The Green Dolphin
“The rest?” repeated Althea vaguely.
“Yes--Rebecca, Eric, Peggy--the whole lot of ’em. Even the Parker
girl don’t seem to be so keen on tendin’ up as when she first come,
an’ has gone flyin’ off with this young feller who’s just put in his
appearance. Nobody acts same’s they did at the outset. Looks to me as
if tea was losin’ its charm. Rebecca now, where’s she this mornin’? I
ain’t laid eyes on her for an hour or more.”
“She went out to hunt some mint.”
“She don’t ’pear to have found it.”
“Likely she’s doin’ somethin’ else besides. She’ll be back soon. She’s
no shirker, ’Becca ain’t.”
“But Peggy--Eric? Even you yourself are different, Althea. The whole
crew seems to be in the doldrums. I can’t make it out.”
“It’s easy enough to account for Peggy an’ Eric. She’s waverin’ ’twixt
him an’ the lieutenant, an’ not bein’ sure which to take is kinder down
in the mouth about it.”
“Lord! Why, I thought Peggy an’ her sailor man were in the seventh
heaven.”
“They ain’t.”
With admiration the big fellow looked down at her.
“Wal’, wal’! Who would ’a’ dreamed that!” he murmured. “You beat me,
Althea. How come you to know so much about it?” He took a turn or two
across the floor, thoughtfully studying the broad plank on which he
walked. “So you think Peggy ain’t as contented with young Shattuck as
she pretends to be, eh?”
“No. Eric’s the one her heart is really set on.”
“That’s what Lemmy thinks. But as I was sayin’ to him she had Eric hard
an’ fast in the first place an’ ’tain’t probable--”
“Girls are like that. They’re skittish as colts, playin’ fast an’ loose
with men an’ takin’ up with all manner of silliness. Now an’ then they
get trapped doin’ it an’ that’s what’s happened to Miss Peggy.”
“She can’t be very happy about it.”
“She’s miserable. All three of ’em are.”
“But Eric’s got the Parker girl.”
“Asaph Holmes! Well, you’re no more stupid than I was myself, so I’ll
have to forgive you. At one time I thought that too, an’ was sorter up
a tree about it. But my soul’s at rest now, I’m thankful to say, an’
I can assure you positively that Eric Hollingsworth cares nothin’ for
Eleanor Parker an’ never did. It’s lucky for him, too, because she’s
promised already to this chap that hove in sight today.”
“Bless my soul! Why, I figgered much as could be that she an’ Eric--”
“Well, they warn’t.”
The man halted.
“Wal’, I’ll throw up my hands,” he sighed. “This love-makin’ business
is too much for me. I never saw the beat of the snarl they’re all in.
Fur’s I can make out the whole lot of ’em are tangled up with the wrong
folks.” Then as Althea made no response he added: “Don’t you most
think somebody should take a hand an’ set ’em right?”
The effect of the remark was electrical.
“No!” she cried. “Outside people have no earthly right to be meddlin’
with marriages. I’ve always said so an’ lately I’ve had it proved to
me.”
Her earnestness piqued her husband’s curiosity.
“How?” inquired he, scanning her face.
“Oh, I’ve--well, no matter. It’s a long story. I’ve just happened to
see my theory demonstrated, that’s all,” answered she with haste. “The
less humans go dabblin’ with the Lord’s affairs the better, in my
opinion. Nobody thanks ’em for puttin’ in their oar an’ like as not
they do more harm than good by meddlin’.”
“You seem awful roused about it,” he smiled, making a clumsy attempt to
lighten her depression.
Althea ignored his comment.
“I’ve made a vow that in future I’ll ’tend strictly to my own business
an’ leave others to ’tend to theirs,” was her irrelevant response.
“What’s that got to do with Peggy, Eric, an’ the Parker girl?”
“U----m. Nothin’, perhaps. I was just talkin’ on general principles.”
“Wal’, it is a pretty safe rule,” he agreed, strolling to the window
and looking out. Then after a moment he called over his shoulder: “You
don’t think I’d better go outside an’ see if I can find ’Becca, do
you?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Or Lemmy? I might step over there an’ just see what’s detainin’ him.”
“You’ll do nothin’ of the sort. He don’t have to come here every day
an’ help around if he don’t want to. Mebbe he’s got things of his own
to do. He may be transplantin’ somethin’; he said he was goin’ to some
day.”
“But he wouldn’t be transplantin’ in the boilin’ sun.”
Would Althea never learn the rules of gardening?
“I guess he ain’t that particular. He’d do it, most likely, when he got
time.”
“You can’t transplant in the daytime.”
She laughed musically.
“Anybody’d think, to hear you talk, transplantin’ was a sorter
clandestine thing or else somethin’ disrespectable. Well, grantin’ it
can’t be done except under cover, I ain’t goin’ to have you go postin’
over to Lemmy’s to hunt him up. ’Twould look as if you’d come after
him.”
“But he may be sick--had a sunstroke or--”
“Humph! I don’t believe so. Lemmy never has anything the matter with
him.”
“That’s no sign he never will.”
“Oh, he’s all right. Don’t go flyin’ into a hundred pieces about him.
He’ll turn up before long. You’d never have thought of it if I hadn’t
put the notion into your head.”
Nevertheless, in spite of Althea’s comfortable prediction, on sped the
hours and nothing was seen of either Lemuel Gill or Rebecca Crosby.
“I wish I’d gone lookin’ ’em up when I first suggested it,” fidgeted
Asaph. “Don’t you want I should set out now an’ try an’ find ’Becca?”
“Mercy, no.”
“But she always helps with frostin’ the cakes, don’t she?”
“Usually, yes. Still, I’m managin’ to slither ’em over without her.”
“Mebbe somethin’s befallen her. She may have sprained her ankle--”
“Rebecca’s no blunderer. She’s light of foot as a fairy. She’s prob’ly
just takin’ the air.”
“Takin’ the air a busy mornin’ like this! Who ever heard of such an
idea? Besides, it’s most noon.”
“I told her not to hurry.”
“Wal’, she certainly hasn’t. You could get all the mint in Barnstable
county in this time. It’s strikin’ twelve this minute. She’s been gone
two mortal hours.”
“I know it.”
“It don’t take two hours to gather a few sprigs of mint.”
“Do stop fumin’, Asaph,” interposed his wife impatiently. “You’re not
goin’ out either to hunt up Rebecca or drum up Lemuel Gill, so you
may’s well stop talkin’ about it. If they’re dead an hour or so ain’t
goin’ to make any difference with ’em; an’ if they’re livin’ they’ll
show up in time. I’m perfectly capable of runnin’ the Dolphin without
their help. If they don’t want to lend a hand I’m the last one on earth
would urge ’em to. Thank goodness, I’ve some pride if you haven’t.”
“But--but,” began Asaph, making a last feeble protest, “’Becca came
here for the express purpose of--”
Whatever Rebecca’s purpose was was never stated, for at that instant
both the delinquents appeared in the doorway.
Rebecca walked ahead, blushing and wreathed in smiles; Lemuel,
triumphant but a trifle shamefaced, ambled after her.
Asaph sped to greet them.
“Wal’, if I ain’t thankful to see you back!” ejaculated he. “I was just
comin’ to find you.”
“To find us?” Rebecca asked.
“Yes. What kept you? There warn’t nothin’ the matter? You warn’t hurt,
lost or anythin’? We were gettin’ terrible worried.”
“Hush, Asaph!” cautioned Althea beneath her breath.
“’Tain’t late, is it?” Miss Crosby inquired with surprise.
“It’s noontime.”
“Noontime!” echoed the guilty pair.
“Why, I’d no more idea of it than a child unborn!” declared Rebecca.
“Nor I!” asserted Lemuel Gill.
“Did you bring the mint?” Asaph interrogated.
“The mint?” Blankly Rebecca regarded him. “What mint?”
“Althea said you’d gone huntin’ mint for the tea.”
“I forgot all about it,” confessed the lady, obviously much confused.
“Then what in the name of goodness have you been doin’ till now?” asked
the puzzled cross-questioner good-humoredly.
“Asaph Holmes, stop botherin’ ’Becca this minute,” cut in his wife.
“The mint ain’t of no account. Mebbe she couldn’t find any.”
“She--I--we--didn’t look for none,” piped Lemmy, apparently feeling it
time that he came to his inamorata’s rescue.
“Were you huntin’ it too?”
“I warn’t. But I could have if I’d known you wanted any,” apologized
the Captain. “The truth is, ’Becca an’ I was--wal’, we was otherwise
occupied.” He fumbled sheepishly with a button on his coat and stole
a glance out of the corner of his eye at his crony. “We were sorter
talkin’ together--sorter plannin’ how we could--could--”
“Rebecca!” Althea burst out, leaping to her feet and rushing to her
friend’s side. “You don’t mean that you an’ Lemmy are--”
Nodding, Rebecca laughed nervously.
“I never was so pleased, so delighted over anythin’ in all my life!”
Althea continued. “Think of havin’ you just across the field for the
rest of your days! ’Twill be like heaven.”
She caught Rebecca’s hands and kissed her.
In the meantime Asaph stood looking uncomprehendingly from one face to
another.
“Mebbe when you get through talkin’, kissin’, an’ takin’ on, you’ll
tell me what it’s all about,” he said with a hint of peevishness.
“Blamed if I can make anythin’ out of it.”
“Why, Lemmy an’ ’Becca are goin’ to get married!” returned his wife in
the highest of spirits.
“Married? Who said so?” He sniffed at the absurdity of the announcement.
“Rebecca--just now.”
“I didn’t hear her say anythin’ of the sort.”
“I didn’t,” contradicted the woman, blushing scarlet. “’Twas you said
so, Althea.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter who ’twas so long’s it’s true,” retorted Mrs.
Holmes jubilantly. “Ain’t you a word to say to ’em, Asaph? You stand
there as dumbfounded as if the earth had opened before you.”
“I feel as if it had.”
“You didn’t suspect it?”
“’Course I didn’t.” The bewildered expression on his face furnished
incontestable proof of the assertion.
“You wouldn’t, I reckon.” Althea flashed a glance toward Rebecca and
they both laughed.
“But you’re glad, ain’t you, pardner?” put in Lemuel anxiously. “You
ain’t disapprovin’ of what I’ve done, are you? You mustn’t be, for my
marryin’ ain’t goin’ to make a mite of difference with our gardenin’.
In fact, with ’Becca to see to the house I figger I’ll have more time
for plantin’ than ever. We’ve been sayin’ so just now, ain’t we,
’Becca? ’Becca loves gardens, you know. She’s got all sorts of ideas
about fixin’ up the shack. She wants I should clear away the truck
litterin’ the yard an’ start a vegetable garden behind the house. An’
she has a notion the _Sally_ would look nice hauled round to the front
lawn an’ filled with petunias. Oh, we’re goin’ to make a great place of
the cottage before we’re through.”
Lemmy had never looked more absurdly young nor had his ginger hair been
more riotously up-ended. Asaph scanned his starry eyes.
“If I warn’t so plumb thunderstruck--” he began.
“It ain’t that you mind, then?” cried the little man eagerly.
“Mind? How could I, Lemmy? I’d have a pretty slim case, seein’ as how
I got married myself. Bless your heart! It’s only that I’m bowled
completely over an’ every word in the dictionary seems to have got away
from me. To think of your gettin’ married--just to think of it! Wal’,
you couldn’t ’a’ chosen a wife I’d ’a’ liked better. Had I had the
selectin’ she’s the one I’d ’a’ picked for you. But what beats me is
why the thought of you an’ her matin’ never come to me before. Althea
don’t seem flustered by the news like I do.”
“Flustered by it! Why, since first I spied ’em in the kitchen the
thought of their pairin’ off has scarcely been out of my mind.”
“Althea!”
“Well, it hasn’t. What’s more I’ve prayed about it every night.”
“An’ yet you deny bein’ a match-maker,” taunted Rebecca.
Instead of laughing at the jest Althea’s face clouded and she answered
gravely:
“Mebbe I’d no business to petition the Lord about it. Still, I was so