George was embarra.s.sed. "Well, he was," he admitted. "I haven"t got anything against him; in fact he was very good to me. But that is what Mr. Phillips says, you know, and everybody--or about everybody--seems to believe it. At least they are awfully sorry for Phillips."
"So I judged. But about you, now. Do _you_ believe in--er--Saint Egbert as much as you did?"
"Why--why, I don"t know. I---- Of course it seems almost as if he ought to do something to help me, but if he can"t he can"t, I suppose."
"I suppose not. Look here, he won"t tell anybody about your sc.r.a.pe, will he?"
The junior partner in the firm of Phillips and Kent was indignant.
"Of course not," he declared. "He told me he should not breathe a word.
And he is really very much disturbed about it all. He told me himself that he felt almost guilty. Mr. Phillips is a gentleman."
"Is that so? Must be nice to be that way. But tell me a little more about those bonds, George. There were two of "em, you say, a thousand dollars each."
"Yes."
"And you don"t know what sort of bonds they were?"
His visitor"s pride was touched. "Why, of course I know," he declared.
"What sort of a business man would I be if I didn"t know that, for heaven"s sake?"
Sears did not answer the question. For a moment it seemed that he was going to, but if so, he changed his mind. However, there was an odd look in his eye when he spoke.
"Beg your pardon, George," he said. "I must have misunderstood you. What bonds were they?"
"They were City of Boston bonds. Seems to me they were--er--er--well, I forget just what--er--issue, you know, but that"s what they were, City of Boston bonds."
"I see ... I see.... Humph! Seems kind of odd, doesn"t it?"
"What?"
"Oh, nothin". Only Phillips, accordin" to his tell, is pretty close to poverty. Yet he hung on to those two bonds all this time."
"Well, he had to hang on to something, didn"t he? And he probably has a _little_ more; if he hasn"t what has he been living on?"
"Yes, that"s so--that"s so. Still.... However, we won"t worry about that. Now, George, sit still a minute and let me think."
"But, Cap"n Kendrick, do you think there is a chance? I"m almost crazy.
I--I----"
"Sshh! shh! I guess likely we"ll get you off the rocks somehow. Let me think a minute or two."
So Kent possessed his soul in such patience as it could muster, while the wind howled about the old house, the wistaria vine rattled and sc.r.a.ped, the shutters groaned and whined, and the rain dashed and poured and dripped outside. At length the captain sat up straight in his chair.
"George," he said, briskly, "as I see it, first of all we want to find out just how this affair of yours stands. You write to those New York brokers and get from them a statement of your account--yours and Egbert"s. Just what you"ve bought, how much margin has been put up, how much is left, about those bonds--kind, ratin", numbers and all that. Ask "em to send you that by return mail. Will you?"
"Why--why, yes, I suppose so. But I have seen all that. Mr.
Phillips----"
"We aren"t helpin" out Phillips now. He isn"t askin" help, at least I gather he"s satisfied to wait. You get this statement on your own hook, and don"t tell him you"re gettin" it. Will you?"
"I"ll write for it to-night."
"Good! That"ll get things started, anyhow. Now is there anything else you want to tell me?"
"No--no, I guess not. But, Cap"n Kendrick, do you honestly think there is a chance for me?"
For an instant his companion lost patience. "Don"t ask that again," he ordered. "There is a chance--yes. How much of a chance we can"t tell yet. You go home and stop worryin". You"ve turned the wheel over to me, haven"t you? Yes; well, then let me do the steerin" for a spell."
Kent rose from his chair. He drew a long breath. He looked at the captain, who had risen also, and it was evident that there was still something on his mind. He fidgeted, hesitated, and then hurried forth a labored apology.
"I--I am awfully ashamed of myself, Cap"n Kendrick," he began.
"That"s all right, George. We all make mistakes--business mistakes especially. If I hadn"t made one, and a bad one, I might not be stranded here in Judah"s galley to-night."
"I didn"t mean business. I meant I was ashamed of treating you as I have. Ever since that time when--when Elizabeth was here and I came over and--and said all those fool things to you, I--I"ve been ashamed. I _was_ a fool. I am a fool most of the time, I guess."
"Oh, I guess not, George. We"re all taken with the foolish disease once in a while."
"But I was such a fool. The idea of my being jealous of you--a man pretty nearly old enough to be my father. No, not so old as that, of course, but--older. I don"t know what ailed me, but whatever it was, I"ve paid for it.... She--she has hardly spoken to me since."
"I"m sorry, George."
"Yes.... Has she--has she said anything about me to you, Cap"n?"
"Why--er--no, George, not much. She and I are not--well, not very confidential, outside of business matters, that is."
"No, I suppose not. Mr. Phillips told me she had--well, that she and you were not--not as----"
"Yes, all right, all right, George; I understand. Outside of Fair Harbor managin" we don"t talk of many things."
"No, that"s what he said. He seemed to think you two had had some sort of quarrel--or disagreement, you know. But I never took much stock in that. After all, why should you and she be interested in the same sort of things? She isn"t much older than I am, about my age really, and of course you----"
"Yes, yes," hastily. "All right.... Well, I guess your coat is middlin"
dry, George. Here it is."
"Thanks. But that wasn"t all I meant to say. You see, Cap"n Kendrick, I did treat you so badly and yet all the time I"ve had such confidence in you. Ever since you gave me that advice the night of the theatricals I"ve--well, somehow I"ve felt as if a fellow could depend on you, you know--always, in spite of everything. Eh, why, by George, _she_ said that very thing about you once, said it to me. She said you were so dependable. Say, that"s queer, that she and I should both think the very same thing about you."
"Um-m. Yes, isn"t it?"
"Yes. It shows, after all, how closely alike our minds, hers and mine, work. We"--he hesitated, reddened, and then continued, with a fresh outburst of confidence: "You see, Cap"n," he said, "I have felt all the time that this--this trouble between Elizabeth and me, wasn"t going to last. I was to blame--at least, I guess I probably was, and I meant to go to her and tell her so. But I waited until--until I had pulled off this stock deal. I meant to go to her with two or three thousand dollars that I had made myself, you see, and--and ask her pardon and--well, then I hoped she would--would.... You understand, don"t you, Cap"n Kendrick?"
"Why--er--yes, I guess likely, George, in a way."
"Yes. I wanted to show her that I _was_ good for something, and then--and then, maybe it would be all right again. You see?"
"Surely, George. Yes, yes.... Ready for your coat?"