However, as Mr. Simpson rea.s.suringly said: "The job"s in as good hands as can be, so what"s the use of OUR worryin"?"
Bailey Bangs certainly was not troubled on that score; but the town clerk"s proposal that Captain Cy be provided with a suitable wife did worry him. Bailey was so very much married himself and had such decided, though unspoken, views concerning matrimony that such a proposal seemed to him lunacy, pure and simple. He had liked and admired his friend "Whit" in the old days, when the latter led them into all sorts of boyish sc.r.a.pes; now he regarded him with a liking that was close to worship. The captain was so jolly and outspoken; so brave and independent--witness his crossing of the great Atkins in the matter of the downstairs teacher. That was a reckless piece of folly which would, doubtless, be rewarded after its kind, but Bailey, though he professed to condemn it, secretly wished he had the pluck to dare such things. As it was, he didn"t dare contradict Keturah.
With the exception of one voyage as cabin boy to New Orleans, a voyage which convinced him that he was not meant for a seaman, Mr. Bangs had never been farther from his native village than Boston. Captain Cy had been almost everywhere and seen almost everything. He could spin yarns that beat the serial stories in the patent inside of the Bayport Breeze all hollow. Bailey had figured that, when the "fixin" over" was ended, the Cy Whittaker place would be for him a delightful haven of refuge, where he could put his boots on the furniture, smoke until dizzy without being pounced upon, be entertained and thrilled with tales of adventure afloat and ash.o.r.e, and even express his own opinion, when he had any, with the voice and lung power of a free-born American citizen.
And now Asaph Tidditt, who should know better, even though he was a bachelor, wanted to bring a wife into this paradise; not a paid domestic who could be silenced, or discharged, if she became a nuisance, but a WIFE! Bailey guessed not; not if he could prevent it.
So he lay awake nights thinking of possible housekeepers for Captain Cy, and carefully rejecting all those possessing dangerous attractions of any kind. Each morning, after breakfast, he ran over the list with the captain, taking care that Asaph was not present. Captain Cy, who was very busy with the finishing touches at the new old house, wearied on the third morning.
"There, there, Bailey!" he said. "Don"t bother me now. I"ve got other things on my mind. How do I know who all these women folks are you"re stringing off to me? Let me alone, do."
"But you must have a housekeeper, Cy. You"ll move in Monday and you won"t have n.o.body to--"
"Oh, dry up! I want to think who I must see this morning. There"s Lem and old lady Penniman, and--"
"But the housekeeper, Cy! Don"t you see--"
"Hire one yourself, then. You know "em; I don"t."
"Hey? Hire one myself? Do you mean you"ll leave it in my hands?"
"Yes, yes! I guess so. Run along, that"s a good feller."
He departed hurriedly. Mr. Bangs scratched his head. A weighty responsibility had been laid upon him.
Monday morning after breakfast Captain Cy"s trunk was put aboard the depot wagon, and Dan"l Webster drew it to its owner"s home. The farewells at the perfect boarding house were affecting. Mrs. Tripp said that she had spoken to the Reverend Mr. Daniels, and he would be sure to call the very first thing. Keturah affirmed that the captain"s stay had been a real pleasure.
"You never find fault, Cap"n Whittaker," she said. "You"re such a manly man, if you"ll excuse my sayin" so. I only wish there was more like you," with a significant glance at her husband. As for Miss Phinney, she might have been saying good-by yet if the captain had not excused himself.
Asaph accompanied his friend to the house on the hill. The trunk was unloaded from the wagon and carried into the bedroom on the first floor, the room which had been Captain Cy"s so long ago. Gabe shrieked at Dan"l Webster, and the depot wagon crawled away toward the upper road.
"Got to meet the up train," grumbled the driver. "Not that anybody ever comes on it, but I cal"late I"m s"posed to be there. Be more talk than a little if I wan"t. Git dap, Dan"l! you"re slower"n the moral law."
"So you"re goin" to do your own cookin" for a spell, Cy?" observed Asaph, a half hour later, "Well, I guess that"s a good idea, till you can find the right housekeeper. I ain"t been able to think of one that would suit you yet."
"Nor I, either. Neither"s Bailey, I judge, though for a while he was as full of suggestions as a pine grove is of woodticks. He started to say somethin" about it to me last night, but Ketury hove in sight and yanked him off to prayer meetin"."
"Yes, I know. She cal"lates to get him into heaven somehow."
"I guess "twouldn"t BE heaven for her unless he was round to pick at.
There he comes now. How"d he get out of wipin" dishes?"
Mr. Bangs strolled into the yard.
"h.e.l.lo!" he hailed. "I was on my way to Simmons"s on an errand and I thought I"d stop in a minute. Got somethin" to tell you, Whit."
"All right. Overboard with it! It won"t keep long this hot weather."
Bailey smiled knowingly. "Didn"t I hear the up train whistle as I was comin" along?" he asked. "Seems to me I did. Yes; well, if I ain"t mistaken somebody"s comin" on that train. Somebody for you, Cy Whittaker."
"Somebody for ME?"
"Um--hum! I can gen"rally be depended on, I cal"late, and when you says to me: "Bailey, you get me a housekeeper," I didn"t lose much time. I got her."
Mr. Tidditt gasped.
"GOT her?" he repeated. "Got who? Got what? Bailey Bangs, what in the world have--"
"Belay, Ase!" ordered Captain Cy. "Bailey, what are you givin" us?"
"Givin" you a housekeeper, and a good one, too, I shouldn"t wonder. She may not be one of them ten-thousand-dollar prize museum beauties," with a scornful wink at Asaph, "but if what I hear"s true she can keep house.
Anyhow she"s kept one for forty odd year. Her name"s Deborah Beasley, she"s a widow over to East Trumet, and if I don"t miss my guess, she"s in the depot wagon now headed in this direction."
Captain Cy whistled. Mr. Tidditt was too much surprised to do even that.
"I was speakin" to the feller that drives the candy cart," continued Bailey, "and I asked him if he"d run acrost anybody, durin" his trips "round the country, who"d be likely to hire out for a housekeeper. He thought a spell and then named over some. Among "em was this Beasley one. I asked some more questions and, the answers bein" satisfactory to ME, though they might not be to some folks--" another derisive wink at Asaph--"I set down and wrote her, tellin" what you"d pay, Cy, what she"d have to do, and when she"d have to come. Sat.u.r.day night I got a letter, sayin" terms was all right, and she"d be on hand by this mornin"s train.
Course she"s only on trial for a month, but you had to have SOMEBODY, and the candy-cart feller said--"
The town clerk slapped his knee.
"Debby Beasley!" he cried. "I know who she is! I"ve got a cousin in Trumet. Debby Beasley! Aunt Debby, they call her. Why! she"s old enough to be Methusalem"s grandmarm, and--"
"If I recollect right," interrupted Bailey, with dignity, "Cy never said he wanted a YOUNG woman--a frivolous, giddy critter, always riggin" up and chasin" the fellers. He wanted a sot, sober housekeeper."
"G.o.dfrey! Aunt Debby ain"t frivolous! She couldn"t chase a lame clam--and catch it. And DEEF! G.o.dfrey--scissors! she"s deefer "n one of them cast-iron Newfoundlands in Heman"s yard! Do you mean to say, Bailey Bangs, that you went ahead, on your own hook, and hired that old relic to--"
"I did. And I had my authority, didn"t I, Whit? You told me you"d leave it in my hands, now didn"t you?"
The captain smiled somewhat ruefully, and scratched his head. "Why, to be honest, Bailey, I believe I did," he admitted. "Still, I hardly expected--Humph! is she deef, as Ase says?"
"I understand she"s a little mite hard of hearin"," replied Mr. Bangs, with dignity; "but that ain"t any drawback, the way I look at it. Fact is, I"d call it an advantage, but you folks seem to be hard to please.
I ruther imagined you"d thank me for gettin" her, but I s"pose that was too much to expect. All right, pitch her out! Don"t mind MY feelin"s!
Poor homeless critter comin" to--"
"Homeless!" repeated Asaph. "What"s that got to do with it? Cy ain"t runnin" the Old Woman"s Home."
"Well, well!" observed the captain resignedly. "There"s no use in rowin"
about what can"t be helped. Bailey says he shipped her for a month"s trial, and here comes the depot wagon now. That"s her on the aft thwart, I judge. She AIN"T what you"d call a spring pullet, is she!"
She certainly was not. The occupant of the depot wagon"s rear seat was a thin, not to say scraggy, female, wearing a black, beflowered bonnet and a black gown. A black knit shawl was draped about her shoulders and she wore spectacles.
"Whoa!" commanded Mr. Lumley, piloting the depot wagon to the side door of the Whittaker house. Dan"l Webster came to anchor immediately. Gabe turned and addressed his pa.s.senger.
"Here we be!" he shouted.
"Hey?" observed the lady in black.
"Here--we--be!" repeated Gabe, raising his voice.