CHAPTER II--"THEY'RE OFF!"
The result of that evening's discussion at Mr. Dalken's apartment wassoon revealed to those interested in the cruise. After certain sundrymeetings at different places such as Ashby's Shop where the friendsgrouped in Polly's office, at Fabian's dinner table, and at Mrs. Ashby'shome of an evening, it was decided that the trip outlined by Polly andEleanor at Mr. Dalken's dinner party was the most alluring of any. Henceit was agreed to follow their plan.
Once it was decided to cruise to South America the next question todecide was when to start. Unanimously it was agreed to start thefollowing week. The yacht needed no overhauling as it was always kept inperfect order to sail at a few hours' notice. Mr. Dalken seemed anxiousto get away from the City, saying his doctor ordered him to go withoutdelay, and the girls were more than anxious to get away.
The days following the sudden decision to start in a week's time, werefilled with hurrying, scurrying females of the party, especiallyElizabeth Dalken. She shopped as if she expected to visit an Emperor andattend Court instead of going on board her father's private Yacht for apleasure trip to South America.
Everybody felt it necessary to advise everybody else about what to takeand what not to take. It seemed to Polly that the days fairly _crept_by, instead of galloping past as they had been wont to do in the lastthree years. But everything comes to an end--even long, tedious waitingfor a certain day to arrive. And then the day came--a day of unusualsunshine and balmy breezes: a perfect day for a sea voyage to begin.
To the two eager girls who waved last goodbys to the maids at the Fabianhome it seemed that there never had been such a crowded week of work asthe one just finished. As the auto started to the Yacht Club wharf, evenMr. Fabian, usually so peaceful and quiet, sighed as if he, too, feltthankful that the rush and confusion was over.
"Goodness me! Look at the crowd waiting on the dock to see us off!"cried Polly, looking from the window of the car.
Eleanor looked and exclaimed at the unexpected number of groups, whereasit had been expected that only a few of the young men would be presentto bid the girls goodby. Mr. and Mrs. Ashby and Ruth, Mrs. Courtney andElizabeth Dalken expected to be on board the yacht; and EleanorMaynard's father from Chicago had wired that he would wait atJacksonville, Florida, for them to pick him up, as he had found itimpossible to leave his banking affairs in time to start with them fromNew York. Polly's father and mother were at Pebbly Pit and they wiredtheir regrets that they could not join the merry mariners, but John andAnne expected to arrive in New York in time to say goodby to the party.Then where could these many people have come from? It was soonexplained.
As the Fabian car came up close to the Dalken yacht, Mr. Fabian leanedout of the open window to try and see if he recognized the number offriends who had come to wish them _bon voyage._ When he drew back intothe automobile he was smiling. The girls had no time to ask him thecause of his amusement, because the chauffeur stopped the car andimmediately, a number of handsome young men crowded close to the doorand began showering questions upon the youthful occupants.
Then Polly got out and looked around, fully expecting to find her fatherand mother waiting to surprise her at her sailing away for the adventureto Southern Seas. But the girls were doomed to a fall in theirvanity--thinking all these persons on the dock were assembled to bid themgoodby! To their chagrin they saw that the majority of merry-makers werethere to see another family of friends off! not one of them had theslightest acquaintance with Mr. Dalken's party.
In the group eagerly waiting for the last arrivals--the unit composed ofMr. and Mrs. Fabian and Nancy, Polly and Eleanor,--were to be seen ourold friends Mr. and Mrs. Latimer and Tom. Tom had come all the way fromthe mine at Pebbly Pit in order to see Polly, and hold her hand justonce before having her go so far away. There, too, were Dr. and Mrs.Evans and Kenneth; John Baxter and Mrs. Courtney. Evidently the owner ofthe yacht and his daughter Elizabeth were already on board, as a shout,to attract Polly's attention to the beautiful craft, came from a numberof young persons who were talking in the prow of the yacht.
"Look, Nolla! Isn't that Paul Stewart and Pete Maynard up there withElizabeth Dalken?" whispered Polly hurriedly, as she tried to see whowere the individual members in the group.
"Well! If that doesn't beat all! Come on, Poll--let's run in and shakehands. I haven't had a word with Paul for so long that my tongue cleavesto the roof of my mouth." And Eleanor ran.
Polly was forcibly detained at the moment she started to follow Eleanor.Tom Latimer had caught hold of her coat sleeve and was saying: "Aren'tyou going to wait here to see John and Anne when they arrive?"
"Oh! Aren't we all going on board? Why not visit with John and Anne, andall the rest of you, while on the yacht?" asked Polly.
Tom always became humble when in Polly's presence, and this occasion wasno exception to the rule. He meekly followed at Polly's heels as she ledthe way up the steps of the wharf to the gangplank. In another momentPolly was surrounded by her young friends and dragged to the luxuriouslounging room on the deck, where wicker chairs and tables and divansinvited one to sit and enjoy life.
A few moments after seating herself in one of the wide-armedchairs--chosen in order to compel Tom to select another chair and not tryto squeeze close to her side as he would have done had she seatedherself on the divan--Polly saw Mr. Dalken hurrying to join the group ofyoung friends.
"Oh, Polly! I had a 'phone message from John--he says Anne and he justgot in at Grand Central and would hurry here in a taxi. He must bealmost here by this time, I judge, so you keep on the look-out for them,will you? I have so many other things to attend to," was Mr. Dalken'srequest.
"All right, Dalky! Go on and do your duty, but don't kill yourselfworking for others--as you always do," laughed Polly, waving a hand athim.
"There, Polly! Now you'd better come with me and stand at the rail towatch for your brother and Anne," advised Tom, anxiously.
"Yes? and have you stand there and talk nonsense to me, eh," laughedPolly, softly, in order that others might not hear.
Tom bit his lip. Polly knew she was uncharitable, but she rebelled atTom's constant tagging her when she wanted to enjoy the company of otherfriends, too, and she generally spoke impulsively and regretted itlater.
At this crisis between the two conditional lovers, Eleanor unconsciouslyplayed the good fairy by drawing Polly's attention to a little side-playbetween Elizabeth and Pete Maynard. They had quietly withdrawn from thegroup of young people and were now enjoying a tete-a-tete back of thefunnel which acted as a partial screen for them.
"I just wanted to say that Elizabeth's mother has trained her carefullyto encourage only such young men as can show an attractive bank-roll.Totty never deigned to notice Ken and Paul, but quickly attached herselfto Pete. Well, Pete is playing the same game as Elizabeth's motherplays, and Dad knows too much to let Pete use _his_ money for fortunehunters!" was Eleanor's sarcastic remark.
"But you must remember, Nolla, Totty isn't what one might call afortune-hunter, any more than Pete is. Mr. Dalken has no other heir tohis wealth, and some day Elizabeth will have more than she can use,"remonstrated Polly.
"Pooh! Mr. Dalken is a handsome youngish man, Polly, and our Mrs.Courtney is a fascinating, lonely youngish woman--there!"
At such frank match-making between the two girls, Tom Latimer gasped.The girls laughed at his shocked expression, and Eleanor added in awhisper: "Tom, old dear, why do you think Elizabeth's mother sent her onthis cruise with the father who is so heartily detested by the socialmoth, and has been completely ignored for years?"
"W-e-ell," stammered Tom, innocently, "I'm sure I don't know. Now thatyou mention it, I think I can see a little light."
Eleanor laughed as she patted Tom on the back. "That's a good boy! Go tothe head of the class!"
Just as a taxi drove recklessly up to the wharf, the whistle on theyacht blew a terrific blast. Every one glanced apprehensively at thepilot house to see what this meant. Surely the Captain ha
d no intentionsof leaving then and there! Mr. Dalken was seen to hurry to the Captain'sroom to inquire into the unexpected signal.
John and Anne hurried on board and were soon surrounded by welcomingfriends, Polly the center of the group. All concern over the whistle wasforgotten in the gossip about the gold mine and all the doings at PebblyPit Ranch. Anne had many packages to deliver to Polly from her mother,and John had advices galore from her father.
At a second warning call from the ear-splitting siren Mr. Dalken camehurrying from the Captain's room. His face expressed impatience as hejoined his friends. They paused in their noisy conversation to hear whathe wished to say.
"Captain Blake tells me that the pilot he has on board to take us out asfar as Sandy Hook declares he will leave this boat unless he can getstarted at once. He avers that he is losing the tide, as well as otherjobs he signed up for. If he leaves us that means we will have to delayour start until to-morrow," explained Mr. Dalken.
"Oh, no, no!" sounded from several young throats, as their ownerscrowded about Mr. Dalken to give good reasons why they should start atonce.
"But we just got here!" cried John in a disappointed tone.
"That's your loss--you ought to collect damages from the TwentiethCentury Limited," retorted Eleanor.
"Oh, if only John and Anne would remain on board with us and go as faras Jacksonville, where we expect to touch to pick up Nolla's father!"exclaimed Polly, eagerly.
"Say, John, that's a capital idea! Why not do it?" asked Mr. Dalken,quickly.
"What of my baggage at the Grand Central--and the rooms we wired to holdfor us from today?" queried John.
"I'll see to the trunk, John, and one of the others will cancel thereservation at the hotel," offered Kenneth Evans.
During the eager talk occasioned by Polly's suggestion, Tom Latimerseemed very thoughtful. When it was finally decided that John and hiswife would remain as Mr. Dalken's guests as far as Florida, Tomdeliberately spoke up! "I'll reconsider my refusal to be one of yourparty as far as Jacksonville, Mr. Dalken. John and I have so manyimportant business matters to discuss at once, that this short voyagewill give us the opportunity we need."
Polly looked amazed, and a general smile rippled the faces of all theothers present. They knew only too well what Tom's important businessmatters consisted of.
"That's too bad of you, Tom," exclaimed Polly, daringly. "I had hoped tohave a few words with my brother myself; now that all your time will beengaged in business affairs I shall have to attach my company to anotherchampion until we reach Florida."
Tom sulked at these words and a number of the friends in the grouplaughed outright. But the sudden shrill blast overhead summarilydisposed of such trifles as a lover's scene. "There!" declared Mr.Dalken. "That's the last call he'll give us, he said. If we don't obeyhis orders he'll leave at once."
This rude manner of sending his guests away seemed to hurt Mr. Dalken'sgentle heart, but his friends laughed at his concern.
Midst shouts of goodbys and many advices to the would-be mariners, thevisiting party hurried from the yacht, leaving Tom and John and Anne ondeck with those remaining for the cruise.
Just as the friends on shore hoped to see the sailor cast off the ropewhich had been looped about the heavy post on the wharf, a frenzied cryfrom a young man seen to be racing like mad down the walk to the dock,drew all attention that way. Even the Captain watched the sprinter tosee what might be wrong at the last minute.
It turned out to be Jim Latimer laden with boxes of bon bons andflowers. He had sent Ken on ahead to tell the girls he was hunting inthe locality for proper little memos of his faithful love for them all,but Kenneth had forgotten to mention it.
"Heigh, there!" shouted Jim, furiously, to the man he saw grinning fromthe pilot house, "don't you start until I get on with these presents!"
Jim's father tried to prevent his son from springing on board the yachtwhere all hands were hastening to cast off, but Jim had not become anexpert football player on Yale's team for nothing.
In a few giant leaps he was on board and in a few more strides he joinedthe young people. Naturally the young contingent congratulated him uponarriving just in time, and the elders laughed tolerantly.
"Think I was going to chase all over the West Side for decent candiesand flowers and then get left at the last moment?" demanded Jim, moppinghis perspiring face with his handkerchief.
"You're just in time to say goodby and get off again," hinted hisbrother Tom, who felt that his temperamental younger brother mightinterrupt his planned tete-a-tetes with Polly that evening.
"Leave nothing!" retorted Jim. "I'll get off where you do." His hearerslaughed.
"I'm sailing with them as far as Florida," remarked Tom, coolly.
"Yeh! Then so am I!" was all Jim said, as he turned away to look for Mr.Dalken.
A last and final shriek from the whistle sounded, and at the same time avoice bawled out orders. The Captain was seen watching the group ofyoung friends, but his face looked like a black thunder-cloud. It wasevident to all that not only the Captain, but the owner of the yacht, aswell, were in no good humor at the behavior of the pilot. But the pilotcared nothing for friendship or lovers, and he did care for his capacityto earn dollars.
Paul shouted to his companions to run for the gang-plank, when he sawtwo sailors stand ready to cast off. Before Paul could warn his friendsof the need of haste, a loud voice bawled: "Stand ready to cast offlines!" Then quickly followed the command: "Cast off!"
At the same moment the ropes which had moored the yacht to her dock weredeftly thrown, and in another minute the beautiful craft was under way.Mr. Dalken stood amazed at such action, and the young men thus trappedand about to be carried away on the voyage, began to stutter and stammerand wonder what had best be done.
The girls, considering the manner in which their gallants had been dulywarned and then punished for not obeying the orders, laughed uneasily atthe result of such deafness to the siren's command. On the pier stood agroup of wide-eyed, open-mouthed elders who felt on the verge of nervouscollapse when they had time to remember that this departing vessel wasbound for South America, and those young men were not prepared to takethat trip.
Mr. Dalken ran to the Captain's quarters and there he remained, insteadof returning to the deck to comfort the troubled souls of the maleadmirers who had been so neatly snared.
The yacht ran smoothly through the tawny waters of the Hudson River, andheaded for the Statue of Liberty. Though the girls, as well as thetrapped boys, were deeply concerned over the outcome of this action onthe Captain's part, they confessed to each other that it was thrillingwhen one realized how neatly they had been kidnapped. And then, too,what jolly times they all might have on the days and nights of thismarvellous cruise!
Tom reminded Polly, as the yacht shot past the Statue, of thatexperience they had shared the night that same yacht collided with theferryboat in the fog, and the unexpected dive and swim they were given--aswim that all but ended fatally for Polly.
Elizabeth had joined the other young people by this time, and she askedto be told the circumstance of that adventure on Bedloe's Island. Whiledescribing that thrilling incident, Tom gave his attention to Elizabeth,thus he failed to notice that Polly slipped away. She had seen Mrs.Courtney laughing and whispering with some one hidden back of the doorwhich opened to the private corridor of the Captain's quarters, and shebelieved she knew who was standing there imparting such amusing news tothe lady.
Unseen by Mrs. Courtney, Polly managed to come up quite unexpectedly andoverheard Mr. Dalken remarking: "So you see they will be taught anecessary lesson at the same time."
It was too late to change the topic, or to screen the man who impartedthis information, hence Mrs. Courtney laughed softly and begged Polly tokeep the secret. Both she and Mr. Dalken were sure Polly had overheardall that had just been said. In truth, Polly allowed them to remainunder that impression, but she knew little more than she had before shesurprised them.
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p; The three sauntered away from the Captain's quarters, and Pollyremarked: "Well, we have much to be grateful for, Dalky. Especially forthe Captain's unusual consideration for young maids' preference for thecompany of young men. He shows he was young himself at one time!" Thenshe laughed merrily.
"Yes; that is what he said just now, when I demanded an excuse for hisunwarranted action of adding all those extra appetites to my list ofpassengers. We'll run short of rations long before we touch at Cuba,"said Mr. Dalken.
The anxious young men now saw their host approaching, and Tom hurriedforward to meet him and ask for an explanation. Having been told howamazed Mr. Dalken felt at the manner in which the Captain had acted, thedisgusted young man glanced inadvertently across the Harbor.
Polly, watching Mr. Dalken's face for a cue to this hoax, saw him striveto bite his nether lip in order to keep from laughing outright. Thisinstantly relieved her mind of any doubts, for she knew Mr. Dalken wouldnot feel like laughing if the carrying off of the group of young men hadbeen accidental. As it now seemed, the whole plan had been a trick.
The yacht skimmed on without as much as a swerve inland to denote thatthe Captain was softening his heart and was disposed to land his stolenpassengers at any dock along the way. The men thus stolen began to frownheavily and every last one of them forgot to make the most of thisopportunity to converse with the young ladies they had found so charminga short time before.
Finally the craft neared Sandy Hook. As the distance between the Stationand the yacht seemed to diminish, a stranger in uniform came down fromthe pilot house and approached Mr. Dalken. He held out a hand and spokein a low murmur. Mr. Dalken laughed and nodded his head.
The yacht swept up alongside a small power boat which had apparentlykept the same course as the White Crest, and the uniformed strangerturned to the wondering group of young persons. "I'm going ashore in mylaunch, but there may be room for a few extra passengers in case any onehere fears sea-sickness and prefers to return to land."
At this unexpected invitation, a rush of eager young men fell upon thepilot and in one voice begged to be taken ashore. The laughter from Mr.Dalken and his adult guests soon explained the joke. But the host wouldnot let the departing guests go in peace.
"I'm shocked, boys, to find you are afraid of sea-sickness and choose togo ashore rather than take a chance with us! Well, now that my girls seefor themselves what your courage amounts to, they may decide to marryother young men they are sure to find in South America."
The farewells spoken at this parting were short, and needed no more thanhalf a minute to finish. The pilot smiled grimly as he said: "Quitedifferent from those long-drawn-out goodbys you boys kept on sayingwhile at the dock!"
Down in the launch, the young men who now liked to call themselves "TheCastaways," waved their hats and sang a farewell song while the littlechugging craft started away for land.
Eleanor sighed as she turned away from the rail. "That was the firstadventure on our outward bound itinerary. What next, I wonder?"
"Well, I can tell you something we _forgot_ to do, because of all thisexcitement over those boys!" exclaimed Polly, impatiently. Then shecontinued in a no less angry tone: "We had planned just how we wouldstand at the stern of the yacht and wave our hands and sing a farewellto our dear people waiting at the end of the pier to see the very lastspeck of us, and then we sail away and not as much as a _thought_ do wefling at them! I feel quite guilty when I think of all my friendswatching anxiously for one last look from me!"
Polly's voice had an audible regret in its tone as she ended hersentence, but Mrs. Courtney quickly changed the regret to merriment."Oh, my dear! They never remembered you were on board. Every one in thatcrowd on the dock was so flustered over the fears of those boys beingtaken on this trip and then hearing from you girls that they all weremarried off as seemed best, that they were calling, running about forhelp, signaling, and what not, to cause the yacht to turn back anddeposit those heart-breakers safely beside the parental authority oncemore."