Josiah, serenely dozing, his feet propped against the dash and his cap over his eyes, came slowly to life.
"Hey?" he murmured, drowsily. "Yes; here I be.... Eh! What"s the matter?
Why, h.e.l.lo, Cap"n Kendrick, that you?"
"Whoa!" ordered the captain, addressing his own horse, who came to a standstill beside that driven by the other. "Stop, Josiah! Come up into the wind a minute, I want to speak to you. What have you done with Phillips?"
Josiah was surprised. "Why, how did you know I had Mr. Phillips aboard?"
he asked. "Oh, I presume likely they told you at the stable. But how did you know he was goin" to Denboro? _I_ never knew it till after we started. When we left port I supposed "twas Trumet we was bound for, but we hadn"t much more"n got under way when Mr. Phillips says he"s changed his mind and wants to come over here. Didn"t make no difference to _me_, of course. I get my wages, Sat.u.r.day nights, just the same whether----"
"Where is Phillips now?"
"I was tellin" you. So we came about and headed for Denboro. Next thing we had to haul up abreast of that old tumbledown shed at the end of Tabby Crosby"s lot there by the meetin"-house while Mr. Phillips hopped out and got a couple of great big satchels he"d left there. Big as trunks they was, pretty nigh, and time he got them stowed in here there wan"t no room for knees nor feet nor nawthin" else seurcely. But, finally----"
"Hold on! Why did he have his dunnage in Tabitha Crosby"s shed?"
"That"s what _I_ couldn"t make out. He said he left "em there so"s not to have to go out of our way to get "em at Joe Macomber"s. But it"s about as nigh to Joe"s as "tis to Tabby"s, seems to me. Seemed funny enough, that did, but "twan"t no funnier than comin" way over to the Denboro depot to take the same train he might have took just as well at Bayport. _I_ couldn"t make it out. Can you, Cap"n Kendrick?"
"Did you leave him at the Denboro depot?"
"Yus. "Bout an hour ago, or such matter. And the up train ain"t due till four, and it"s only half-past twelve now. I stopped at the Denboro House to get some diner. A feller has to eat once in a while, even if he ain"t rich. And talk about chargin" high prices! All I had was some chowder and a piece of pie and tea, and I swan if they didn"t stick me thirty-five cents! Yes, sir, thirty-five cents! And the pie was dried-apple at that. Don"t talk to me no more about that Denboro House!
If I ever----"
Kendrick heard no more. He was on his way to the railway station at Denboro. The mystery of the valises was, in one way, explained; in another it was more mysterious than ever. Evidently Phillips must have taken them from his rooms either early that morning or during the night--probably the latter--and hidden them in the Crosby shed. But why?
Denboro was a sleepy little village and at that hour on that raw December day the railway station was as sleepy as the rest of it. The station agent, who was also the telegraph operator, was locking his door preparatory to going home for dinner. He and the captain were old acquaintances. In days gone by he had sailed as second mate aboard a bark which Kendrick commanded. Now, retired from the sea, he was depot master and pound-keeper and constable in his native town. And, like most of Sears" shipmates, he was glad to see his former skipper.
They shook hands, exchanged observations concerning the weather, and then the depot master asked what he could do for his friend.
"I"m lookin" for a man named Phillips," explained Kendrick. "Josiah Ellis--fellow that drives for the livery stable over home--told me he left him here at your depot, Jim. About an hour ago, Josiah said it was.
He doesn"t seem to be here now; do you know where he"s gone?"
Jim rubbed his chin. "Tall feller, thin, long mustache, beaver hat, talks important and patronizin" like a combination of Admiral Farragut and the Angel Gabriel?" he inquired.
"That"s the man."
"He was here. Left them two valises yonder in my care. He"s comin" back in time to take the three-fifteen."
"Three-fifteen? I thought the up train left here at half-past four or somethin" like that."
"The reg"lar train does. But there"s a kind of combination, three or four freight and one pa.s.senger car, that comes up from Hyannis and goes on ahead of the other. It don"t go only to Middleboro. He said he was cal"latin" to take that. I had a notion he was goin" to change at Middleboro and go somewheres else from there."
"I see. Yes, yes. And you don"t know where he is now?"
"Well, he asked where was the best place to eat and I told him some went to the hotel and some to Amanda Warren"s boardin"-house. "Most of "em only go to the hotel once, though," says I. I guess likely you"ll find him at Amanda"s."
So to Mrs. Warren"s boarding-house the captain drove. The lady herself opened the door for him. Yes, the gentleman described had been there.
Yes, he had eaten dinner and gone.
"Do you know where he has gone?" asked Kendrick.
Mrs. Warren nodded. "He asked me where Mr. Backus, the Methodist minister, lived," she said. "He was real particular to find out how to get there, so I guess that"s where he was bound."
The Methodist minister! Why on earth Egbert Phillips should go to the home of a minister was another mystery beyond Sears Kendrick"s power of surmise. However, he too inquired the way to the Backus domicile and once more took up the chase.
The Methodist parsonage was a neat little white house, green-shuttered, and with a white picket fence inclosing its little front yard. It being the home of a clergyman, Sears ventured to knock at the front door; otherwise he would, of course, have gone around to the side entrance.
A white-haired little woman answered the knock. No, Mr. Backus was out, but he was expected back very soon. He had an appointment at two, so she was sure he would be in by that time. Would the captain come in and wait? There was another gentleman now in the parlor waiting. Yes, a tall gentleman with a mustache.
At last! Another minute, and Captain Kendrick, entering the Backus parlor, came face to face with the elusive object of his search, Mr.
Egbert Phillips.
Egbert was sitting in a rocking chair by the marble-topped center table.
A plush-covered photograph alb.u.m was on that table and he was languidly turning its pages and inspecting, with a smile of tolerant amus.e.m.e.nt, the likenesses of the Backus friends and relatives. As the door opened he turned, his smile changing to one of greeting.
"Ah, Mr. Backus----" he began. And then he stopped. It was the captain who smiled now. His smile was as genial as a summer morn.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Phillips," he said. "How are you, sir?"
He stepped forward with extended hand. Still Egbert stood and stared.
The photograph alb.u.m, imperfectly balanced on the edge of the table, slipped to the floor.
The clergyman"s wife seemed a trifle puzzled and perturbed by the Phillips expression and att.i.tude.
"This gentleman said----" she began. "He said you and he----"
Kendrick helped her to finish: "I told the lady," he put in cheerfully, "that I had come "way over from Bayport to see you about a little matter. I said we knew each other pretty well and I was sure you"d be glad to see me, even if I was kind of unexpected.... Excuse me, but you"ve dropped your picture book."
He stooped, picked up the alb.u.m and replaced it on the table. This action occupied but a moment of time, nevertheless in that moment a portion at least of Egbert"s poise returned. His smile might have been a bit uncertain, but it was a smile. And when Sears again extended his hand his own came to meet it.
"Of course, of course," he said. "Yes--ah--yes, indeed. How do you do, Kendrick?"
The captain beamed. "Oh, I"m feelin" tip-top," he declared. "The sight of you is enough to make me well, even if I was sick--which I"m not. Now if you and I might have a little talk?"
Mrs. Backus was anxious to oblige.
"You make yourselves right at home in here," she said. "If my husband comes I"ll tell him to wait until you"re through. Take all the time you want."
She was at the threshold, but Phillips detained her.
"Pardon me," he said, hastily, "but we mustn"t abuse your hospitality to that extent. This--ah--gentleman and I can talk just as well out of doors. Really, I----"
"Oh, no! You must stay right here. Please do. It isn"t the least trouble."
She went and the door closed behind her. Egbert glanced at the clock on the mantel and frowned. Captain Kendrick continued to smile.
"And here we are at last," he observed. "Quiet and sociable as you please. Sit down, Mr. Phillips, sit down."
But Egbert did not sit. He glanced at the clock once more and then at his watch.