The Blue Grass Seminary Girls on the Water Part 13

"Dad," said Shirley, "please let him stay until we have pa.s.sed the three-mile limit? Please!"

Mr. Willing hesitated.

"Well, I agree," he said at length.

Bristow spoke to Mr. Willing.

"I shall stay, sir," he said, "but it is because I must avoid capture if it is possible. Otherwise I wouldn't stay in the same room with you."

Mr. Willing smiled. He didn't mind that kind of talk, but not so Shirley. She sprang to her feet and faced Bristow angrily.

"How dare you speak to my father like that?" she demanded. "How dare you?"

Bristow turned his head away, and made no reply.

Mabel quickly came to the support of Bristow.

"And why shouldn't he?" she asked. "He hasn't done anything and your father was very mean."

"Why, Mabel," exclaimed Shirley in surprise.

"I mean it," declared Mabel. "Your father was mean."

"He couldn't be too mean to a German," exclaimed Shirley.

"You people make me tired," declared Mabel angrily. "Why are you forever jumping on the Germans? They are in the right and they are going to win."

"They are not!" This from Shirley. "The English are going to win, and I hope they do!"

"And I hope the Germans win," declared Mabel.

"Shirley! Mabel!"

Mr. Willing and Colonel Ashton had now taken a hand in the conversation.

But both girls were too angry to heed them.

"And just because this man is a German you are all against him. If he were English you would be shaking hands with him."

Mabel was losing control of herself.

"Why, Mabel," said Shirley. "You know that is not true."

"I know it is true," declared the girl.

Colonel Ashton took her firmly by the arm.

"Mabel, I am surprised at you," he said. "Go to your room."

"It's Shirley's room, it's not mine," cried Mabel.

Shirley advanced toward her friend.

"Mabel, what do you mean?" she asked quietly.

"You know what I mean. You told me I wasn't telling the truth."

Shirley compressed her lips and stepped back.

Mr. Willing took a hand in the conversation.

"Unless this foolishness ceases we shall leave the boat at Havana and return home immediately," he said quietly. "I will have none of this."

"I don't care," declared Shirley, also now very angry.

"Neither do I," this from Mabel.

"Shirley, go to your room," ordered Mr. Willing. "I am your father and I will be obeyed."

Shirley glanced at her father's stern face, and obeyed. She knew that when he looked like that he was not to be trifled with.

"Mabel, you go with her," said Colonel Ashton quietly.

Mabel hesitated.

"Do you hear me?" asked the colonel.

Mabel also realized that she had gone too far. She made her way after Shirley.

Inside their room the girls did not speak to each other. In the heart of each there was a peculiar feeling, and each knew that, in a measure, she was to blame. But neither was ready to give in yet.

It was their first quarrel.

Outside Mr. Willing turned to young Bristow.

"This," he said, "is your doing. And when you once set foot outside this cabin, don't you ever cross my path again."

The _Yucatan_ was under way now, and from the window Mr. Willing could see the three men still waiting on the outside. But at last they took their departure and Mr. Willing knew they had pa.s.sed beyond the three-mile limit. He turned again to Bristow.

"Now Bristow or Von Blusen or whatever your name is," he said, "get out."

Bristow turned a dark look upon him.

"You have insulted me," he said, "and you shall pay for it."

"I couldn't insult you, you little whipper-snapper," said Mr. Willing angrily. "Are you going to get out of here?"

"When I've had my say," declared the young man angrily. "If it were not that I am on important business I would chastise you right now."

"Is it because you have important business or because you are a child?"