Laughing Last - Jane Abbott (portable ebook reader .txt) š
- Author: Jane Abbott
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When, in the gray light of the dawn, the Sally chugged up to Rockmanās wharf with its precious cargo Sidney and Mart found a weary, anxious crowd of men and women gathered there. And as Capān Davies and Saunders lifted the girls ashore a lusty shout of rejoicing went upāeager hands reached out to touch the rescued as though to make certain they were safe and sound.
Sidney had eyes only for Mr. Dugald who seemed to tower above them all, his eyes dark lined with the strain of anxious watching, his mouth set sternly. And strangely enough, at first, Dugald Allan saw only Sidney, yet it was not strange, for the white-faced, shrinking, abject girl, barefooted and disheveled, who was hiding behind Mart and Sidney, had little semblance to his gay young cousin.
Mr. Dugald opened his arms and Sidney ran into them like a little child, and clung to him. He felt her slender body shaking.
āIāI canāt help crying. I wanted Trudeāso much!ā
āI was thinking of Trude, too. Thank God!ā But Sidney was too moved at the moment to wonder at his words or that the cheek he bent to hers was wet with tears.
Then Dugald Allan spied Pola shivering forlornly behind Mart and Sidney. āYouāā he cried, pushing Sidney aside. āI thought you were at Chatham!ā His mouth tightened in a straight, stern line. āWhat is all this? But wait, I must get Sidney back to Aunt Achsa. You shall explain things as we go along.ā
He hurried the girls through the crowd which parted, smilingly, to let them pass. On Commercial Street he hailed old Hiram Moss, who with an eye to business in the midst of tragedy, had harnessed his horses to his ancient cab and had them ready for an emergency.
After he had bundled his charges in Dugald Allan turned to Sidney.
āNow give me some inkling of what started this crazy adventure. Thank God it has not ended as it might have ended though Lavender is still fighting for his life! Answer me, Sidney.ā
But before Sidney could begin her tale she had to know what had happened to Lavender.
āFighting for his life? Butāhe got here, didnāt he?ā
āYesāhe reached shore, by an effort so great as to completely prostrate him. They took him home. I left Doctor Blackwell with him.ā Dugald Allan spoke shortly and his crisp sentences had the effect of stunning poor Sidney. She shivered and leaned close to him. Her voice, when she spoke, came with a childish tremor.
āOh, Lavender canāt die. If he doesāit will be all my fault! I started everything. IāI told him about the diamondsāā
āDiamondsāā
āYesāthe diamonds. Thatās why we went out on the Arabellaāā In broken sentences Sidney told the story; she wanted Mr. Dugald to know that they had cared most for the honor of Cape Cod!
āAnd we found themāa big boxāat least we think itās the diamonds! Capān Phin Davies says itās something queer!ā
Dugald Allanās exclamation had much the character of an explosion. āDiamonds! What nonsense! Youāve risked bereaving three homes for what is probably nothing more than a case of rum. If ever a girl needed a big brother to keep her in check, you do!ā
DIAMONDS
During the early morning hours of that summer day that Sidney was destined never to forget, the girl passed through every emotion that a fifteen-year-old heart can suffer.
First, to her dismay no one at the cottage had seemed to rejoice, as the crowd on the wharf had rejoiced, at her rescue. When Mr. Dugald led her in Miss Vine was making coffee at the stove and all she said was: āWell, youāre all right! Better go to bed now as quick as you can and keep out from under foot.ā Then Mr. Dugald had taken Pola back to the hotel. Aunt Achsa was with Doctor Blackwell and Lavender. Sidney had tried to summon sufficient courage to ask Miss Vineās forbidding back for some word of Lavender, but the words failed in her throat. Cold, forlorn, hungry, she crept to her room, threw off her clothes and huddled down into the bed-clothes.
They would all blame herāMiss Vine and Mr. Dugald, Aunt Achsa, Doctor Blackwell. Probably now Pola would have more complexes to suffer; Polaās mother would be angry and they could never be friends again. And MartāAunt Achsa had said old Mrs. Calkins could be terrible when she was āworked up!ā Even if Lavender lived Aunt Achsa would never forgive her and if he didnāt liveāMr. Dugald had said he was fighting. Those boards creaking faintly meant that Doctor Blackwell and Aunt Achsa were helping Lavender fight. Dear old Lav with his fine dreams!
The desperate longing for Trude shook her. She sobbed into her pillow. And yet the longing brought only added remorse. Trude would scold her. Trude would take her home. That meant stinging humiliation. How Vick would laugh at her when everything was over. A case of rum! Sidney writhed under the soft covers.
Somewhere boards creaked againāLavenderās fight. Sidney pictured the doctor and Aunt Achsa bending over him. And outside everything was so quiet and gray. That was the way death probably came, Sidney thought.
On the morrow they would send her homeāin disgrace. She might not even be allowed to see Lavender, or Mart, or Polaāor Mr. Dugald. Someone would telegraph to Trude and Trude would meet her back at Middletown. She would live a long, sad life of penance behind the crumbing stone wall she had so detested.
But the thought of the wall and the shelter of the old house brought such a surcease of torment that the girl had fallen into a heavy sleep. When she wakened it was to a consciousness of bright sunshineāand someone looking at her, someone different, and someone smiling.
She sat bolt upright and rubbed her eyes. Then she flung out her arms with a low glad cry that was half sob.
āTrudeāOh, Trude!ā
Trude held her long and close, stroking the shorn head, murmuring soothing words. Finally Sidney wriggled from her.
āHave you come to take me home? But how could they send for you so quickly? How long have I been asleep? Oh, Lavenderāis heāis heāā
āOne question at a time, Sid. Lavender is better. Heāll be all right, the doctor says, after a good rest. Yes, I think Iād better take you home. No, they did not send for me.ā Briefly, as though now that earlier concern was of little consequence, Trude told of the sketch that had so bewildered and alarmed her.
āI couldnāt understand,ā she finished.
āI couldnāt either, at first. You see the boarderāthe man who has boarded here so long and is dreadfully fond of Aunt Achsa wrote that letter to me and wrote it nice so as to please her, and, at firstābut, oh, Trude, Aunt Achsa is wonderful and so is Lavender, really, truly, even though they are poorāā
āHush, Sidney.ā Trudeās eyes darkened with feeling. āYou do not have to tell me that. I have learned that in only a few hours. Oh, I have seen straight into soulsāthose kind men on the street, as concerned as though you belonged to them, and hereāAunt Achsa with her great courage and her love. And that Miss Vineātheyāre so simpleāand so fineāit made me ashamed of my silly standards, my fears.ā
āAnd Lavender is best of allāā
Now quick tears shone like stars in Trude Romleyās eyes. She reached out her hands and caught Sidneyās.
āOh, Lavenderāwhen I think what he did IāIāā She could not finish, but Sidney understood the gratitude that was in her heart. She leaned her face against Trudeās shoulder with a long sigh.
āIām cured of lots of things, Trude. I wanted something different but I didnāt want all this to happen! You see I made Lavender and Mart believe it was diamonds Jed Starrow was hiding when it was probably only a case of rumāā
Suddenly Trude straightened. āI almost forgot. A boy came here and said a Captain Davies wanted you to come down to Rockmanās wharf as soon as you could. That was two hours ago. You see it is nearly noon now. Youād better dress quickly and Iāll go out and fix you some breakfast.ā
Sidney obeyed reluctantly. In her mingled remorse and humiliation she shrank from facing the world. She was not even curious as to why Capān Phin wanted to see her.
By the time she had dressed Trude had a poached egg and a glass of milk ready for her. Miss Letty was with Lavender and Aunt Achsa had gone to bed.
Sidney begged so hard that Trude accompany her to Rockmanās that Trude put on her hat and went with her. And poor Sidney needed Trudeās support for Sunset Lane was thronged with curious men and women; as they walked along the waterfront fishermen and tourists and boys and girls stared and nodded and Sidneyās sensitive soul mistook their obvious interest for ridicule. She walked with lowered eyes lest she encounter Mrs. Calkins or Polaās mother.
Capān Phin was waiting outside the door of the shed on Rockmanās wharf. He nodded to Sidney and Trude and beckoned them inside. At any other time, in any other state of mind, Sidney would have thrilled to his air of mystery.
Four men sat in wooden chairs tipped at various angles and on the floor before them stood the wooden box from the Arabella. The men nodded and smiled at Sidney and brought their chairs to the floor as though to attention.
Capān Davies solemnly motioned Sidney and Trude to two vacant chairs and then cleared his throat.
āI calālate, Miss Sidney, that youāve a sort oā interest in this cargo we brought in on the Sally so we stood by ātil you hove in sight. Now, mebbe itās what we think it is and mebbe it isnāt. Si, give a hand and unload.ā
One of the men knelt down by the box and proceeded to open it with a hammer and a chisel. The others leaned forward with interest. Sidney held her breath.
The man Si, having torn off the cover, put his hands into the paper wrappings and drew forth yards and yards of magnificently embroidered fabric that made Sidney and Trude gasp in admiration and astonishment. But the others were plainly disappointed. A low murmur of disgust went around the room.
āGive it here,ā one of the men asked. And as Si handed over the contraband it slipped from his hands. He caught at it quickly to save it from the dirt of the floor. Suddenly something small and gleaming fell from the folds and rolled upon the floor.
āIāll be ding-blasted!ā roared Capān Phin. Someone swore softly. The man Si dropped to his knees. Sidney blinked.
Capān Phin seized the silk and unwound it. And among the countless folds he found a cunningly contrived pocket filled with hundreds of the priceless gems.
For a moment no one spoke. The daring of it all, the wealth of the glistening jewels, held each man in the room. Capān Phin folded the gorgeous silk and passed it to one of the men.
āI guess this belongs to you in trust for Uncle Sam,ā he said gravely. āOur business is with one Jed Starrow.ā He turned to Sidney who was trembling violently. āNow, matie, will you tell these men how you happened to ship aboard the Arabella last night?ā
Sidneyās story tumbled out in quick, eager words and in careful detail. The men listened closely. The one who had taken the diamonds āin trust for Uncle Samā made notes in a small black book. When she
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