Thankful's Inheritance Part 20

"That's just it, John," he said. "There is a lawyer here now. Good deal of a lawyer, too--if you ask HIM. Name's Heman Daniels. You used to know him as a boy, didn't you?"

Kendrick nodded a.s.sent.

"I think I did," he said. "Yes, I remember him. He was one of the big boys when I was a little one, and he used to bully us small chaps."

"That's the feller. He ain't changed his habits so much, neither. But he's our lawyer and I cal'late he's doin' well."

"Is he? Well, that's encouraging, at any rate. And he's the only lawyer you have? Only one lawyer in a whole town. Why in New York I couldn't throw a cigar stump from my office window without running the risk of hitting at least two and starting two damage suits."

The captain chuckled.

"I presume likely you didn't throw many," he observed. "That would be expensive fun."

"It would," was the prompt reply. "Cigars cost money."

They jogged on for a few minutes in silence. Then said Captain Obed:

"Well, John, what are you plannin' to do first? After we get into port, I mean."

"I scarcely know. Look about, perhaps. Possibly try out a boarding-house and hunt for a prospective office. By the way, Captain, you don't happen to know of a good, commodious two by four office that I could hire at a two by four figure, do you? One not so far from the main street that I should wear out an extravagant amount of shoe leather walking to and from it?"

More reflection on the captain's part. Then he said:

"Well, I don't know as I don't. John, I'll tell you: I've got a buildin'

of my own. Right abreast the post-office; Henry Cahoon has been usin'

it for a barber-shop. But Henry's quit, and it's empty. The location's pretty good and the rent--well, you and me wouldn't pull hair over the rent question, I guess."

"Probably not, but I should insist on paying as much as your barber friend did. This isn't a charity proposition I'm making you, Captain Bangs. Oh, let me ask this: Has this--er--office of yours got a good front window?"

"Front window! What in time--? Yes, I guess likely the front window's all right. But what does a lawyer want of a front window?"

"To look out of. About all a young lawyer does is look out of the window. Now about a boarding-place?"

Captain Obed had been waiting for this question.

"I've got a boardin'-place for you, John," he declared. "The office I may not be so sartin about, but the boardin'-place I am. There ain't a better one this side of Boston and I know it. And the woman who keeps it is--well, you take my word for it she's all RIGHT."

His pa.s.senger regarded him curiously.

"You seem very enthusiastic, Captain," he observed, with a smile.

Captain Bangs' next remark was addressed to the horse. He gruffly bade the animal "gid-dap" and appeared a trifle confused.

"I am," he admitted, after a moment. "You'll be, too, when you see her."

He described the High Cliff House and its owner. Mr. Kendrick asked the terms for board and an "average" room. When told he whistled.

"That isn't high," he said. "For such a place as you say this is it is very low. But I am afraid it is too high for me. Isn't there any other establishment where they care for men--and poor lawyers?"

"Yes, there is, but you shan't go to it, not if I can stop you. You come right along with me now to the High Cliff and have dinner. Yes, you will. I ain't had a chance to treat you for twenty year and I'm goin'

to buy you one square meal if I have to feed you by main strength. Don't you say another word. There! There's east Wellmouth dead ahead of us.

And there's the High Cliff House, too. Git dap, Father of your Country!

See! He's hungry, too, and he knows what he'll get, same as I do."

They drove into the yard of Mrs. Barnes' "property" and Thankful herself met them at the door. Captain Obed introduced his pa.s.senger and announced that the latter gentleman and he would dine there. The lady seemed glad to hear this, but she seemed troubled, too. When she and the captain were alone together she disclosed the cause of her trouble.

"I'm afraid I'm goin' to lose my best boarder," she said. "Mr. Daniels says he's afraid he must take his meals nearer his place of business.

And, if he does that, he'll get a room somewheres uptown. I'm awful sorry. He's about the highest payin' roomer I have and I did think he was permanent. Oh, dear!" she added. "It does seem as if there was just one thing after the other to worry me. I--I don't seem to be makin' both ends meet the way I hoped. And--and lookin' out for everything myself, the way I have to do, keeps me stirred up all the time. I feel almost sort of discouraged. I know I shouldn't, so soon, of course. It's--it's because I'm tired today, I guess likely."

"Yes, I guess likely 'tis. Tired! I shouldn't wonder? It ain't any of my affairs at all, Mrs. Barnes, and I beg your pardon for sayin' it, but if you don't have some good capable person to take some of the care and managin' of this place off your shoulders you'll be down sick afore the summer's through."

Thankful sighed, and then smiled. "I know I need help, the right kind of help, just as well as you do, Cap'n Bangs," she said. "But I know, too, that I can't afford to pay for it, so I must get along best I can without it. As for gettin' sick--well, I can't afford that, either."

At dinner John Kendrick met Mr. Heman Daniels and Miss Timpson and Caleb Hammond. All three were evidently very curious concerning the business which had brought the young man to East Wellmouth, but their curiosity was not satisfied. Kendrick himself refused to notice hints and insinuations and, though he talked freely on most subjects, would not talk of his own affairs. Captain Obed, of course, disclosed nothing of the knowledge he had gained. So the table talk dealt mainly with the changes in the village since John was a boy there, and of old times and old residents long gone.

Mr. Daniels was very gracious and very affable. He spoke largely of cases intrusted to his care, of responsibilities and trusts, and if the guest gained the idea that Mr. Daniels was a very capable and prosperous lawyer indeed--if he gained such an idea and did not express it, how could Heman be expected to contradict?

After dinner--Kendrick informed his friend it was one of the best he had ever eaten--he and the captain walked over to the village, where they spent the afternoon wandering about, inspecting the ex-barber-shop and discussing chances and possibilities. The young man was still doubtful of East Wellmouth's promise of professional opportunities. He should like to live there, he said, and he might decide to do so, but as yet he had not so decided. He seemed more pessimistic than during the drive down from the station. Captain Obed, however, and oddly enough, was much more optimistic than he had been at first.

"I don't know, John," he said, "but I ain't sure you couldn't make good, and pretty good, too, by settlin' here. This section needs a good lawyer."

"Another good lawyer you mean. Daniels is here, remember. Judging by his remarks this noon he is very much here."

"Um--yes, I know. If you take his remarks at the value he marks 'em with he's the whole bank and a safe-deposit vault hove in. But I wouldn't wonder if those remarks was subject to a discount. Anyhow I know mighty well there's a lot of folks in this town--good substantial folks, too--who don't like him. They hire him once in a while because there ain't another lawyer short of Trumet and that's quite a ways. But maybe they'd be mighty glad to s.h.i.+ft if there was a chance right at hand.

Don't you strike the colors yet awhile. Think it over first."

He insisted upon Kendrick's returning to the High Cliff House that night. "I want Mrs. Barnes to show you the room she's got vacant," he said. "Ain't no harm lookin' at a brindle calf, as the feller said; you don't have to buy the critter unless you want to."

So Mr. Kendrick inspected the rooms and expressed himself as delighted with them.

"They're all right in every respect, Captain," he declared. "And the food is more than that. But the price--although it's surprisingly low considering the value offered--is too steep for me. I'm afraid, if I should locate here, for a trial trip, I couldn't afford to be comfortable and I shouldn't expect to."

Captain Bangs remained to take supper with his friend. The meal over, they and the rest of the boarders were seated in the big living-room--once Captain Abner's "best parlor"--when there came from outside the rattle of wheels and the voice of Winnie S. shouting "Whoa!"

to General Jackson.

Thankful, who had been in the kitchen superintending Imogene, who was learning rapidly, came hurrying to the front door. The group in the parlor heard her utter an exclamation, an exclamation of surprise and delight. There were other exclamations, also in a feminine voice, and the sounds of affectionate greetings. Then Mrs. Barnes, her face beaming, ushered into the living-room a young woman. And this young woman was her cousin, Emily Howes.

Captain Obed rose to greet her.

"Well, I swan to man, Miss Howes!" he cried. "This IS a surprise! I didn't know you was due for a v'yage in this lat.i.tude."

Thankful laughed. "Neither did I," she declared. "It's as big a surprise to me as it is to you, Cap'n. She didn't write me a word."

Emily laughed.

"Of course I didn't, Auntie," she said. "I wanted to surprise you. But you're glad to see me, aren't you?"

"GLAD! I don't believe I was ever so glad to see anybody in MY life."