Part 47 (2/2)
When he walked, as he did occasionally now that his legs were stronger--they had quite recovered from the strain put upon them by the Foam Flake's outbreak--up and down the sidewalk from Judge Knowles'
corner to the end of the Fair Harbor fence, the people whom he met seldom stopped to chat with him. Or, if they did, the chat was always brief and, on their part, uneasy. They acted, so it seemed to him, guilty, as if they were doing something they should not do, something they were not at all anxious to have people see them do. And when he drove with Judah down to the store the group there no longer hailed him with shouts of welcome. They spoke to him, mentioned the weather perhaps, grinned in embarra.s.sed fas.h.i.+on, but they did not ask him to sit down and join them. And when his back was turned, when he left the store, he had the feeling that there were whispered comments--and sneers.
It was all impalpable, there was nothing openly hostile, no one said anything to which he could take exception--he only wished they would; but he felt the hostility nevertheless.
And among the feminine element it was even more evident. When he went to church, as he did semi-occasionally, as he walked down the aisle he felt that the rustle of Sunday black silks and bonnet strings which preceded and followed him was a whisper of respectable and self-righteous disapproval. It was not all imagination, he caught glimpses of sidelong looks and headshakes which meant something, and that something not applause. Once the Reverend Mr. Dishup took for his text Psalm x.x.xix, the sixth verse, ”He heapeth up riches and knoweth not who shall gather them.” The sermon dealt with, among others, the individual who in his lifetime ama.s.sed wealth, not knowing that, after his death, other individuals scheming and unscrupulous would strive to divert that wealth from the rightful heirs for their own benefit. It was a rather dull sermon and Sears, his attention wandering, happened to turn his head suddenly and look at the rest of the congregation. It seemed to him that at least a quarter of the heads in that congregation were turned in his direction. Now, meeting his gaze, they swung back, to stare with noticeable rigidity at the minister.
Over at the Fair Harbor his comings and goings were no longer events to cause pleasurable interest and excitement. The change there was quite as evident. Miss Snowden and Mrs. Brackett, leaders of their clique, always greeted him politely enough, but they did not, individually or collectively, ask his advice or offer theirs. There were smiles, significant nods, knowing looks exchanged, especially, he thought or imagined, when he and Miss Berry were together. Cordelia Berry was almost cold toward him. Yet, so far as he knew, he had done nothing to offend her.
He spoke to Elizabeth about her mother's att.i.tude toward him. She said it was his imagination.
”It may be,” she said, ”that you don't consult her quite enough about Fair Harbor matters, Cap'n Kendrick. Mother is sensitive, she is matron here, you know; perhaps we haven't paid as much deference to her opinion as we should. Poor mother, she does try so hard, but she isn't fitted for business, and knows it.”
That Sunday, after his return from church, the captain asked Judah a point blank question.
”Judah,” he said, ”I want you to tell me the truth. What is the matter with me, nowadays? The whole s.h.i.+p's company here in Bayport are givin'
me the cold shoulder. Don't tell me you haven't noticed it; a blind man could notice it. What's wrong with me? What have I done? Or what do they say I've done?”
Judah was very much embarra.s.sed. His trouble showed in his face above the whiskers. He had been bending over the cookstove singing at the top of his lungs the interminable chantey dealing with the fortunes of one Reuben Ranzo.
”'Ranzo was no sailor, Ranzo, boys, Ranzo!
Ranzo was a tailor, Ranzo, boys, Ranzo!
”'Oh, poor Reuben Ranzo!
_Ranzo_, boys, Ranzo!
Hurrah for Reuben Ranzo!
_Ranzo_, boys, _Ranzo_!
”'Ranzo was no sailor, Ranzo, boys, Ranzo!
He s.h.i.+pped on board a whaler, Ranzo, boys, Ranzo!'”
And so on, forever and forever. Judah had reached the point where:
”They set him holy-stonin', Ranzo, boys, Ranzo!
And cared not for his groanin', Ranzo, boys, Ranzo!
”_'Oh_, poor Reuben Ranzo!
_Ranzo_, boys, Ranzo!
Hurrah for----'
”Eh? Did you say somethin', Cap'n Sears?”
Sears repeated his question, and then, as no answer seemed to be forthcoming, repeated it once more, with an order to ”step lively.”
Judah groaned and shook his head.
”I've been sort of afraid you might think somethin' was queer, Cap'n Sears,” he admitted. ”I was hopin' you wouldn't, though, not till it begun to blow over. All them kind of things do blow over, give 'em time.
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