Dorothy on a House Boat Part 14

In spite of herself Elsa stopped sobbing and smiled; while relieved by this change Gerald hurriedly finished his tale.

"He was hanging there, the Cap'n holding him from falling, when his mother came tearing down the hill and stopped so short her melon fell out her skirt--ker-smash! 'What you-all doin' ter mah li'l lamb?' says she. 'Just waterin' the gra.s.s,' says he. 'Why-fo'?' says she. ''Cause the ornery little fool fell into the river and tried to spile his nice new livery. Why else?' says he. Then--Did you ever hear a colored woman holler? Made no difference to her that the trouble was all over and Methuselah Washington Bonaparte was considerable cleaner than he had been before his plunge; she kept on yelling till everybody was half-crazy and we happened along with--Billy! Say, Elsa----"

"Gerald, I mean Mr. Blank, is all that true?"

"What's the use eyeing a fellow like that? I guess it's true. That's about the way it must have been and, anyway, that part that our good skipper fished the boy out of the water is a fact. Old Ephraim grand-daddy hated Cap'n Jack like poison before; now he'd kiss the ground he walks on, if he wasn't ashamed to be caught at it. Funny!

That folks should make such an everlasting fuss over one little black boy!"

"I suppose they love him," answered Elsa. She was amazed to find herself walking along so quietly beside this boy whom she had thought so rough, and from whom she shrank more than from any of the others.

He had certainly been kind. He was the one who had stayed to help her home when even Dorothy forsook her. She had hated his rude boisterous ways and the sound of his voice, with its sudden changes from a deep ba.s.s to a squeaking falsetto. Now she felt ashamed and punished, that she had so misjudged the beautiful world into which she had come, and, lifting her large eyes to Gerald's face, said so very prettily.

But the lad had little sentiment in his nature and hated it in others.

If she was going to act silly and "sissy" he'd leave her to get home the best way she could. The ground was pretty even now and, with her hand resting on his arm, she was walking steadily enough. Of course, her lame foot did drag but----

A prolonged bray broke into his uncomfortable mood and turning to the startled Elsa, he merrily explained:

"That's Billy! Hurry up and be introduced to Billy! I tell you he's a character----"

"Billy? _Billy!_ Don't tell me there's another boy come to stay on the Lily!"

"Fact. The smartest one of the lot! Hurry up!"

Elsa had to hurry, though she shrank from meeting any more strangers, because Gerald forgot that he still grasped her arm and forced her along beside him, whether or no. But she released herself as they came to the wharf and the people gathered there.

This company included not only the house-boat party but a number of other people. So novel a craft as a house-boat couldn't be moored within walking distance of Four-Corners' Post-Office, and the waterside village of Jimpson's Landing, without arousing great curiosity. Also, the other boats pa.s.sing up and down stream, scows and freighters mostly these were, plying between the fertile lands of Anne Arundel and the Baltimore markets, had spread the tale.

Now, at evening, when work was over, crowds flocked from the little towns to inspect the Water Lily and its occupants. Also, many of them to offer supplies for its convenience. The better to do this last, they unceremoniously climbed aboard, roamed at will over both boat and tender, inspected and commented upon everything and, finally, demanded to see the "Boss."

Outside on the gra.s.s beside the wharf sat Colonel Dillingham of T, side-saddle-wise upon great Billy, who had gone to sleep. He was waiting to be presented to Mrs. Calvert and would not presume to disturb her till she sent for him. Meanwhile he was very comfortable, and with folded arms, his habitual att.i.tude, he sadly observed the movements of his neighbors.

Most of these nodded to him as they pa.s.sed, with an indifferent "Howdy, Cunnel?" paying no further attention to him. Yet there was something about the man on mule-back that showed him to be of better breeding than the rustics who disdained him. Despite his soiled and most unhappy appearance he spoke with the accents of a gentleman, and when his name was repeated to Mrs. Calvert she mused over it with a smile.

"Dillingham? Dillingham of T? Why, of course, Dolly dear, he's of good family. One of the best in Maryland. I reckon I'll have to go into the cabin and receive him. Is it still full of those ill-bred men, who swarmed over this boat as if they owned it?"

"Yes, Aunt Betty, pretty full. Some, a few, have gone. Those who haven't want to see the 'Boss.'"

Mrs. Calvert peered from her stateroom whither she had fled at the first invasion of visitors, and smiled. Then she remarked:

"Just go ash.o.r.e and be interviewed there, dear."

"Auntie! What do you mean?"

"I fancy you're the real 'boss,' or head of this company, when it comes to fact. It's _your_ Water Lily, _you_ are bearing the expenses, I'm your guest, and 'where the honey is the bees will gather.' If these good people once understand that it's you who carry the purse----"

"But I don't! You know that. I gave it to Mrs. Bruce. I asked her to take care of the money because--Well, because I'm careless, sometimes, you know, and might lose it."

"It's the same thing. Ask her to go with you and advise you, if there is anything you need. But, remember, money goes fast if one doesn't take care."

It sounded rather strange to Dorothy to hear Aunt Betty say this for it wasn't the lady's habit to discuss money matters. However, she hadn't time to think about that for here was Mrs. Bruce, urging:

"Dorothy, do come and do something with these men. There's one fairly badgering me to buy cantaloupes--and they do look nice--but with all the water-melons--Yes, sir; this is the 'Boss;' this is Miss Calvert, the owner of the Water Lily."

A man with a basket of freshly dug potatoes had followed Mrs. Bruce to the door of Mrs. Calvert's stateroom which, with a hasty "Beg pardon" from within, had been closed in their faces. Another man, carrying smaller baskets of tempting plums, was trying to out-talk his neighbor; while a third, dangling a pair of chickens above the heads of the other two, was urging the sale of these, "raised myself, right here on Annyrunnell sile! Nicest, fattest, little br'ilers ever you see, Ma'am!"

"Huh! that pair of chickens wouldn't make a mouthful for our family!" cried the matron, desperately anxious to clear the cabin of these hucksters. She had made it her business to keep the Water Lily in spotless order and this invasion of muddy boots and dirt-scattering baskets fretted her. Besides, like all the rest of that "ship's company," her one desire was to make Mrs. Calvert perfectly comfortable and happy. She knew that this intrusion of strangers would greatly annoy her hostess and felt she must put an end to it at once. But how?

Dorothy rose to the occasion. a.s.suming all the dignity her little body could summon she clapped her hands for silence and unexpectedly obtained it. People climbing the crooked stairs to the roof and the "Skipper's bridge" craned their necks to look at her; those testing the arrangement of the canvas part.i.tions between the cots on one side stopped with the part.i.tions half-adjusted and stared; while the chattering peddlers listened, astonished.

"Excuse me, good people, but this boat is private property. None should come aboard it without an invitation. Please all go away at once. I'll step ash.o.r.e with this lady and there we'll buy whatever she thinks best."

Probably because her words made some of the intruders ashamed a few turned to leave; more lingered, among these the hucksters, and Dorothy got angry. Folding her arms and firmly standing in her place she glared upon them till one by one they slipped away over the gang-plank and contented themselves with viewing the Water Lily and its Pad from that point.

As the last smock-clad farmer disappeared Dorothy dropped upon the floor and laughed.

"O Mrs. Bruce! Wasn't that funny? Those great big men and I--a little girl! They mustn't do it again. They shall not!"

"The best way to stop them is to do as you promised--step to the sh.o.r.e and see them there. Those potatoes were real nice. We might get some of them, but the chickens--it would take so many. Might get one for Mrs. Calvert's breakfast--oatmeal will do for the rest of us."

Dorothy sprang up and hurried with her friend off from the Lily. But she made a wry face at the mention of oatmeal-breakfasts and explained:

"Aunt Betty wouldn't eat chicken if none of the others had it. And just oatmeal--I hate oatmeal! It hasn't a bit of expression and I'm as hungry after it as before. Just do get enough of those 'br'ilers' for all. Please, Mrs. Bruce! There's n.o.body in the world can broil a chicken as you do! I remember! I've eaten them at your house before I ever left Baltimore!"

Naturally, the matron was flattered. She wasn't herself averse to fine, tasty poultry, and resolved to gratify the teasing girl that once. But she qualified her consent with the remark:

"It mustn't be such luxury very often, child, if you're to come out even with this trip and the money. My! What a great mule! What a curious man on it! Why does he sit sidewise and gloom at everybody, that way?"

Dorothy hadn't yet spoken with Colonel Dillingham though the boys had given her a brief description of him and their attempted purchase. But she was unprepared to have him descend from his perch and approach her, saying:

"Your servant, Miss Calvert. You resemble your great-grandfather. _He_ was a man. He--_was_ a man! Ah! yes! he was a--_man_! I cayn't be too thankful that you are you, and that it's to a descendant of a true southern n.o.bleman I now present--Billy. Billy, Miss Calvert. Miss Calvert, Billy!"

With a sigh that seemed to come from his very boots the gallant Colonel placed one of the mule's reins in Dorothy's astonished hand and bowed again; and as if fully appreciating the introduction old Billy bobbed his head up and down in the mournfulest manner and gravely brayed, while the observant bystanders burst into a loud guffaw.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE COLONEL'S REVELATION.

"Aunt Betty, what does that 'of T' mean after that queer Colonel's name?"

"There is no sense in it, dear, of course. The family explained it this way. The gentleman's real name is Trowbridge. His wife's family was Dillingham. It was of much older origin than his and she was very proud of it. When she consented to marry him it was upon the condition that he would take her name, not she take his. A slight legal proceeding made it right enough but he added the 'of T.' It was a tribute to his honesty, I fancy, though it's quite a custom of Marylanders to do as the Dillinghams did. Here he comes now. I must ask him about his daughter. He had one, a very nice girl I've heard."

"Coming! Why, Aunt Betty, we haven't had breakfast yet!"

Mrs. Betty laughed.