Dorothy's Travels Part 8

The sweeper on the deck moved the chairs near her and even her own, though without her leaving it, the better to clear off the moisture which the fog had deposited. She had echoed his laugh and he remarked:

"Nice boy, 'Bashful' is; but no more fitted to go round 'mongst strangers'n a picked chicken."

Both the sailor and Dorothy were glad to speak with anybody, and she asked:

"Will this fog last long? Is it often so cold right in the summer time?"

"Cold enough to freeze the legs off an iron pot, slathers of times. This is one of 'em! As for fogs lastin', I reckon, little Miss, there won't be no more sunshine 'twixt here and Yarmouth harbor. If you're cold out here though, and don't want to go to your room, you'll find things snug down yonder in that music-room, or what you call it."

"Oh! is there a place? Under shelter? Will you show me?"

"Sure. If 'tis open yet. Sometimes it's shut overnight but likely not now. I'll take them rugs for you, Sissy, if you like."

"Thank you. Thank you so much. How nice everybody is on a steamship! Is it living all the time on the water makes you kind, I wonder?"

"Give it up!" answered this able seaman, not a little flattered by Dorothy's appreciation of his service, and in Molly's own frequent manner. With another smile at this memory, Dorothy followed as he walked ahead, dragging his mop behind him and leaving a shining streak in his wake.

They found the little saloon, music-room, writing-room, or "what you call it," closed, but the door opened readily enough, and Dorothy was delighted to creep within the warmth and comfort of the place. It was dark inside but the man turned on the electric light, and, doffing his cap, went out, shut the door behind him, and left her to her solitary enjoyment.

"What a pretty room! How cozy and warm! I'm going to cuddle down in this easy chair and take another nap. There's n.o.body stirring much and I heard one man say to another that there were more folks sick this trip than had been all summer. I wonder if poor Molly is yet! I'd go and see only I don't want to disturb Mrs. Hungerford.

"Now, Dorothy girl, shut your eyes and don't open them again till breakfast time. I am awfully disappointed. I'd counted upon watching the sun rise over the ocean and was going to get up so early to do it: Huh!

I'm early enough, but the poor sun is taking a bath and can't be seen."

Artificial heat had been turned into the room which accounted for the warmth she found so grateful. This, succeeding her shivering fit, made her drowsy and she shut her eyes "just for forty winks." But a good many times "forty" had pa.s.sed before she opened them once more and found herself still alone. She got up and looked about her, thinking that she must go to "Number Thirteen" and bathe her face and hands, though not much more than that could be accomplished in such limited quarters.

She'd go in just a minute. Meanwhile there was a piano. She'd like to try it, though her lessons on that instrument had been but few.

However--

"Oh! joy! There's a violin case on the shelf yonder! I'm going to look at it. If there's a violin inside--There is! I'd love, just love to try that, far more than a jingling piano. I wonder would anybody hear me? I don't believe so. It's so far away. I'm going to--I am!"

With a fiddle once more under her chin Dorothy forgot all but that happy fact. Delicately and timidly at first, she drew her bow across the strings, fearing an interruption; but when none came she gathered boldness and played as she would have done in Herr von Peter's own helpful presence.

How long she stood there, swaying to her own music, enwrapped in it and no longer lonely, she didn't know; but after a time the minor chords of her last and "loveliest lesson" were rudely broken in upon by other strains which cut short her practicing and set her face toward the door.

There stood the "Bashful Bugler" tooting his "first call to breakfast"

directly toward her, and her response was a crash of discord from the violin. The effect upon Melvin was to make him lower his bugle and flash out of sight as if propelled by a hurricane.

CHAPTER VI

SAFE ON Sh.o.r.e

The bad weather continued. So did the illness of Miss Greatorex and Molly Breckenridge. Neither of them left their stateroom again till that day and another night had pa.s.sed and the "Prince" came to her mooring in Yarmouth harbor.

Both Mrs. Hungerford and Dorothy spent much of their time with one or other patient, yet were often alone together on deck or in the music-room and became very well acquainted, indeed, during their hours of loneliness. From the girl Auntie Lu drew many details of her short life, and was especially interested when she found that Mrs. Betty Calvert was a friend of them both; exclaiming:

"Why, my dear, I've known Mrs. Betty Calvert all my life! She was my mother's dearest correspondent. They had been girls together, though Mrs. Calvert was older than mother. Their homes were near each other in Maryland; and--why, the Calverts, or Somersets, were as intimate as it is possible for families to be with our folks--the Breckenridges! This is most interesting. Most certainly interesting. I must tell my brother.

Schuyler is so loyal to all our old Marylanders; he thinks there are no people like them anywhere, though for my part I find human nature's pretty much the same all the world over."

"Yes, Mrs. Hungerford, I've heard Mrs. Calvert say that there was no gentleman so fine as a southern one. Mr. Seth laughs at her and says that's a 'hobby,' and she's 'mistaken.' He says 'gentlemen don't grow any better on one soil than another,' but are 'indigenous to the whole United States,' though Mr. Winters is a Marylander himself." Then she navely added in explanation, and in a little vanity about her botanical lore: "'Indigenous' means, maybe you don't know, a plant that belongs to, is a native of, some particular region. Mr. Seth taught me and Father John. They both know lots about botany, though father hasn't lived in the country as long as our 'Learned Blacksmith,' who does know, seems if, all there is worth knowing in this world. For a man, I mean."

Aunt Lucretia smiled and nodded, but in an absent sort of manner as if she had scarcely heard what Dorothy had said. Then as the girl rose, remarking: "I'll go now and sit a while with Molly if she's awake.

Funny! She says she feels all right as long as she lies down and so horrid when she tries to get up and dress;" the lady's gaze followed her little figure with a keenly critical interest. Also, she eagerly greeted the Judge, who now came to her, with the ambiguous exclamation:

"Schuyler Breckenridge, the most marvellous thing! I've discovered--or I believe I have--what that remarkable likeness is which has so perplexed me. Blood always tells, always crops out!"

"Exactly. Especially in cases like this. Having nothing else to do I've tried whittling--with this result. Tie it up, Lu, and explain yourself--if you can," he answered, whimsically holding out a finger he had cut and that was slightly bleeding.

"Oh! you poor dear!"

"Yes. Am I not! Wait. Here's a bit of court-plaster. Forgot I had it or wouldn't have troubled you. Now, talk ahead."

"Schuyler, a man like you shouldn't trifle with edged tools. You have no gift for anything but--lawing. It wouldn't be any laughing matter if you should develop blood-poison--"

"It certainly would not, and as I like to laugh I shan't do it. Now, what is this marvellous thing you've discovered, please? I'm getting tired of fog, no newspapers, and chess with a stranger; so welcome even a woman's gossip with delight!"

She paid no heed to his chaffing but began:

"I believe I know who that Dorothy's parents were. I'm as positive as if I'd been told; and I'm perfectly amazed at Mrs. Betty Calvert. Isn't it wonderful?"

"Apparently--to you. Not yet to me. I've understood that two and two makes four; but how your 'belief' and poor old Betty Calvert make sensible connection I fail to comprehend. I await instruction."

"Stop jesting and you shall have it. Then tell me if I haven't given you better food for thought than you'd find in to-day's paper--if you could get it here at sea."

Thereupon, hitching her chair a little nearer to her brother's and glancing about to see no stranger overheard, the lady began a low toned conversation with him. This proved, as she had foretold, far more entertaining than the day's news; and when it was over, when there was nothing more to be said, he rose, pulled his traveling cap over his eyes, thrust his hands into his capacious pockets and walked away "to think it over." Adding, as he left:

"Well, if you're right everything is wrong. And if you're wrong everything's right."

Over which eminent legal opinion Mrs. Hungerford smiled, reflecting:

"He's convinced. There's n.o.body I know so well versed in Maryland genealogy as Schuyler Breckenridge. It's been his pastime so long he'll be keen on this scent till he proves it false or true. And if it is true--what a shame, what a shame! That horrid, lonely old woman to take such an outrageous course. Poor, dear, sweet little Dorothy!"

The result to Dorothy of this conversation was a greater kindness than ever on the part of Molly's people; who now seemed to take her into their hearts as if she were of kin to them. She often found them looking at her searchingly, trying to trace that "likeness" which one of them had discovered. But no word of what was in their minds was said to her.

She was merely invited to call Mrs. Hungerford "Aunt" as she was to call the Judge "Uncle."

So despite the dullness of the fog, which prevented her seeing much of the ocean, the day pa.s.sed very well. When she was asked if she could play and to give her new friends a little music, she took the violin from its shelf and gave them her simple best. To please them who were so kind to her was a delight to herself and her readiness to oblige was instantly construed by Aunt Lucretia as a fresh proof of her "discovery."

"Only a well-born child has that easy grace of manner, Schuyler, as you must often have observed," she remarked with pleased conviction.

To which he replied by warning:

"Take care you don't build up a romance that will fall to pieces like a house of cards at the first breath of reality. But as to birth, be it high or low, Dorothy is a most winning little maid and I'm thankful to have her along with us on our holiday. Thankful, also, that impulsive Molly chose just such an unselfish, ingenuous girl for her 'chum.' My poor little la.s.s! Her first ocean voyage will be a dreary memory for her!"

"Oh! not so bad. She's perfectly comfortable when she lies still. She has plenty of attention and sleeps a deal. She's not losing much fun out here in this weather and will be no more glad to step onto solid land again than I shall. Except that, but for this enforced close companionship with little Dorothy I might not have thought out her story as I have."

"There you go again! Well, the suggestion haunts me, too. I'll investigate promptly; and--what I shall do after that I haven't yet decided. I hate a meddler and am not anxious to become one. Heigho! No matter how hard a tired man tries to mind his own business he can't do it! Here comes that young Melvin Cook, and he's a lad with a pedigree, let me tell you, as long as any oldest Marylander of all. He and I have a bit of business to discuss, so I'll walk the deck with him awhile.