Part 28 (2/2)
He was walking toward the other end of the platform. His manner was so very peculiar that Sears could not help noticing it. He looked after him in perplexity.
”Here ... George!” he called.
Kent turned and came back, rather reluctantly it seemed. The older man looked at him keenly.
”George,” he asked, ”what's the matter with you?”
”Matter? With me?”
”Yes, with you. You're short as Aunt Nabby's pie crust. Have I done anything you don't like? If I have I'll apologize before I know what it is. It wasn't done on purpose, you can be sure of that.”
Kent started, colored, and was much perturbed. ”I didn't realize I was short, Cap'n Kendrick,” he declared. ”I beg your pardon. I am mighty sorry. No--no, of course you haven't done anything I don't like. I don't believe you could.”
”You never can tell. But so far I haven't tried. Not sick, are you?”
”No ... I'm just--oh, nothing. I'm in a little trouble, that's all. My own fault, maybe, I don't know.”
”Probably it is. Most of our troubles are our own fault, in one way or another. Well, if there's anything I can do to help out, just give me a hail.”
”Thanks. But I'm afraid there isn't.”
He turned and walked down the platform once more. Mrs. Captain Orrin Eldridge, who was to sell tickets, came, and, after greeting the captain cordially, went in to open and light the ticket-office at the foot of the stairs. Two more members of the cast, Erastus Snow and Mrs. Ba.s.sett, arrived and went up to prepare. Suddenly Kent, who had been standing at the farther end of the platform, came back.
”Captain Kendrick,” he said, ”would you mind answering a question?”
”Eh? Why, not a bit, George. But perhaps yours may be one of those questions I can't answer.”
”I think you can. Say--er--Cap'n Kendrick----”
”Yes, George.”
”You see, I.... This sounds awfully foolish, but--but I don't know what I ought to do.”
”Um-hm. Well, a good many of us get that way every once in a while.”
”Do you?”
”You bet!”
”Humph! Somehow you seem to me like a man who would know exactly what to do at any time.”
”Yes? Well, my looks must belie me. Heave ahead, George. The folks are beginning to come.”
”Well, I---- Oh, hang it, Cap'n, when you've made a mistake--done something that you didn't think was wrong--that wasn't wrong, really--and--and.... Say, I'm making an awful mess of this. And it's such a fool thing, anyhow.”
”Um-hm. So many things are. Chuck it overboard, George; that is, if you really want to ask me about it.”
”I do. That is, I want to ask you this: Suppose you had done something that you thought was all right and--and somebody else had thought was wrong--would you--would you go and tell that other person that you _were_ wrong? Even if you weren't, you know.”
<script>