Part 31 (1/2)
”Come awa, ma braw John Hielanman,” he whispered to Roderick. ”This is a heavy subject for a pair of young fellows like you and me on a picnic day, come along and see what Archie Blair's up to. I'll bet my new bonnet and plume he's dancing the Highland fling in some obscure corner.”
Roderick went most willingly. He knew Lawyer Ed would go straight to Madame, and where Madame was, there would she be also.
Afternoon Tea Willie who had finally come on board with a dozen young ladies, was running here and there at their beck and call in desperate haste. Lawyer Ed paused to chat with the girls, for he could never pa.s.s even one, and Roderick turned to Alfred and thanked him for the service to his father.
”Oh, that's nothing at all!” cried the young man. ”You did me a favour lots of times, Rod. When I had no one else to talk to and tell my trouble!” He smiled at the remembrance of them. His cheek was flushed and his eyes were glowing. He looked as though he possessed some great secret. He came close and began to speak hesitatingly and Roderick knew he was going to be the recipient of more confidences. ”Say, Rod, do you see that young lady over there beside Anna Baldwin?” Roderick looked and saw the latest arrival in Algonquin, a very handsome and well-dressed young lady who was visiting the Misses Baldwin. ”Yes,”
said Roderick in a very callous manner, ”I see her.” He drew Roderick away a little distance from the group and whispered:
”Well--I--this is in strict confidence, you know, Roderick; I would not confide in any one but you, you know. But--well--that is she!”
”She? who?” asked Roderick.
Alfred looked pained. ”Why the only she in all the world for me. Her name is Eveline Allan. Did you ever hear anything more musical? She came here just last week to visit the Baldwin girls, and they asked me to go to the station to meet her with them, and the moment I set eyes on her I just knew she was the only one in the world for me. I have sometimes imagined myself to be in love, but it was all imagination. I never really knew before.”
Roderick found it impossible to conceal a smile.
”Oh, I know what you are thinking about, you are wondering if I have forgotten Miss Murray. But I have lived that down long ago. It was madness for me to think of one who was in love with another man.”
Roderick looked at him so eloquently that he went on.
”I never really cared for her, in that way, anyway. I realise that now, and now that the man she was engaged to has come back--”
”What?” asked Roderick sharply.
”The man she was engaged to. Don't you remember my telling you about him? Why, they have made up again. He was here to see her last winter and he was in Toronto to see her in the Easter holidays when she was down there. I was very glad that it has all turned out so, for I found out my mistake as soon as I set eyes on Eveline. I know I ought not to call her that yet, and I don't to her of course. Don't you think she has wonderful eyes? I always felt that dark eyes are much more expressive than blue or even hazel ones, don't you? Oh, there is Anna calling me. Excuse me, I must run.”
He flew back to the group, and Roderick was left to digest what he had told him. Unfortunately Alfred had a reputation for finding out things and he had no reason to doubt his a.s.sertion. He slowly followed Lawyer Ed about. They made their way down the length of the deck, his chief shaking hands with every one, and at last away in the stern under a shady awning he saw her. She was seated with Madame on one side, little Mrs. Perkins on the other, Gladys Hurd and Eddie at her feet, the Perkins' baby on her knee and a crowd of children about her. There was no hope of having a word with her even had he the courage to go forward and speak to her.
The children were sitting open mouthed, staring up into the face of Mrs. Doasyouwouldbedoneby, while in low thrilling tones she was telling how the dreadful big giant came slowly up the stairs, every step creaking under him, and the lovely Princess behind the door just squeezed herself into a teenty weenty crack and held her breath till he got past.
Lawyer Ed burst into the story with a roar, and every one leaped and shrieked as if the giant himself had sprung into their midst. He caught two of the youngsters and b.u.mped their heads together, he chased a shrieking half dozen to a refuge behind a pile of life-preservers, he tossed a couple up in the air and pretended he was going to fling them overboard, and finally he took out a great package from his pocket and sent a shower of pink ”gum-drops” raining down over the deck, and the whole boat was turned into a mad and joyful riot!
Roderick lingered about for a few minutes until Miss Murray nodded and smiled to him across a surging sea of little heads, then he wandered down below to where the Ancient Mariner was seated spinning yarns to a crowd of young people.
”Indeed and I could tell you many as good a one as that,” he was saying in response to the sighs of amazement. ”I haff a great head for the tales. If I would jist be hafing the grammar I would challenge anybody to beat me at them. Take Scott now. He had the grammar. That's what makes folk think his stories are so great. But if I had just had his chance! You get an eddication, you young people. There's nothing like the grammar indeed!”
Roderick leaned over the little pit of the engine room and talked with Young Peter. The dull eyes were s.h.i.+ning. This was a great day for Peter.
”Did you see him?” he whispered to Roderick. ”Did you see my father?
driving down with your father? Jist like any gentleman! Eh, but it was mighty.”
”Yes, it's splendid to see them together at last, Pete,” said Roderick sympathetically. And then he had to listen again to the tale Young Peter never tired telling, how Rod's father had saved his father that stormy night on the Jericho Road. How Lawyer Ed could not sleep because Roderick had left him, and how he had driven out to the farm in the night to comfort Angus and had found the two on the road nearly frozen! Young Peter had an attentive listener, for Roderick could not tire of hearing the wonderful story.
They had pa.s.sed through the Gates, and the news went around that the Island was near. It was a beautiful big stretch of green with a sloping s.h.i.+ngly beach at one end, and a high range of white cliffs at the other, which J. P. Thornton said made him homesick, for they always reminded him of England.
There were many islands in Lake Algonquin; nevertheless when you said The Island every one knew you meant that big, lovely, gra.s.sy place away out beyond the Gates, swept by the cool breezes of Lake Simcoe where Algonquin always went for her picnics.
When the cry went forth that the Island was at hand every one ran to the railing and leaned over to watch the _Inverness_ slip in between the big stone breakwater and the dock which stretched out to meet them.
Captain Jimmie from his wheel-house called to them, threateningly and beseechingly, commanding every one to go back or she'd be going over whatever. As usual no one heeded him and so the accident happened.
Perhaps it was the lure of the Piper, now skirling madly from the bow, with flying ribbons, that distracted the captain, as well as the disobedience of the pa.s.sengers; whatever was the reason, the _Inverness_, generally so stately and staid, suddenly gave a lurch, and went crash into the wharf as though she intended to ride right over the Island. Of course in a tourney with the _Inverness_, there could be only one result. The wharf heaved up and went over like an unhorsed knight accompanied by a terrible creaking and ripping and groaning as of armour being rent asunder. Disaster always stripped Captain Jimmie of his nautical cloak and left him the true landsman. He dashed out of his little house and leaning over the railing shouted to the Ancient Mariner: ”Sandy, ye gomeril! Back her up, back up, man, she's goin'