"Captain Jeremiah Burgess!" exclaimed Elsie. Then she added, "What MUST he think of me?"
"Oh, I'll fix that!" exclaimed the Captain. "I'll see him some time to-day, and I'll tell him you didn't mean it. Why, I declare! Yes, 'tis!
There he is, now! Hi! Mr. Hazeltine! Come here a minute."
A mischievous imp was certainly directing Captain Jerry's movements.
Ralph had, almost for the first time since he came to Orham, paid an early morning visit to the office in order to send an important letter in the first mail. The slamming of the door had attracted the Captain's attention and, in response to the hail, Mr. Hazeltine crossed the road.
And then Captain Jerry felt his arm clutched with a grip that meant business, as Miss Preston whispered, "Don't you dare say one word to him about it. Don't you DARE!"
If Ralph had been surprised by the request to join the couple, he was more surprised by the reception he received. Elsie's face was crimson, and as for the Captain, he looked like a man who had suddenly been left standing alone in the middle of a pond covered with very thin ice.
The electrician bowed and shook hands gravely. As no remark seemed to be forthcoming from those who had summoned him, he observed that it was an unpleasant morning. This commonplace reminded him of one somewhat similar that he had made to a supposed Miss "Gusty" Black, and he, too, colored.
"Did you want to speak with me, Captain?" he asked, to cover his confusion.
"Why--why, I did," stammered poor Captain Jerry, "but--but I don't know's I do now." Then he realized that this was not exactly complimentary, and added, "That is, I don't know--I don't know's I--Elsie, what was it I was goin' to say to Mr. Hazeltine?"
At another time it is likely that the young lady's quick wit would have helped her out of the difficulty, but now she was too much disturbed.
"I'm sure I don't know," she said coldly.
"You don't know! Why, yes you do? 'Twas--'twas--" The Captain was frantically grasping at straws. "Why, we was wonderin' why you didn't come to see us nowadays."
If the Captain had seen the look that Elsie shot at him, as he delivered this brilliant observation, he might have been more, instead of less, uncomfortable. As it was, he felt rather proud of having discovered a way out of the difficulty. But Ralph's embarrassment increased. He hurriedly said something about having been very busy.
"Well," went on the Captain, intent on making the explanation as plausible as possible, "we've missed you consider'ble. We was sayin' we hoped you wouldn't give us up altogether. Ain't that so, Elsie?"
Miss Preston's foot tapped the sidewalk several times, but she answered, though not effusively:
"Mr. Hazeltine is always welcome, of course." Then, she added, turning away, "Really, Captain Jerry, I must hurry to school. I have a great deal of work to do before nine o'clock. Good-morning, Mr. Hazeltine."
The Captain paused long enough to say, "We'll expect you now, so come,"
and then hurried after her. He was feeling very well satisfied with himself.
"By mighty! Elsie," he chuckled, "I got out of that nice, didn't I?"
He received no answer, even when he repeated the remark, and, although he endeavored, as he swept out the schoolroom, to engage the teacher in conversation, her replies were as cold as they were short. The Captain went home in the last stages of dismalness.
That afternoon, when Captain Eri returned from the fishing grounds, he found Captain Jerry waiting for him at the shanty. The humiliated matchmaker sent Josiah up to the grocery store on an errand, and then dragged his friend inside and shut the door.
Captain Eri looked at the woe-begone face with some concern.
"What ails you, Jerry?" he demanded. "Have you--have you spoken to Mrs.
Snow 'bout that--that marriage?"
"No, I ain't, Eri, but I'm in a turrible mess, and I don't know why, neither. Seems to me the more I try to do for other folks the wuss off I am; and, instead of gittin' thanks, all I git is blame."
"Why, what's the matter?"
"Well, now I know you'll think I'm a fool, and 'll jest pester the life out of me. See here, Eri Hedge! If I tell you what I want to, will you promise not to pitch into me, and not to nag and poke fun? If you don't promise I won't tell one single word, no matter what happens."
So Captain Eri promised, and then Captain Jerry, stammering and hesitating, unburdened his mind of the whole affair, telling of his first reproof by Elsie, his "explanation" to Ralph, and the subsequent developments. Long before he finished, Captain Eri rose and, walking over to the door, stood looking out through the dim pane at the top, while his shoulders shook as if there was a smothered earthquake inside.
"There!" exclaimed the injured matrimonial agent, in conclusion.
"There's the whole fool thing, and I 'most wish I'd never seen either of 'em. I thought I did fust-rate this mornin' when I was tryin' to think up somethin' to show why I hailed Hazeltine, but no, Elsie won't hardly speak to me. I wish to goodness you'd tell me what to do."
Captain Eri turned away from the door. His eyes were watery, and his face was red, but he managed to say:
"Oh, Jerry, Jerry! Your heart's big as a bucket, but fishin' 's more in your line than gittin' folks married to order is, I'm 'fraid. You stay here, and unload them fish in the dory. There ain't many of 'em, and Josiah 'll help when he gits back. I'm goin' out for a few minutes."
He went down to the beach, climbed into a dory belonging to a neighbor, and Captain Jerry saw him row away in the direction of the cable station.
That evening, after the dishes were washed and the table cleared, there came a knock at the door. Mrs. Snow opened it.
"Why, for goodness sake! Mr. Hazeltine!" she exclaimed. "Come right in.
What a stranger you are!"
Ralph entered, shook the snow, which had just begun to fall, from his hat and coat, took off these articles, in response to the hearty invitation of Captain Eri, and shook hands with all present. Elsie's face was an interesting study. Captain Jerry looked scared.
After a few minutes' talk, Captain Eri rose.
"Mrs. Snow," he said, "come upstairs a little while. I want to talk to you 'bout somethin'. You come, too, Jerry."
Captain Jerry looked from Elsie to the speaker, and then to Elsie again.
But Captain Eri's hand was on his arm, and he rose and went.
Elsie watched this wholesale desertion with amazement. Then the door opened again, and Captain Eri put in his head.
"Elsie," he said, "I jest want to tell you that this is my doin's, not Jerry's. That's all." And the door shut.
Elsie faced the caller with astonishment written on her face.
"Mr. Hazeltine," she said icily, "you may know what this means, but I don't."
Ralph looked at her and answered solemnly, but with a twinkle in his eye:
"I'm afraid I can guess, Miss Preston. You see Captain Jerry paid Captain Eri a call this afternoon and, as a result, Captain Eri called upon me. Then, as a result of THAT, I--well, I came here."
The young lady blushed furiously. "What did Captain Eri tell you?" she demanded.
"Just what Captain Jerry told him."
"And that was?"
"What you told Captain Jerry this morning concerning something that you told him before, I believe."
There was no answer to this. Miss Preston looked as if she had a mind to run out of the room, then as if she might cry, and finally as if she wanted to laugh.