Part 26 (2/2)
”My Lord of Isrul, Miss Martha!” she cried. ”It's them come back. It is, it is, it is!”
”Who? Who, Primmie?” demanded Miss Phipps. ”Stop flappin' your wings--arms, I mean. Who's come back?”
”The sperit folks. All hands of 'em, Marietta and 'Phelia Beebe and Abe Hardin' and Cap'n Jeth and all. And--and they're comin' in here--and here's Nelson right where Cap'n Jeth can catch him. Oh, my savin' soul!”
From behind her agitated shoulder peered the countenance of Mr. Bloomer.
”She's right, Lulie,” observed Zach, with calm emphasis. ”The whole crew of ghost seiners is back here in port again, Cap'n Jeth and all. Better beat for open water, hadn't you, Nelse, eh? Be the divil to pay if you don't.... G.o.dfreys, yes!”
CHAPTER VII
The announcement exploded like a bomb in the midst of the little group in the light keeper's sitting room. Lulie turned a trifle pale and looked worried and alarmed. Martha uttered an exclamation, dropped the window shade and turned toward her young friend. Mr. Bangs looked from one to the other and was plainly very anxious to help in some way but not certain how to begin. Of the four Nelson Howard, the one most concerned, appeared least disturbed. It was he who spoke first and his tone was brisk and businesslike.
”Well, Lulie,” he said, ”what do you want me to do? Shall I stay and face it out? I don't mind. There's nothing for us to be ashamed of, you know.”
But Lulie shook her head. ”Oh, no, no, Nelson,” she cried, ”you mustn't.
You had better go, right away. There will be a scene, and with all those people here--”
Miss Phipps put in a word. ”But perhaps Nelson's right, after all, Lulie,” she said. ”There is no reason in the world why he shouldn't come to see you, and maybe he and Cap'n Jeth might as well have a plain understandin' now as any time.”
Miss Hallett's agitation increased. ”Oh, no,” she cried, again. ”Don't you see it mustn't happen, on father's account? You know how he--you know how excited and--and almost violent he gets when any one crosses him nowadays. I'm afraid something might happen to him. I'm afraid.
Please go, Nelson, for my sake.”
The young man nodded. ”Of course, Lulie,” he declared. ”You're perfectly right. I'm off. Good-night.”
He was hastening toward the dining room door, but Primmie, dancing up and down like a jumping jack, barred his way.
”No, no, no,” she squealed, ”you can't--you can't. They're almost to the door now. He'll catch you sure. He WILL. Oh, my Lord of Isrul!”
Sure enough, the latch of the door leading from the side porch to the dining room was rattling at that moment. Fortunately the door itself was hooked on the inside. Nelson hesitated.
”Humph!” he grunted. ”Could I get through to the kitchen and out that way, do you think, Zach?”
”G.o.dfreys, no! Not with them winder curtains strung up higher'n Haman the way they be. No, no! G.o.dfreys!”
Martha stepped across the sitting room and flung open another door on the opposite side. As she did so there sounded a prodigious thumping from the side porch and the bull-like voice of Captain Hallett bellowed his daughter's name.
”Go let 'em in, Lulie,” whispered Martha. ”I'll look out for things here. Quick, Nelson, out this way, through the front hall and out the front door. QUICK!”
Captain Jeth was accompanying his shouts by thumping upon the side of the house. Lulie, after one desperate glance at her lover, hurried to the dining room. Young Howard hesitated a moment.
”My hat and coat?” he whispered. ”Where are they?”
They were hanging in the entry upon the door of which the captain was thumping. Zach hastened to get them, but before he reached the dining room they heard the outer door open and Jeth's voice demanding to know why Lulie had kept him waiting so long. Nelson, with a somewhat rueful smile and a wave of the hand to Martha and Galusha, dodged into the blackness of the front hall. Miss Phipps closed the door after him.
The conspirators looked at each other. Primmie's mouth opened but the expansive hand of Mr. Bloomer promptly covered it and the larger part of her face as well.
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