Elsie on the Hudson Part 20

"We will try that occasionally by way of variety," the captain said with a smile. "Shall we not do that for the rest of this day,--as it is now almost dinner time,--then start off for some other point shortly after breakfast to-morrow morning?"

"Oh, yes, sir!" they all exclaimed; Grace adding, "And, papa, won't you take us to Gibraltar? It is so picturesque that I think it is worth visiting several times."

"Yes, and so are some of the other islands. We will visit any or all of them as many times as you wish."

"Well," said Lucilla, "with taking those little trips now and then, and having books, work,--needlework I mean,--games, and music, I think it will be strange should we find time hang heavy on our hands."

"Yes, indeed," said Evelyn with a sigh of contentment; "I am not in the least afraid of any such calamity."

They talked on, planning various little excursions to one and another of the islands and different points of interest upon the mainland, till summoned to their meal.

"It seems a trifle lonely," Grace remarked as they took their seats about the table.

"Yes," said her father, "but considering how much our absentees are probably enjoying themselves, we won't mind that for a few days."

"Indeed," said Lucilla, "though I shall be glad to see them come back, I think it is really quite delightful to have papa all to ourselves for a few days."

"And for papa to have these young girls all to himself, eh?" laughed the captain. "Well, I won't deny it; and I fully expect the girls to make their companions.h.i.+p quite delightful to me."

"I think we will all do our best in that line," said Evelyn. "It would be strange indeed if we didn't, when you are so very good and kind to us."

"No better, I think, than almost any other gentleman would be in my place," he returned pleasantly. "Now let me help you to some of this fowl. I hope to see you all do full justice to what is set before you."

"If we don't, it will not be the fault of the fare, I am sure," said Evelyn. "Judging by the meals I have taken on board of this vessel, she must have both a good caterer and an excellent cook."

"We have both," said Lucilla emphatically.

"Yes," said Grace. "I wish we could share this dinner with our dear folks who left us a while ago; though perhaps they are getting just as good a meal at Pleasant Plains."

"Yes," said her father, "if all has gone well with them and their train, they are there by this time; and, from what I have heard of the housekeeping of the relatives there, I presume they have been, or will be, set down to as good a meal as this."

"Oh, yes, of course," said Grace; "and that was a very foolish wish of mine. Papa, how shall we spend this evening?"

"I leave that to the decision of my daughters and their guest," he replied. "I shall be happy to do my best to entertain you in any way that may suit your inclinations."

"What may be yours, Eva? Please tell us," said Lucilla.

"I hardly know what to choose," said Evelyn. "Several delightful ways of pa.s.sing the time have been already spoken of, and I should enjoy any one of them. I hope you will give us some of your music; and if the captain feels inclined to spin us one of his sailor yarns, that would be enjoyable; and I presume a promenade on the deck would be good exercise, helping us to sleep well afterward."

"A very good programme," remarked the captain as she concluded. "I think we will carry it out."

They did so, and, when about to separate for the night, agreed it had been a success, the time having pa.s.sed very pleasantly.

The next morning found them all in good health and spirits, and the day was spent in little excursions among the islands. The evening brought a mail in which was a letter from Violet to her husband, telling of the safe arrival of her mother, herself, and the other members of their party at their destination, the warm welcome they had received, and the prospect that the few days of their proposed sojourn among the relatives of Pleasant Plains would be pa.s.sed most agreeably.

"There is only one drawback to my enjoyment," she added; "I cannot feel quite content without my husband; and I miss the dear girls too.

So I am glad this visit is to be but a short one."

The captain read the greater part of the letter aloud to Eva and his daughters.

"I too am glad their visit is to be short," remarked Grace as he finished, "for I don't like to be without them, though we are having a very delightful time here with our dear, kind father to take care of us and find so many pleasant amus.e.m.e.nts for us."

"Ah!" he said with a smile. "Where would you like to go to-morrow?"

They discussed the question for a while, and at length decided to visit some of the islands that had been neglected thus far. Then they went on to plan an outing for each weekday of the time they expected the rest of their party to be absent. These they carried out successfully; and each day's mail brought them a graphic report from Violet's pen of the doings among their friends and relatives in Pleasant Plains.

Several family parties were gotten up for their entertainment, and at one of them Cousin Ronald, at Walter's urgent request, exercised his skill in ventriloquism, to the great surprise and delight of the younger folk.

They were quite a large company, a.s.sembled in the parlors of Dr.

Landreth's house, just after leaving the tea-table. Presently a buzzing bee seemed to be flying about among them, now circling around the head of one person and now flying above that of another. They involuntarily tried to dodge it, and sent searching glances here and there in the vain effort to see just what and where it was. It could not be seen. Presently it was no longer heard, and someone said, "We are rid of it, I think; it seems to have gone out of the window."

But the words were scarcely spoken when there was a scream from the porch, "Oh, I'm stung! and the bee's on me yet! Somebody come and take it off!"

At that the doctor, Walter, and Percy rushed out in response to the entreaty. But the bee's victim seemed to have vanished with wonderful celerity. The porch was entirely deserted.

"Gone! gone already! who can she have been?" exclaimed Percy, glancing about in great surprise.

"I cannot imagine," said the doctor; then catching sight of Walter's face, which told of suppressed mirthfulness, a sudden recollection came to him; and he added, "Ah, I think I understand it," turned, and went back into the parlor.

"Who was it?" asked several voices.

"n.o.body, apparently," answered the doctor with a smile; and Percy added, "She had strangely disappeared."

"Well," said a rough voice, seemingly coming from the hall, "if I was a doctor, and a poor woman got badly stung right here in my own house, d'ye think I wouldn't do something fur her?"

"Bring her in here, and I will do what I can for her," replied the doctor.

"h.e.l.lo here, Bet!" called the voice; "I say, go right along in thar and see what he'll do fur ye."

"What'll he do? p'raps hurt me worse than the bee has?" snarled a sharp, disagreeable voice. "I guess I won't resk it."

"All right then, Bet, let's go," said the other voice; "'taint our way to stay long where we git nothin' but stings."

A sound as of shuffling footsteps followed, then all was still.

Some of the children and young people ran to the door and windows, hoping to catch sight of the strange couple, but were surprised that they could see nothing of them.

But the bee seemed to have come in again and to be buzzing all about the room--now up near the ceiling, now down about the ears of one and another of the company. There were dodgings and curious glances here and there, exclamations of surprise that the creature was not to be seen as well as heard, till their attention was taken from it by the furious barking of a dog, seemingly on the porch, and mingled with it screams of pain and terror in a childish voice; cries of "Oh, take him off! he's biting me! Oh, oh, he'll kill me! Oh, come quick, somebody, before he kills me!"

Several of the gentlemen present sprang up and rushed out to the rescue, but found all quiet on the porch and neither child nor dog in sight.

For a moment they looked at each other in surprise and perplexity, then a sudden recollection of Cousin Ronald's powers came to one and another, a little amused laugh was exchanged, and they returned to the parlor, looking very grave and as much mystified as even the youngest present.

"Why, who was it? and where did she go to?" asked one of the little girls.

"She was not to be found; nor was the dog," replied Percy. "They seem to have got away very quickly."

"Well, I wish I knew who she was, and whether the dog is after her yet," said Don, his younger brother. "I think I'll go out to the street and see if they are anywhere in sight."

"'Tisn't worth while, little chap; you'll not find 'em," said a voice from the hall which sounded very much like the one that had spoken first.