The Merry Anne 20
"Well," said Beveridge, "will she go?"
"I haven't said anything yet. I thought I'd turn it over in my mind.
Aren't you pretty young for this work, Mr. Beveridge?"
"Not so very. Do as you like about it. I have said all I can."
"Oh, it's all right, of course; well, I 'll step in and see how Annie
feels about going."
A second time they parted, and a second time Beveridge walked away.
He looked over his shoulder, and saw Annie running down the beach for
something she had left in the _Captain_. He hurried back and intercepted
her.
"Annie."
"Yes."
"I don't know if you understand--you see, I have gone a good way in
telling you what I have--"
"Oh, of course, if you want to take it back--"
"But I don't. Not a word of it. I was only going to say--" he hesitated
again. She waited. "It isn't what I have asked you for myself; that
stands, Annie, and always will. It's the other. Don't you see how I have
put myself in your hands? I never did such a thing before in my life.
Just by letting you know that there's going to be something going on
here to-night, and by asking you to be away, I have put a lot of power
in your hands. You won't mind--you won't be offended--if I ask you not
to breathe a word of it to a soul?"
He waited, hoping for some reassuring word or sign, but she only looked
at him with wide eyes.
"You see a chance word might undo everything. If--" he glanced out
toward the two schooners--"if a hint of the facts gets out there to
him--don't you see? It simply can't happen. You know why I've told
you. It was because I love you, because I want to save you from it
all,--that's why I've put myself in your hands."
But all she said was, "Don't say any more; I must go in."
He was silent. But with one foot on the first step, she turned. "Wait,
tell me--"
"Yes?"
"Tell me--have you anything to do with that revenue cutter that was in
here the other day?"
"Oh, dear Annie, you mustn't ask me that." Then she hurried into the
house.
In the kitchen Captain Fargo was trying to tell his wife some
half-truths, never an easy thing for him to do.
"But what is it? What's the trouble? I don't see that anything could
happen here that it would hurt her to see."
"It wouldn't hurt her, but it really would be better to take her up to
Lizzie's. You and she could come back together to-morrow."
"Oh, it's me too! Now what is all this about, anyway?"
The Captain, instead of replying, spoke to himself: "I can't believe it.
There has been a mistake made. They never should have sent a boy of his
age to do such work."
"What work? Is there something you have promised not to tell me?"
"Yes, there is. Don't ask me what it is. Just talk it over with Annie,
and see if she won't go with you up to Lizzie's."
Mrs. Fargo threw a glance at her husband, hesitated, then went up to
Annie's room.
"Let me in, dear." Annie obeyed. "I want you to put on your things and
go out with me."
"Not to Aunt Lizzie's?"
"Yes. Your father thinks--"
"Has _he_ been talking to father, then?"
"Your father and I have been talking it over. He hasn't told me just why
he asks it--"
"But I know."
"Oh, do you?" There was a note of burning curiosity in these three
words.
"Yes, I do. And I don't believe a word of it."
"It's nothing very bad, I hope?"
"Oh, I don't mean that I understand it all, but I know something about
it. Mr. Beveridge had no right to go to father."
"Oh, it was Mr. Beveridge?"
"Yes, it was. Tell me, mother, did he--do you know what else he said?"
"No, I haven't asked him. But he wants us to go very much, and I don't
think we had better say anything."
"He wants you to go, too?"
"Yes."
"Now, mother, you won't think I'm very bad if I--don't go?"
"I'm afraid your father--"
"Father doesn't understand it himself, I'm sure. It is all a mistake--"
"Your father thinks that, too."
"Oh, does he? Then he won't mind if I don't go!"
"I don't know. I 'll tell him what you say." The mother slipped out, and
returned to the kitchen. "She doesn't want to go, father."
"But I have asked her to. I can't explain to you, or her--"
"She seems to know more than you do. She says it's a mistake."
"It is; it must be. But I said--"
"Now, father, don't you think we'd just better not say anything more?
Nobody is going to hurt us in our own home."
"No, he said that himself."
"Well, now, suppose we just let her have her way. I could see something
was troubling her, and I think she'd best be let alone."
The Captain had done what he could, so now he returned to his nets and
left his wife to begin getting supper.
Beveridge was standing at the shore end of the pier waiting for Wilson,
fish-pole on shoulder, to approach. "Well, what luck, Bert?"
Wilson held up a small string of perch. "Fair. It's too late in the day
to catch many."
"Going up to the house?"
"Yes, I guess so."
Then their voices dropped.
"Where will you be, Bill?"
"In the park here, by the road. You 'll be back early?"
"Yes, soon as I can make the arrangements."
"You have spoken to them at headquarters?"
"Yes."
"All right. So long."
"So long."
At seven o'clock, after supper, Captain Fargo was hailed by Henry
Smiley.
"How are you, Henry? Glad to see you. You haven't been around much
lately."
"No, too busy."
"On your way up-town?"
"No, just been. I ran out of tobacco and went up to get some. I
generally live on the schooner, you know. I have no other place to go
to. That's the devil of it, Cap'n, when you get to be my age without a
home or a near relation. There isn't a soul that cares anything about
me."
"I guess you need some supper. Come in with us,'tain't all cold yet."
"That wouldn't help any. I've had enough to eat."
"What do you mean by talking about your age? You're young yet."
"Do you call forty-five young?"
"What do you think of me? I'm most sixty."
"That's another story. When you go, you 'll leave something behind to
show that your life was worth living."
"I wasn't much younger than you when I married."
"None o' that for me," said Henry, with a sort of smile. "I never was
minded to it. If you have seen anything worth while about living, you're
lucky. I never could."
"Look here, Henry, I don't like to hear you talking that way. What's the matter with you?"
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