which I hadpreviously talked to Miss Ruth. I do not think, however, that shenoticed any change in me, for she chatted and laughed, and showed, asshe had done from the first, the rare delight which she took in thisnovel island life.
When we returned to the house, we were met by Mrs. Aleshine. "I am goin'to give you two your supper," she said, "on that table there under thetree. We all had ours a little earlier than common, as the sailormenseemed hungry; and I took your father's to him in the libr'ry, where Iexpect he's a-sittin' yet, holdin' a book in one hand and stirrin' histea with the other, till he's stirred out nearly every drop on thefloor; which, however, won't matter at all, for in the mornin' I'll rubup that floor till it's as bright as new."
This plan delighted Miss Ruth, but I saw in it the beginning of theworkings of a deep-laid scheme. I was just about to sit down when Mrs.Aleshine said to me in a low voice, as she left us:
"Remember that the first three quarters of a pint apiece begins now!"
"Don't you think that Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine are perfectlycharming?" said Miss Ruth, as she poured out the tea. "They always seemto be trying to think of some kind thing to do for other people."
I agreed entirely with Miss Enderton's remark, but I could not helpthinking of the surprise she would feel if she knew of the kind thingthat these two women were trying to do for her.
"Have you taken any steps yet?" asked Mrs. Lecks of me, the next day. Onmy replying that I had taken no steps of the kind to which I supposedshe alluded, she walked away with a very grave and serious face.
A few hours later Mrs. Aleshine came to me. "There's another reason forhurryin' up," said she. "Them sailormen seems able to do without 'mostanything in this world except tobacco, and Mrs. Lecks has been sellin'it to 'em out of a big box she found in a closet up-stairs, at fivecents a teacupful,--which I think is awful cheap, but she says prices inislands is always low,--and wrapping the money up in a paper, with 'Cashpaid by sailormen for tobacco' written on it, and puttin' it into theginger-jar with the board money. But their dollar and forty-three centsis nearly gone, and Mrs. Lecks she says that not a whiff of Mr.Dusante's tobacco shall they have if they can't pay for it. And whenthey have nothin' to smoke they'll be wantin' to leave this island justas quick as they can, without waitin' for the flour to give out."
Here was another pressure brought to bear upon me. Not only the waningflour, but the rapidly disappearing tobacco money was used as a weaponto urge me forward to the love-making which Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshinehad set their hearts upon.
I was in no hurry to leave the island, and hoped very much that when wedid go we should depart in some craft more comfortable than a ship'sboat. In order, therefore, to prevent any undue desire to leave on thepart of the sailors, I gave them money enough to buy a good many teacupsfull of tobacco. By this act I think I wounded the feelings of Mrs.Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine, although I had no idea that such would be theeffect of my little gift. They said nothing to me on the subject, buttheir looks and manners indicated that they thought I had not beenacting honorably. For two days they had very little to say to me, andthen Mrs. Aleshine came to me to make what, I suppose, was their supremeeffort.
"Mrs. Lecks and me is a-goin' to try," she said,--and as she spoke shelooked at me with a very sad expression and a watery appearance aboutthe eyes,--"to stretch out the time for you a little longer. We aregoin' to make them sailormen eat more fish; and as for me and her, we'llgo pretty much without bread, and make it up, as well as we can, onother things. You and Miss Ruth and the parson can each have your threequarters of a pint of flour a day, just the same as ever, and what wesave ought to give you three or four days longer."
This speech moved me deeply. I could not allow these two kind-heartedwomen to half starve themselves in order that I might have more time towoo, and I spoke very earnestly on the subject to Mrs. Aleshine, urgingher to give up the fanciful plans which she and Mrs. Lecks hadconcocted.
"Let us drop this idea of love-making," I said, "which is the wildestkind of vagary, and all live happily together, as we did before. If theprovisions give out before the Dusantes come back, I suppose we shallhave to leave in the boat; but, until that time comes, let us enjoy lifehere as much as we can, and be the good friends that we used to be."
I might as well have talked to one of the palm-trees which waved overus.
"As I said before," remarked Mrs. Aleshine, "what is saved from Mrs.Lecks's and mine and the three sailormen's three quarters of a pintapiece ought to give you four day
s more." And she went into the house.
All this time the Reverend Mr. Enderton had sat and read in the library,or meditatively had walked the beach with a book in his hand; while thethree mariners had caught fish, performed their other work, and lain inthe shade, smoking their pipes in peace. Miss Ruth and I had taken ourdaily rows and walks, and had enjoyed our usual hours of pleasantconverse, and all the members of the little colony seemed happy andcontented except Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine. These two went gravelyand sadly about their work, and the latter asked no more for thehornpipes and the sea-songs of her sailormen.
But, for some unaccountable reason, Mr. Enderton's condition of tranquilabstraction did not continue. He began to be fretful and discontented.He found fault with his food and his accommodations, and instead ofspending the greater part of the day in the library, as had been hiswont, he took to wandering about the island, generally with two or threebooks under his arm, sometimes sitting down in one place, and sometimesin another, and then rising suddenly to go grumbling into the house.
One afternoon, as Miss Ruth and I were in the skiff in the lagoon, wesaw Mr. Enderton approaching us, walking on the beach. As soon as he wasnear enough for us to hear him, he shouted to his daughter:
"Ruth, come out of that boat! If you want to take the air, I shouldthink you might as well walk with me as to go rowing round with--withanybody."
This rude and heartless speech made my blood boil, while my companionturned pale with mortification. The man had never made the slightestobjection to our friendly intercourse, and this unexpected attack wasentirely indefensible.
"Please put me ashore," said Miss Ruth, and without a word, for I couldnot trust myself to speak, I landed her; and, petulantly complainingthat she never gave him one moment of her society, her father led heraway.
"SMOKING THEIR PIPES IN PEACE."]
An hour later, my soul still in a state of turmoil, but with theviolence of its tossings somewhat abated, I entered one of the pathswhich led through the woods. After a few turns, I reached a point whereI could see for quite a long distance to the other end of the path,which opened out upon the beach. There I perceived Mr. Enderton sittingupon the little bench on which I had found Emily's book. His back wastoward me, and he seemed to be busily reading. About midway between himand myself I saw Miss Ruth slowly walking toward me. Her eyes were fixedupon the ground, and she had not seen me.
Stepping to one side, I awaited her approach. When she came near Iaccosted her.
"Miss Ruth," said I, "has your father been talking to you of me?"
She looked up quickly, evidently surprised at my being there. "Yes," shesaid, "he has told me that it is not--suitable that I should be with youas much as I have been since we came here."
There was something in this remark that roused again the turmoil whichhad begun to subside within me. There was so much that was unjust andtyrannical, and--what perhaps touched me still deeper--there was such awant of consideration and respect in this behavior of Mr. Enderton's,that it brought to the front some very incongruous emotions. I had beensuperciliously pushed aside, and I found I was angry. Something wasabout to be torn from me, and I found I loved it.
"Ruth," said I, stepping up close to her, "do you like to be with me asyou have been?"
If Miss Ruth had not spent such a large portion of her life in theout-of-the-world village of Nanfouchong, if she had not lived amongthose simple-hearted missionaries, where it was never necessary toconceal her emotions or her sentiments, if it had not been that shenever had had emotions or sentiments that it was necessary to conceal, Ido not believe that when she answered me she would have raised her eyesto me with a look in them of a deep-blue sky seen through a sort ofIndian-summer mist, and that, gazing thus, she would have said:
"Of course I like it."
"Then let us make it suitable," I said, taking both her hands in mine.
There was another look, in which the skies shone clear and bright, andthen, in a moment, it was all done.
About five minutes after this I said to her, "Ruth, shall we go to yourfather?"
"Certainly," she answered. And together we walked along the thicklyshaded path.
The missionary still sat with his back toward us, and, being so intentupon his book, I found that by keeping my eyes upon him it was perfectlysafe to walk with my arm around Ruth until we had nearly reached him.Then I took her hand in mine, and we stepped in front of him.
"Father," said Ruth, "Mr. Craig and I are going to be married."
There was something very plump about this remark, and Mr. Endertonimmediately raised his eyes from his book and fixed them first upon hisdaughter and then upon me; then he let them drop, and through the narrowspace between us he gazed out over the sea.
"Well, father," said Ruth, a little impatiently, "what do you think ofit?"
Mr. Enderton leaned forward and picked up a leaf from the ground. Thishe placed between the open pages of his book, and closed it.
"It seems to me," he said, "that on many accounts the arrangement youpropose may be an excellent one. Yes," he added more decidedly; "I thinkit will do very well indeed. I shall not be at all surprised if we areobliged to remain on this island for a considerable time, and, for mypart, I have no desire to leave it at present. And when you shall placeyourself, Ruth, in a position in which you will direct the domesticeconomies of the establishment, I hope that you will see to it thatthings generally are made more compatible with comfort and gentility,and, as regards the table, I may add with palatability."
"IT WAS PERFECTLY SAFE."]
Ruth and I looked at each other, and then together we promised that asfar as in us lay we would try to make the life of Mr. Enderton a happyone, not only while we were on the island, but ever afterward.
We were promising a great deal, but at that moment we felt verygrateful.
Then he stood up, shook us both by the hands, and we left him to hisbook.
When Ruth and I came walking out of the woods and approached the house,Mrs. Aleshine was standing outside, not far from the kitchen. When shesaw us she gazed steadily at us for a few moments, a strange expressioncoming over her face. Then she threw up both her hands, and without aword she turned and rushed indoors.
We had not reached the house before Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine camehurrying out together. Running up to us with a haste and an excitement Ihad never seen in either of them, first one and then the other took Ruthinto her arms and kissed her with much earnestness. Then they turnedupon me and shook my hands with hearty vigor, expressing, more by theirlooks and actions than their words, a triumphant approbation of what Ihad done.
"The minute I laid eyes on you," said Mrs. Aleshine, "I knowed it wasall right. There wasn't no need of askin' questions."
I now became fearful lest, in the exuberance of their satisfaction,these good women might reveal to Ruth the plans they had laid for ourmatrimonial future, and the reluctance I had shown in entering intothem. My countenance must have expressed my apprehensions, for Mrs.Aleshine, her ruddy face glowing with warmth, both mental and physical,gave me a little wink, and drew me to one side.
"You needn't suppose that we've ever said anything to Miss Ruth, or thatwe're goin' to. It's a great deal better to let her think you did it allyourself."
I felt like resenting this imputation upon the independence of mylove-making, but at this happy moment I did not want to enter into adiscussion, and therefore merely smiled.
"I'm so glad, I don't know how to tell it," continued Mrs. Aleshine, asMrs. Lecks and Ruth walked toward the house.
I was about to follow, but my companion detained me.
"Have you spoke to the parson?" she asked.
"Oh, yes," said I, "and he seems perfectly satisfied. I am rathersurprised at this, because of late he has been in such a remarkably badhumor."
"That's so," said Mrs. Aleshine; "there's no gettin' round the fact thathe's been a good deal crosser than two sticks. You see, Mr. Craig, thatMrs. Lecks and me we made up our minds
that it wasn't fair to theDusantes to let that rich missionary go on payin' nothin' but fourdollars a week apiece for him and his daughter, and if we couldn't getno more out of him one way, we'd do it another. It was fair enough thatif he didn't pay more he ought to get less; and so we gave him more fishand not so much bread, the same as we did the sailormen; and we weakenedhis tea, and sent him just so much sugar, and no more; and as foropenin' boxes of sardines for him, which there was no reason why theyshouldn't be left here for the Dusantes, I just wouldn't do it, thoughhe said he'd got all the fresh fish he wanted when he was in China. Andthen we agreed that it was high time that that libr'ry should be cleanedup, and we went to work at it, not mindin' what he said; for it's no usetellin' me that four dollars a week will pay for a front room and goodboard, and the use of a libr'ry all day. And as there wasn't no need ofboth of us cleanin' one room, Mrs. Lecks she went into the parlor,where he'd took his books, and begun there. And then, again, we shutdown on Mr. Dusante's dressing-gown. There was no sense includin' theuse of that in his four dollars a week, so we brushed it up, andcamphored it, and put it away. We just wanted to let him know that if heundertook to be skinflinty, he'd better try it on somebody else besidesus. We could see that he was a good deal upset, for if ever a man likedto have things quiet and comfortable around him, and everything his ownway, that man is that missionary. But we didn't care if we did prod himup a little. Mrs. Lecks and me we both agreed that it would do him good.Why, he'd got into such a way of shettin' himself up in himself that hedidn't even see that his daughter was goin' about with a young man, andfixin' her affections on him more and more every day, when he never hadno idea, as could be proved by witnesses, of marryin' her."
"'I KNOWED IT WAS ALL RIGHT.'"]
"Mrs. Aleshine," said I, looking at her very steadfastly, "I believe,after all, that you and Mrs. Lecks had your own way in regard tohurrying up this matter."
"Yes," said she, with happy complacency; "I shouldn't wonder if we had.Stirrin' up the parson was our last chance, and it wasn't much troubleto do it."
Mrs. Lecks, whose manner toward me for the last few days had beencharacterized by cold severity, now resumed her former friendlydemeanor, although she was not willing to let the affair pass overwithout some words of reproach.
"I must say, Mr. Craig," she remarked the next morning, "that I wasgettin' pretty well outdone with you. I was beginnin' to think that ayoung man that couldn't see and wouldn't see what was good for himdidn't deserve to have it; and if Miss Ruth's father had just come downwith a heavy foot and put an end to the whole business, I'm not sure I'dbeen sorry for you. But it's all right at last, and bygones is bygones.And now, what we've got to do is to get ready for the weddin'."
"The wedding!" I exclaimed.
Mrs. Lecks regarded me with an expression in which there was somethingof virtuous indignation and something of pity. "Mr. Craig," said she,"if there ever was anybody that wanted a guardeen, it's you. Now, justlet me tell you this. That Mr. Enderton ain't to be trusted no furtherthan you can see him, and not so fur, neither, if it can be helped. He'swillin' for you to have Miss Ruth now, because he's pretty much made uphis mind that we're goin' to stay here, and as he considers you themaster of this island, of course he thinks it'll be for his good for hisdaughter to be mistress of it. For one thing, he wouldn't expect to payno board then. But just let him get away from this island, and just lethim set his eyes on some smooth-faced young fellow that'll agree to takehim into the concern and keep him for nothin' on books and tea, he'lljust throw you over without winkin'. And Miss Ruth is not the girl tomarry you against his will, if he opens the Bible and piles texts onher, which he is capable of doin'. If in any way you two should getseparated when you leave here, there's no knowin' when you'd ever seeeach other again, for where he'll take her nobody can tell. He's morewillin' to set down and stay where he finds himself comfortable thananybody I've met yet."
"Of course," I said, "I'm ready to be married at any moment; but I don'tbelieve Miss Ruth and her father would consent to anything so speedy."
"Don't you get into the way," said Mrs. Lecks, "of beforehand believin'this or that. It don't pay. Just you go to her father and talk to himabout it, and if you and him agree, it'll be easy enough to make hersee the sense of it. You attend to them, and I'll see that everythin' isgot ready. And you'd better fix the day for to-morrow, for we can't stayhere much longer, and there's a lot of house-cleanin' and bakin' andcookin' to be done before we go."
I took this advice, and broached the subject to Mr. Enderton.
"Well, sir," said he, laying down his book, "your proposition isdecidedly odd; I may say, very odd, indeed. But it is, perhaps, afterall, no odder than many things I have seen. Among the variousdenominational sects I have noticed occurrences quite as odd; quite asodd, sir. For my part, I have no desire to object to an earlycelebration of the matrimonial rites. I may say, indeed, that I am ofthe opinion that a certain amount of celerity in this matter willconduce to the comfort of all concerned. It has been a veryunsatisfactory thing to me to see my daughter occupying a subordinateposition in our little family, where she has not even the power to turnhousehold affairs into the channels of my comfort. To-morrow, I think,will do very well indeed. Even if it should rain, I see no reason whythe ceremony should be postponed."
The proposition of a wedding on the morrow was not received by Ruth withfavor. She was unprepared for such precipitancy. But she finally yieldedto arguments; not so much to mine, I fear, as to those offered by Mrs.Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine.
For the rest of that day the three mariners were kept very busy,bringing in green things to deck the parlor, and doing every imaginablekind of work necessary to a wedding which Mrs. Aleshine was willing togive into their hands. As for herself and her good friend, they putthemselves upon their mettle as providers of festivals. They made cakes,pies, and I never knew half so well as the three sailors how many otherkinds of good things. Besides all this, they assisted Ruth to arrayherself in some degree in a manner becoming a bride. Some light andpretty adornments of dress were borrowed from Emily or Lucille, theyknew not which, and, after having been "done up" and fluted and crimpedby Mrs. Lecks, were incorporated by Ruth into her costume with so muchtaste that on the wedding morning she appeared to me to be dressed morecharmingly than any bride I had ever seen.
The three sailors had done their own washing and ironing, and appearedin cleanly garb, and with hair and beards well wet and brushed. Mrs.Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine put on their best bibs and tuckers, and Mr.Enderton assumed his most clerical air as he stood behind a table in theparlor and married Ruth and me.
"This," said Mr. Enderton, as we were seated at the wedding-feast, "is amost creditable display of attractive viands, but I may say, my dearRuth, that I think I perceived the influence of the happy event ofto-day even before it took place. I have lately had a better appetitefor my food, and have experienced a greater enjoyment of mysurroundings."
"I should think so," murmured Mrs. Aleshine in my ear, "for we'd nosooner knowed that you two were to make a match of it than we put anextry spoonful of tea into his pot, and stopped scrubbin' the libr'ry."
For the next two days all was bustle and work on the island. Mrs. Lecksand Mrs. Aleshine would not consent to depart without leaving everythingin the best possible order, so that the Dusantes might not bedissatisfied with the condition of their house when they returned. Itwas, in fact, the evident desire of the two women to gratify their pridein their house-wifely abilities by leaving everything better than theyfound it.
Mr. Enderton was much surprised at these preparations for immediatedeparture. He was very well satisfied with his life on the island, andhad prepared his mind for an indefinite continuance of it, with theposition of that annoying and obdurate Mrs. Lecks filled by a compliantand affectionate daughter. He had no reasonable cause for complaint, forthe whole subject of the exhaustion of our supply of provisions, and thenecessity of an open-boat trip to an inhabited island, had been fullydiscussed before
him; but he was so entirely engrossed in theconsideration of his own well-being that this discussion of our planshad made no impression upon him. He now became convinced that aconspiracy had been entered into against him, and fell into anunpleasant humor. This, however, produced very little effect upon any ofus, for we were all too busy to notice his whims. But his sudden changeof disposition made me understand how correct were the opinions of Mrs.Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine concerning him. If I had left that islandwith my marriage with Ruth depending upon Mr. Enderton's cooperation, myprospects of future happiness would have been at the mercy of hiscaprices.
"THEY ASSISTED RUTH TO ARRAY HERSELF."]
Very early on a beautiful morning Ruth and I started out on our weddingjourney in the long-boat. Mr. Enderton was made as comfortable aspossible in the stern, with Ruth near him. Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshinesat facing each other, each with a brown-paper package by her side,containing the life-preserver on which she had arrived. These were to beever cherished as memorials of a wonderful experience. The three sailorsand I took turns at the oars. The sea was smooth, and there was everyreason to believe that we should arrive at our destination before theend of the day. Mrs. Aleshine had supplied us with an abundance ofprovisions, and, with the exception of Mr. Enderton, who had not beenpermitted to take away any of the Dusante books, we were a contentedparty.
"As long as the flour held out," remarked Mrs. Aleshine, "I'd never beenwillin' to leave that island till the Dusantes came back, and we couldhave took Emily or Lucille, whichever it was that kept house, and showedher everythin', and told her just what we had done. But when they docome back," she added, "and read that letter which Mr. Craig wrote andleft for them, and find out all that happened in their country-placewhile they was away; and how two of us was made happy for life; and howtwo more of us, meanin' Mrs. Lecks and me, have give up goin' to Japan,intendin', instid of that, writin' to my son to come home to America andsettle down in the country he ought to live in,--why, then, if themDusantes ain't satisfied, it's no use for anybody to ever try to satisfy'em."
"I should think not," said Mrs. Lecks, "with the weddin'-cards on theparlor table, not a speck of dust in any corner, and the board money inthe ginger-jar."