第36章

"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 passenger 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 passenger 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 Ihave 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.