"Now I"m going to run THIS show, Harold, and you may just as well pipe down," rumbled Neil Stewart in his deep, wholesome voice. "Besides, I"m your ranking officer and here"s where I prove it," he added, forcing Mr.
Harold into his pet Morris chair and towering above him, his genial laugh filling the room.
It was the Sunday afternoon following graduation. Many, indeed the greater portion of the graduates, had left for their homes, or to pay visits to friends before joining their ships at the end of their month"s leave, though some still lingered, their plans as yet unformed.
Wilmot Hall was practically deserted, for the scattering which takes place after graduation is hard to understand unless one is upon the scene to witness it.
Mr. and Mrs. Harold, with Mr. Stewart, Peggy, Mrs. Howland, Constance, Snap, Polly, Shortie, Wheedles and Happy were gathered in Middies"
Haven, and Neil Stewart had the floor. Since his return to Severndale he had spent more than half the time at Wilmot where his lodestar, Peggy, was staying with those she had grown to love so dearly, and where she was so entirely happy. Mr. Stewart had taken a room for June week in order to be near her, feeling reluctant to take her away from the friends who had done so much for her; more, a vast deal, he felt, than he could ever repay. It did not take him long to see the change which nine months had made in this little girl of his.
Always lovable and exceptionally capable, there was now the added charm which a.s.sociation with a girl of her own age had developed in spontaneity, and her att.i.tude toward Mrs. Harold--the pretty little affectionate demonstrations so unconsciously made--revealed to her father what Peggy had lacked for nearly nine years, and he began to waken to the fact to which Mrs. Harold had been alive for some time: that without meaning to be selfish in his sorrow for Peggy"s mother, he had been wholly self-absorbed, leaving Peggy to live her life in a little world of her own creation.
During the past two weeks HE had been put through a pretty severe scrutiny by Mrs. Harold, and in spite of her prejudices she began to see how circ.u.mstances had conspired to evolve the unusual order of things for both father and daughter, and her heart softened toward the big man who, while so complete a master of every situation on board his own ship, was so helpless to cope with this domestic problem. Nor could she see her way clear to remedy it further than she had already done. It seemed to be one of life"s handicaps. But we can not understand the "why" of all things in this world, and must leave a great deal of it to the Father of all. Just now it seemed as though Neil Stewart was the instrument of that ordering.
Mr. Harold looked up at him and joined in the laugh.
"Maybe you think I"m going to give these fellows a demonstration of insubordination the very first clip. Not on your life. Fire away. You have the deck."
"Well, I"ve got my cottage up there in New London--a good one too, if I can judge by all the hot air that has escaped concerning it. Jerome and Mammy are packed off to open it up and make it habitable against our arrival, and everything"s all skee and shipshape so far as THAT part of the plan is blocked out. The ship"s in commission but now comes the question of her personnel. You, Harold, and your wife have been good enough to act as second and third in command but we must have junior officers. Thus far the detail foots up only five; just a trifle shy on numbers, and I want it to number, let me see, at least eleven," and he nodded toward the others seated about the room. Some looked at him in doubt. Then Happy said:
"But, Mr. Stewart. I"m afraid I"ve got to beat it for home, sir."
"Where is home?"
"Up the Hudson, sir."
"That"s all right. And yours?" indicating Shortie.
"Vermont, sir."
"And yours?"
"Near Philadelphia, sir," said Wheedles.
"All within twelve hours of New London, aren"t they?"
"Yes sir."
"Very well; that settles it. You give us ten days at least, and we"ll do the Regatta at New London and any other old thing worth doing. Will you wire your people that you"re going with us? "Orders from your superior officer." Who knows but you may all hit my ship and in that case you may as well fall in at once."
"Well you better believe there"ll be no kick--I beg your pardon sir--I mean, I"ll be delighted," stammered Happy.
"That Western Union wire is going to fuse, sir," was Wheedles"
characteristic response.
"I said last time I was up at New London that I"d be singed and sizzled if I ever went again, sir, and that just goes to show "what fools we mortals be"," was Shortie"s quizzical answer.
"Orders received and promptly obeyed. So far so good," was the hearty response. "Now to the next. Mrs. Howland, what about you and your plans!
We"ve got this little girl in tow all tight and fast, but you haven"t put out a signal."
"It all sounds most enticing, but do you know I have another girl to think about? She is up at Smith College and will graduate in one week. I must be there for THAT if I never do another thing. It is an event in her life and mine."
"Hum; yes; I see; of course. We"ve got to get around that, haven"t we?
And I dare say YOU two think you"ve got to be on deck also," he added, nodding at Constance and Snap, who in return nodded their reply in a very positive manner.
"Are you going to jump ship too, little captain?" he asked, turning suddenly to Polly.
"Oh please don"t. We need you so much," pleaded Peggy.
"I"d like to see Gail graduate, but oh, I do want to go to New London just dreadfully," cried Polly.
"You would better go, dear," said Mrs. Howland, deciding the question for her. "You would have but three days at Northampton and they would hardly mean as much to you as the same number at New London. Constance, Snap and I will go up, and then perhaps we will come on to New London. I must first learn Gail"s plans."
"You will ALL come up. Every last one of you, Gail too; and if Gail bears even a pa.s.sing resemblance to the rest of her family she isn"t going to disgrace it."
"She"s perfectly lovely, Mr. Stewart," was Polly"s emphatic praise of her pretty, twenty-year-old sister.
"Your word goes, captain," answered Mr. Stewart, crossing the room to where the girls sat upon the couch. "Gangway, please," he said, motioning them apart and seating himself between them. "My, but these are pretty snug quarters," he added, placing an arm around each and drawing them close to him. Peggy promptly nestled her head upon his shoulder.
"My other shoulder feels lonesome," said Mr. Stewart, smiling into Polly"s face. The next second the bronze head was cuddled down also.
"That"s pretty nice. Best game of rouge et noir ever invented," nodded Neil Stewart, a happy smile upon his strong face. "Now to proceed: There are, thus far, eleven of us. When we capture Gail we shall have twelve.
A round dozen. Good! Now how to get up there is the next question. I"ve hit it! Let"s make an auto trip of it.""
"An auto trip," chorused the others.
"Sure thing! Why not? Look here, people, this is my holiday. Such a holiday as I haven"t had in years, and at the end of it is something else for me. Harold knows, but he"s been too wise to give it away. I didn"t know it myself until I came through Washington, but--well--it"s pretty good news. I didn"t mean to blurt it out, but this is sort of a family conclave and I needn"t ask you all to keep it in the family; but up there in the Boston Navy Yard is an old fighting machine of which I am to be captain when I get back in harness--"
"What! Oh, Daddy! Daddy! How splendid!" cried Peggy. "Oh, I"ve just got to hug you hard,"" and she smothered him in a regular bear hug.
"That"s better than the promotion," he said, his eyes shining, and his thoughts harking back to another impulsive young girl who had clasped her arms about him when he received his commission as lieutenant. How like her Peggy was growing. It would have meant a good deal to her could she have lived to see him attain his captaincy. He always recalled her as a young girl. It was almost impossible for him to realize that were she now alive she would be Mrs. Harold"s age, though she was considerably younger than himself when they had married.
And so it was settled. Neil Stewart was to engage a couple of large touring cars for a month and in these the party was to make the trip to New London. A man of prompt action, he lost no time in putting his plan into effect, and the following Wednesday a merry party set out from Wilmot Hall. Each car carried six comfortably in addition to the chauffeur.
Each was provided with everything necessary for the long trip which they calculated would take about three days, and the pairing off was arranged to every one"s satisfaction, an arrangement known to have exceptions.
Mr. and Mrs. Harold, Happy, Shortie and Polly and Peggy were in one car, Mr. Stewart, Mrs. Howland, Snap, Constance and Wheedles in the other, the extra seat, Mr. Stewart said was to be held in reserve for Gail when Mrs. Howland should bring her to New London.
None of the party ever forgot that auto ride through Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. The weather was ideal, and for the men just ash.o.r.e after months of sea-duty, and the midshipmen, just emanc.i.p.ated from four years of the strictest discipline and a most limited horizon, it was a most wonderful world of green things, and an endless panorama of beauty.
One night was spent in Philadelphia where all stopped at the Aldine and went to see "The Balkan Princess." Another night in New York at the Astor with "Excuse Me" to throw every one into hysterics of laughter.
And what a revelation it all was to Peggy. What a new world she had entered.
"I didn"t know there could be anything like it," she confided to Polly, "and oh, isn"t it splendid. But HOW I wish I could just share it with everybody."
"It seems to me you are sharing it with a good many bodies, Peggy Stewart. What do you call ten people besides yourself?"
"Oh, I mean people who never have or see anything like it. Like Nelly, for instance, and--and--oh just dozens of people who seem to go all their lives and never have any of the things which so many other people have. I wonder why it IS so, Polly? It doesn"t seem just right, does it?"