Part 9 (1/2)
Thus reasoned Robert Morton as in the peace of that June evening he casually shuffled the cards of fate, little suspecting that already a factor in his destiny stronger than any of his arguments was soon to make its influence felt and transform Wilton into a magnet so powerful that against its spell he would be helpless as a child.
He was aroused from his meditations by the voice of Willie.
”Didn't you hear a little bell?” demanded the inventor. ”A sort of tinklin' noise?”
”I thought I did.”
”It's the box comin' from Jan's,” explained he. ”Can you kitch a sight of it?”
”I see it now.”
Rising, the old man tugged at the string, urging the reluctant messenger through the tangle of roses.
”By his writin' a note, I figger he ain't comin' over,” he remarked, as the object drew nearer. ”I wonder what's stuck in his crop! Mebbe Mis' Eldridge won't let him out. She's something of a Tartar--Arabella is. Jan has to walk the plank, I can tell you.”
By this time the cigar box swaying on the taut twine was within easy reach. Willie raised its cover and took from its interior a crumpled fragment of paper.
”Humph! He's mighty savin'!” he commented as he turned the missive over. ”He's writ on the other side of my letter. Let's see what he has to say:
”'Can't come. Busy.'
”Well, did you ever!” gasped he, blankly. ”_Busy_! Good Lord! Jan's never been known to be busy in all his life. He don't even know the feelin'. If Janoah Eldridge is busy, all I've got to say is, the world's goin' to be swallered up by another deluge.”
”Maybe, as you suggested, Mrs. Eldridge--”
”Oh, if it had been Mis' Eldridge, he wouldn't 'a' took the trouble to send no such message as that,” broke in Willie. ”He'd simply 'a' writ _Arabella_; there wouldn't 'a' been need fur more. No, sir!
Somethin's stepped on Jan's shadder, an' to-morrow I'll have to go straight over there an' find out what it is.”
CHAPTER V
AN APPARITION
The next morning, after loitering uneasily about the workshop a sufficiently long time for Janoah Eldridge to make his appearance and finding that his crony did not make his appearance, Willie reluctantly took his worn visor cap down from the peg and drew it over his brows, with the remark:
”Looks like Jan ain't headed this way to-day, either.” He cast a troubled glance through the dusty, multi-paned window of the shed.
”Much as I'm longin' to go ahead with this model, Bob, before I go farther I've simply got to step over to the Eldridges an' straighten him out. There's no help fur it.”
”All right. Go ahead, Sir,” rea.s.suringly returned Bob. ”I'll work while you're gone. Things won't be at a complete standstill.”
”I know that,” Willie replied with a pleasant smile. ”'Tain't that that's frettin' me. It's just that I don't relish the notion of shovin' my job onto your shoulders. 'Tain't as if you'd come to Wilton to spend your time workin'. Celestina hinted last evenin' she was afraid you bid fair to get but mighty little rest out of your vacation.
'Twas unlucky, she thought, that you hove into port just when I happened to be kitched with a bigger idee than common.”
”Nonsense!” Bob protested heartily. ”Don't you and Aunt Tiny give yourselves any uneasiness about me. I'm happy. I enjoy fussing round the shop with you, Mr. Spence. I'd far rather you took me into what you're doing than left me out. Besides, I don't intend to work every minute while I'm here. Some fine day I mean to steal off by myself and explore Wilton. I may even take a day's fis.h.i.+ng.”
”That's right, youngster, that's right!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Willie. ”That's the proper spirit. If you'll just feel free to pull out when you please it will take a load off my mind, an' I shall turn to tinkerin'
with a clear conscience.”