And there he stood with his hands behind his back, staring straight before him. The captain watched him anxiously. His mind was greatly confused over the confession he had just heard. What would Martha and Flo say when they heard of it? The family would be disgraced, for the neighbours up and down the river would learn the truth sooner or later.
What should he do? Would it be right to shield his son? The perspiration stood out in beads upon his forehead, and a groan escaped his lips. Then almost unconsciously he began to sing his old favourite verse:
"Here I"ll raise my Ebenezer, Hither by Thy grace I"ll come, And I trust in Thy good pleasure, Safely to arrive at home."
"Seems to me," he mused, "that I"ve been tryin" to raise Eben without considerin" enough the great Stone of help. I"ve heard the parson say that"s the meanin" of Ebenezer, and that the stone refers to the Lord.
Yes, I guess I need His help more"n ever jist now."
The "Eb and Flow" made slow progress down river, for the wind was light, and it was necessary to beat most of the way. It was, accordingly, evening when at last she ran slowly into Beech Cove and dropped anchor. The captain"s mind was worried about the reception he would receive, for he knew how angry his wife would be over his strange action on the up trip. He was at a loss to explain, for he could not bring himself to the extremity of telling a falsehood. He was thinking seriously of this when his wife appeared on the sh.o.r.e. She immediately launched a small row-boat and headed for the "Eb and Flo." The captain received her as graciously as possible, although he knew at the first glance that his entire stock of affableness could not dispel the threatening clouds.
"Well, Sam"l," Mrs. Tobin began, the instant she stepped upon the deck, "what have you got to say for yourself?"
"Nuthin", Martha, nuthin", "cept I"m mighty glad to see ye."
"H"m, don"t ye lie to me, Sam"l. Ye must be mighty glad to see me.
Why did ye go by on your up trip without stopping?"
"I was in a great hurry, Martha, an" had to git the wind when it served. We was hung up a long time down river."
"But ye never did such a thing before. Was there any special reason why ye didn"t call just for a few minutes?"
Mrs. Tobin was a buxom, matronly-looking woman, with a usually bright, pleasant face. But now it was stern, and her dark eyes were filled with anger as she noted her husband"s silence and confusion. Presently she turned to her son who was standing near.
"What have you to say, Eben? Your father seems to have lost his tongue all of a sudden. What have you two been doing?"
If his mother had asked him such a question that morning he would not have hesitated about telling the truth. But the thought of the expression upon his father"s face when he had told about throwing the stone, deterred him. He looked at his mother uncertain what to say.
"Have you lost your tongue, too?" she impatiently demanded. "Dear me, there must be something wrong when you too are afraid or ashamed to speak. Things have come to a pretty pa.s.s, Sam"l, when you an" Eben conspire against me. Haven"t I cooked for you, washed and mended your clothes all these years, and been a good wife to you, Sam"l?"
"Indeed ye have, Martha. Ye"ve done yer duty, all right."
"An" haven"t I been a good mother to your children?"
"Sure, sure, ye have, Martha. Ye done yer duty to them, too."
"Well, then, Sam"l, why is it that you"ve treated me in such a manner?
Why have you set my only son against me?"
"I haven"t set him aginst ye, Martha. Eben"s got a tongue which he"s at liberty to use. I s"pose he knows it"s no use to speak, fer if ye won"t believe me ye won"t believe him, so thar. Ye needn"t git on yer high-horse about nuthin"."
Mrs. Tobin looked at her husband in surprise, for seldom had he ever spoken to her in such a manner.
"And you"ve done nothing wrong?" she asked. "Are you sure?"
"No, we ain"t done nuthin" wrong "ccordin" to our way of thinkin". We sailed by without stoppin", I acknowledge. But is that any crime?
Bizness is bizness an" must be attended to."
Captain Tobin felt quite pleased at his own boldness, and for his victory over his wife. He had no idea that she would calm down so soon. Had he made a mistake in always giving in to her? he asked himself. Perhaps if he had been a little more a.s.sertive it might have been better for his welfare.
"I suppose the cabin"s in a terrible mess." His wife"s words suddenly aroused him.
"No, no, Martha, it"s in great shape," he hastened to a.s.sure her. "I scrubbed the floor meself when we was held up down river."
"Then it must be in great shape, Sam"l. I"ve seen your scrubbing before. I"m going to have a look, anyway. No doubt there are some dirty clothes to take home. I suppose you didn"t wash them."
Mrs. Tobin made her way to the cabin, and down the narrow stairway, closely followed by the captain and Eben.
"It smells close here, Sam"l," she commented, as she stood in the centre of the room and looked critically around. "You should have more ventilation. It isn"t healthy. I have often----"
She paused abruptly as her eyes rested upon a narrow shelf on which a little clock was steadily ticking. Stepping quickly forward, she reached out her right hand, seized something and held it forth. It was a woman"s innocent side-comb, but to the captain and his son it appeared more terrible than the most dangerous bomb. They stared as if they had never beheld such a thing before. Mrs. Tobin watched them as she gripped the comb in her hand. Her eyes blazed with anger as she glowered upon the two abashed ones before her. The captain clutched his handkerchief and mopped his hot brow. Then he looked helplessly around. He longed to escape, to flee anywhere from his wife"s accusing eyes.
"Where did this come from?" The words fell slowly from Mrs. Tobin"s lips, and to the two culprits they sounded like the knell of doom. She waited for some response, but none came. "Is it possible that you have had a woman in this cabin," she continued. "Can you deny it, Sam"l Tobin?"
The captain clawed nervously at the back of his head with the fingers of his right hand, and then glanced up the stairway. The gleam of triumph shone in his wife"s eyes as she noted his embarra.s.sment.
"You can"t deny it, Sam"l," she charged, at the same time pointing an accusing finger straight at his face, "I can read you like a book.
You"ve had a woman on board, and this is her comb. You can"t deny it."
"It"d be no use, Martha," the captain replied. "Ye wouldn"t believe me if I did."
"No, not in the face of this," and Mrs. Tobin again held forth the comb.
"Well, then, Martha, what"s the use of so much talk? I"ve had a hard day, so am tired an" hungry. Guess Eben is, too."
"Tired! Hungry!" Mrs. Tobin snapped. "You"ll be more tired and hungry before I"m through with you, let me tell you that. You might as well own up first as last about that woman you had on board. Who is the miserable hussy, and where is she now?"
A gleam of hope suddenly appeared in the captain"s eyes, and he shot a swift glance toward his son.
"We had no miserable hussy on board, Martha," he replied. "That"s the Gospel truth, so if ye don"t believe it, ye needn"t."
"I"m afraid you"re lying, Sam"l. If you didn"t have a woman on board, where, then, did this comb come from?"
"Blamed if I know. How d"ye expect me to keep track of sich gear?"
Mrs. Tobin gave a sigh of despair as she turned to her son.
"Is your father telling the truth, Eben?" she asked.
"Yes, ma."
"And you had no bad, miserable hussy on board this boat?"
"No, ma, we didn"t."
"And you haven"t been doing anything wrong, anything that you"re ashamed of?"
Eben"s face suddenly coloured, and his eyes dropped. He remembered what he had done at the quarry. Mrs. Tobin was now convinced that she was being deceived, and that her husband and son were in league against her. She wheeled upon the captain.
"I want you to come right home with me, Sam"l. This is a very serious matter, and I need Flo"s advice. She"s got a level head, and will know what had better be done. I can hardly think, I"m so worked up."