the portygee-第22节

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resort。　　The　captain's　face　was　serious　but　there　was　the　twinkle
under　his　heavy　brows。　　He　pulled　at　his　beard。

〃Humph！〃　he　grunted。　　〃Did　you　know　Ves　and　Simp　had　been　drinkin'
when　you　hired　'em？〃

〃Of　course　I　didn't。　　After　they　had　gone　Issy　said　he　suspected
that　they　had　been　drinking　a　little；　but　_I_　didn't　know　it。　　All
I　wanted　was　to　prove　to　HIM；〃　with　a　motion　toward　Mr。　Calvin；
〃that　I　kept　my　word。〃

Captain　Zelotes　pulled　at　his　beard。　　〃All　right；　Al；〃　he　said；
after　a　moment；　〃you　can　go。〃

Albert　went　out　of　the　private　office。　　After　he　had　gone　the
captain　turned　to　his　irate　customer。

〃I'm　sorry　this　happened；　Mr。　Calvin；〃　he　said；　〃and　if　Keeler　or　I
had　been　here　it　probably　wouldn't。　　But；〃　he　added；　〃as　far　as　I
can　see；　the　boy　did　what　he　thought　was　the　best　thing　to　do。
And；〃　the　twinkle　reappeared　in　the　gray　eyes；　〃you　sartinly　did
get　your　lumber　when　'twas　promised。〃

Mr。　Calvin　stiffened。　　He　had　his　good　points；　but　he　suffered　from
what　Laban　Keeler　once　called　〃ingrowin'　importance；〃　and　this
ailment　often　affected　his　judgment。　　Also　he　had　to　face　Mrs。
Calvin　upon　his　return　home。

〃Do　I　understand；〃　he　demanded；　〃that　you　are　excusing　that　young
man　for　putting　that　outrage　upon　me？〃

〃We…ll；　as　I　say；　I'm　sorry　it　happened。　　But；　honest；　Mr。　Calvin；
I　don't　know's　the　boy's　to　blame　so　very　much；　after　all。　　He
delivered　your　lumber；　and　that's　somethin'。〃

〃Is　that　all　you　have　to　say；　Captain　Snow？　　Is　thatthat　impudent
young　clerk　of　yours　to　go　unpunished？〃

〃Why；　yes；　I　guess　likely　he　is。〃

〃Then　I　shall　NEVER　buy　another　dollar's　worth　of　your　house　again；
sir。〃

Captain　Zelotes　bowed。　　〃I'm　sorry　to　lose　your　trade；　Mr。　Calvin；〃
he　said。　　〃Good　mornin'。〃

Albert；　at　his　desk　in　the　outer　office；　was　waiting　rebelliously
to　be　called　before　his　grandfather　and　upbraided。　　And　when　so
called　he　was　in　a　mood　to　speak　his　mind。　　He　would　say　a　few
things；　no　matter　what　happened　in　consequence。　　But　he　had　no
chance　to　say　them。　　Captain　Zelotes　did　not　mention　the　Calvin
affair　to　him；　either　that　day　or　afterward。　　Albert　waited　and
waited；　expecting　trouble；　but　the　trouble；　so　far　as　his
grandfather　was　concerned；　did　not　materialize。　　He　could　not
understand　it。

But　if　in　that　office　there　was　silence　concerning　the　unusual
delivery　of　the　lumber　for　the　Calvin　porch；　outside　there　was　talk
enough　and　to　spare。　　Each　Welfare　Worker　talked　when　she　reached
home　and　the　story　spread。　　Small　boys　shouted　after　Albert　when　he
walked　down　the　main　street；　demanding　to　know　how　Ves　Young's　cart
was　smellin'　these　days。　　When　he　entered　the　post　office　some　one
in　the　crowd　was　almost　sure　to　hum；　〃Here's　to　the　good　old
whiskey；　drink　her　down。〃　　On　the　train　on　the　way　to　the　picnic；
girls　and　young　fellows　had　slyly　nagged　him　about　it。　　The　affair
and　its　consequence　were　the　principal　causes　of　his　mood　that　day；
this　particular　〃Portygee　streak〃　was　due　to　it。

The　path　along　the　edge　of　the　high　bluff　entered　a　grove　of
scraggy　pitch　pines　about　a　mile　from　the　lighthouse　and　the　picnic
ground。　　Albert　stalked　gloomily　through　the　shadows　of　the　little
grove　and　emerged　on　the　other　side。　　There　he　saw　another　person
ahead　of　him　on　the　path。　　This　other　person　was　a　girl。　　He
recognized　her　even　at　this　distance。　　She　was　Helen　Kendall；

She　and　he　had　not　been　quite　as　friendly　of　late。　　Not　that　there
was　any　unfriendliness　between　them；　but　she　was　teaching　in　the
primary　school　and；　as　her　father　had　not　been　well；　spent　most　of
her　evenings　at　home。　　During　the　early　part　of　the　winter　he　had
called　occasionally　but；　somehow；　it　had　seemed　to　him　that　she
was　not　quite　as　cordial；　or　as　interested　in　his　society　and
conversation　as　she　used　to　be。　　It　was　but　a　slight　indifference
on　her　part；　perhaps；　but　Albert　Speranza　was　not　accustomed　to
indifference　on　the　part　of　his　feminine　acquaintances。　　So　he　did
not　call　again。　　He　had　seen　her　at　the　picnic　ground　and　they　had
spoken；　but　not　at　any　length。

And　he　did　not　care　to　speak　with　her　now。　　He　had　left　the
pavilion　because　of　his　desire　to　be　alone；　and　that　desire　still
persisted。　　However；　she　was　some　little　distance　ahead　of　him　and
he　waited　in　the　edge　of　the　grove　until　she　should　go　over　the
crest　of　the　little　hill　at　the　next　point。

But　she　did　not　go　over　the　crest。　　Instead；　when　she　reached　it；
she　walked　to　the　very　edge　of　the　bluff　and　stood　there　looking
off　at　the　ocean。　　The　sea　breeze　ruffled　her　hair　and　blew　her
skirts　about　her　and　she　made　a　pretty　picture。　　But　to　Albert　it
seemed　that　she　was　standing　much　too　near　the　edge。　　She　could　not
see　it；　of　course；　but　from　where　he　stood　he　could　see　that　the
bank　at　that　point　was　much　undercut　by　the　winter　rains　and　winds；
and　although　the　sod　looked　firm　enough　from　above；　in　reality
there　was　little　to　support　it。　　Her　standing　there　made　him　a
trifle　uneasy　and　he　had　a　mind　to　shout　and　warn　her。　　He
hesitated；　however；　and　as　he　watched　she　stepped　back　of　her　own
accord。　　He　turned；　re…entered　the　grove　and　started　to　walk　back
to　the　pavilion。

He　had　scarcely　done　so　when　he　heard　a　short　scream　followed　by　a
thump　and　a　rumbling；　rattling　sound。　　He　turned　like　a　flash；　his
heart　pounding　violently。

The　bluff　edge　was　untenanted。　　A　semi…circular　section　of　the　sod
where　Helen　had　stood　was　missing。　　From　the　torn　opening　where　it
had　been　rose　a　yellow　cloud　of　dust。



CHAPTER　VI


A　goodly　number　of　the　South　Harniss　〃natives；〃　those　who　had　not
seen　him　play　tennis；　would　have　been　willing　to　swear　that　running
was；　for　Albert　Speranza；　an　impossibility。　　His　usual　gait　was　a
rather　languid　saunter。　　They　would　have　changed　their　minds　had
they　seen　him　now。

He　ran　along　that　path　as　he　had　run　in　school　at　the　last　track
meet；　where　he　had　been　second　in　the　hundred…yard　dash。　　He
reached　the　spot　where　the　sod　had　broken　and；　dropping　on　his
knees；　looked　fearfully　over。　　The　dust　was　still　rising；　the　sand
and　pebbles　were　still　rattling　in　a　diminishing　shower　down　to　the
beach　so　far　below。　　But　he　did　not　see　what　he　had　so　feared　to
see。

What　he　did　see；　however；　was　neither　pleasant　nor　altogether
reassuring。　　The　bluff　below　the　sod　at　its　top　dropped　sheer　and
undercut　for　perhaps　ten　feet。　　Then　the　sand　and　clay　sloped
outward　and　the　slope　extended　down　for　another　fifty　feet；　its
surface　broken　by　occasional　clinging　chunks　of　beach　grass。　　Then
it　broke　sharply　again；　a　straight　drop　of　eighty　feet　to　the
mounds　and　dunes　bordering　the　beach。

Helen　had　of　course　fallen　straight　to　the　upper　edge　of　the　slope；
where　she　had　struck　feet　first；　and　from　there　had　slid　and　rolled
to　the　very　edge　of　the　long　drop　to　the　beach。　　Her　skirt　had
caught　in　the　branches　of　an　enterprising　bayberry　bush　which　had
managed　to　find　roothold　there；　and　to　this　bush　and　a　clump　of
beach　grass　she　was　clinging；　her　hands　outstretched　and　her　body
extended　along　the　edge　of　the　clay　precipice。

Albert　gasped。

〃Helen！〃　he　called　breathlessly。

She　turned　her　head　and　looked　up　at　him。　　Her　face　was　white；　but
she　did　not　scream。

〃Helen！〃　cried　Albert；　again。　　〃Helen；　do　you　hear　me？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Are　you　badly　hurt？〃

〃No。　　No；　I　don't　think　so。〃

〃Can　you　hold　on　just　as　you　are　for　a　few　minutes？〃

〃Yes；　II　think　so。〃

〃You've　got　to；　you　know。　　Here！　　You're　not　going　to　faint；　are
you？〃

〃No；　II　don't　think　I　am。〃

〃You　can't！　　You　mustn't！　　Here！　　Don't　you　do　it！　　Stop！〃

There　was　just　a　trace　of　his　grandfather　in　the　way　he　shouted　the
order。　　Whether　or　not　the　vigor　of　the　command　produced　the　result
is　a　question；　but　at　any　rate　she　did　not　faint。

〃Now　you　stay　right　where　you　are；〃　he　ordered　again。　　〃And　hang　on
as　tight　as　you　can。　　I'm　coming　down。〃

Come　down　he　did；　swinging　over　the　brink　with　his　face　to　the
bank；　dropping　on　his　toes　to　the　upper　edge　of　the　slope　and
digging　boots　and　fingers　into　the　clay　to　prevent　sliding　further。

〃Hang　on！〃　he　cautioned；　over　his　shoulder。　　〃I'll　be　there　in　a
second。　　There！　　Now　wait　until　I　get　my　feet　braced。　　Now　give　me
your　handyour　left　hand。　　Hold　on　with　your　right。〃

Slowly　and　cautiously；　clinging　to　his　hand；　he　pulled　her　away
from　the　edge　of　the　precipice　and　helped　her　to　scramble　up　to
where　he　clung。　　There　she　lay　and　panted。　　He　looked　at　her
apprehensively。

〃Don't　go　and　faint　now；　or　any　foolishness　like　that；〃　he　ordered
sharply。

〃No；　no；　I　won't。　　I'll　try　not　to。　　But　how　are　we　ever　going　to
climb　upup　there？〃

Above　them　and　at　least　four　feet　out　of　reach；　even　if　they　stood
up；　and　that　would　be　a　frightfully　risky　proceeding；　the　sod
projected　over　their　heads　like　the　eaves　of　a　house。

Helen　glanced　up　at　it　and　shuddered。

〃Oh；　how　CAN　we？〃　she　gasped。

〃We　can't。　　And　we　won't　try。〃

〃Shall　we　call　for　help？〃

〃Not　much　use。　　Nobody　to　hear　us。　　Besides；　we　can　always　do　that
if　we　have　to。　　I　think　I　see　a　way　out　of　the　mess。　　If　we　can't
get　up；　perhaps　we　can　get　down。〃

〃Get　DOWN？〃

〃Yes；　it　isn't　all　as　steep　a