A Little Maid of Province Town Part 15

"Out there?" the voice sounded close at her elbow, and Anne gave a jump and looked around.

"What do you want to get out to Captain Enos's boat for?" asked Jimmie Starkweather.

"Oh, Jimmie!" exclaimed the little girl, "what are you doing down on the sh.o.r.e in the night?"

"Night! Why, it's not much after dark," answered the boy. "Father has been out fis.h.i.+ng all day, and I have just pulled the dory up, and was going home when I heard you. What do you want to go out to the sloop for?"

"Jimmie, my father is in Boston and I do want to see him," said Anne.

"Captain Enos is going to sail early to-morrow morning for Boston, and I want to go out and sleep in the cabin to-night. Then I will keep as quiet as I can till he is nearly in Boston, and then I will tell him all about it, and he will take me to see my father."

Jimmie shook his head.

"Doesn't Captain Enos want you to go?" he asked.

"He says I may go next spring," answered Anne, "but if you row me out to the sloop, Jimmie, 'twould be no harm. You could tell Aunt Martha to-morrow, and I would soon be home. But 'Tis a long time since I saw my father. You see yours every day."

There was a little sob in Anne's throat and Jimmie wondered if she was going to cry. He hoped she wouldn't.

"Jump into the dory," he said. "I'll get a good lesson from my father, I'll warrant, for this; but jump in. And mind you tell Captain Enos that I told you to go home, but that you would not."

"Yes, Jimmie," said Anne, putting her shoes and stockings into the boat, and then climbing in herself. The boy sprang in after her, pushed off the dory, and in a short time had reached the sloop.

"Now go straight to the cabin and shut the door," cautioned Jimmie, and Anne obeyed, creeping into the top bunk and pulling a rough blanket over her.

She heard the sound of Jimmie's oars, as he pulled toward sh.o.r.e, felt the motion of the tide, as the big sloop rose and fell, and soon was asleep and dreaming that her father and William Trull were calling her a brave little maid.

Jimmie had many misgivings after he reached sh.o.r.e, and made up his mind to go straight to Captain Stoddard and tell him of Anne's plan. Then he remembered that Anne had trusted him with her secret. "I guess I'll have to let her go," he decided.

CHAPTER XIII

ANNE FINDS HER FATHER

It was just daybreak when Captain Enos, carrying a basket of provisions for his cruise, made his way to the sh.o.r.e and pushed off his dory.

"Not a soul stirring," he said, as he stepped aboard the sloop, fastened the dory, which he intended to tow, and then carried the basket of food to the little cabin.

As he pushed open the door Anne awoke, but she did not stir, and Captain Enos did not look in the direction of the upper bunk. She heard him hoisting the big mainsail, then came the rattle of the anchor chain, the sloop swung round, and Anne knew that at last she was really on her way to find her father.

"I must keep very still," she whispered to herself, "or Uncle Enos might 'bout s.h.i.+p and sail straight back to Province Town," so she did not move, though she wished very much that she might be out on deck with Captain Enos, feeling the salt breeze on her cheeks and enjoying the sail. She knew by the way the sloop tipped that they were going very fast. "Seems as if it was sailing right on its side," thought Anne; "if it tips much more I do believe I'll slide out of this berth."

"A fine wind, a fine wind!" Captain Enos said with a satisfied nod, as his boat went flying along; "I'll make Boston Harbor before nightfall at this rate, in time to get my fish ash.o.r.e by dusk, if I can slide into a landing without the British stopping me. My cargo will be welcome," and Captain Enos smiled to himself as he thought of the praise he would get from his friends and acquaintance for his brave venture in such troublous times.

Toward noon Anne carefully let herself down from the bunk, and peered out through the door, which Captain Enos had left open. She could see the low sandy sh.o.r.es of Cape Cod, and here and there a white-sailed boat. "I guess we must be 'most to Boston," she thought; "the sun is way up in the middle of the sky, and I am so hungry." She came a little nearer to the cabin door and put her head out. "Uncle Enos!" she said softly.

But the captain was singing to keep himself company, and did not hear the faint voice. His head was turned a little away from Anne, but just as she was about to call again his song came to an end and he turned his glance ahead.

"Bless my soul!" he exclaimed.

"It is I, Uncle Enos!" said Anne, stepping out of the cabin.

The captain was almost too surprised to speak. Anne clambered along the side of the sloop until she was close beside him, and reaching out took fast hold of his rough coat sleeve, and repeated:

"It is I, Uncle Enos."

"Where on earth did you come from?" he exclaimed.

Anne pointed toward the cabin.

"How did you get there?" questioned Captain Enos. "Weren't you abed and asleep when I left the house this morning?"

"No, Uncle Enos," said Anne, creeping a little closer; "I slept in the top bunk in the sloop."

"Well, this is a nice affair. I can't take you back now. I'll make Boston Harbor before dusk with this wind. But how came you in the sloop?"

"Jimmie Starkweather rowed me out last night after you were sound asleep.

And he is going to tell Aunt Martha all about it this morning. He told me to tell you that he didn't want me to go aboard, but that I would," said Anne.

Captain Enos's face was very sober, but he did not say any harsh word.

"What did you hide in the sloop for, child?" he asked.

"To go to Boston with you, Uncle Enos, and find my father," said Anne.

Then the captain's face grew even more sober.

"Then you do not like living with us?" he said; "but I thought you seemed happy, Anne. Your Aunt Martha will miss you, child. But if your heart is so set on being with your father I must do my best to find him for you.

How a soldier can manage to care for a small girl like you is more than I can tell," and the captain sighed.

"I brought my scarlet stockings and new shoes to show him," said Anne.

Captain Enos nodded.

"And I can tell him about my kitten and the coral beads, and about going to school."

"Did you not bring the coral beads?" asked the captain.

Anne shook her head.

"Oh, no," she answered. "I heard you tell Aunt Martha that you would be away but a day or two, and I thought I could tell my father about the beads."

"Then you mean to go home with me?" asked the captain, a little smile creeping about his mouth.

"Why, yes," said Anne. "I do but want to see my father and tell him all the pleasant things that have befallen me."