Captain Pott's Minister Part 37

"There! There! Don't cry like that. She ain't wuth it."

"But you are!" she sobbed.

"All that there flood sartinly ain't for an old feller like me! Tut!

Tut! I sartinly ain't wuth it. I'm nothing but a leaky old ark what had otter been towed in long ago, safe and high to some dry-dock."

"Uncle Josiah, you are the only uncle I've ever had. I love you next to my father. You are the only man who has ever understood me. I have many times come to you before going to my own father. And, now, that you are in trouble, and I might have helped you----"

"Tush. Tush. Don't cry over an old salt like me. I tell you I ain't wuth it, not one precious drop."

"If you only knew!"

"Maybe I ain't so deep in the fog as you think. I took another trip while I was in the city to see a lawyer, and I found out some mighty interesting things."

"But he couldn't tell you everything."

"Beth, is there something you'd otter tell me?"

"There is--there was--but I guess----Did you see a good lawyer?"

"The best I could find."

"Then, why did you sacrifice your boat? It was so needless."

"I had to have that much money right off, and there wa'n't no time to look about. I didn't think you'd take it like this or I'd sartin never done it."

"If you had only come to me I could have let you have that much without you having to sell your boat."

"It would have been a mite queer to borrow from you to pay your dad, wouldn't it?"

"What does that matter?"

"Nothing, much.... But you was going to tell me something."

She lifted her tear-stained face, and slowly shook her head. "Not now. I might cry again, and I've been silly enough for one day."

"You ain't been silly, not one mite. I had no right to make you cry by telling you things that don't consarn you."

"Indeed, you should have told me, and it does concern, far more than you think," she replied, drying her eyes and cheeks. "I know I must look frightful."

"You don't look nothing of the sort. You couldn't if you tried to."

"Will you be home to-night, Uncle Josiah?" she asked, looking at her wrist-watch. It was half-past ten o'clock.

"Cal'late to be."

"May I come to see you?"

"That's a funny question. I should say you can come. Clemmie will be real glad to see you, and so will the minister."

"I'm coming to see you," she said, coloring. "I'm going home now.

Good-bye."

She hurriedly kissed him, and before he had time to speak she was half-way up the hill. At the rear gate she waved, then disappeared behind the ma.s.s of shrubbery that lined her father's place.

Ten minutes later the Captain heard the roar of the open exhaust from the girl's motor. Like a red streak the car shot down the hill of the Fox estate and into County Road. The Captain gasped as he watched a cloud of dust engulf the flying car.

CHAPTER XVI

All those who saw the flying car stood and stared after it. Hank Simpson, who was on his way over from the Little River railroad station with a load of merchandise, heard the roar, and sprang from his wagon-seat. He ran to his horses' heads. But no sooner had he seized the bits of the frightened animals than he let go. He recognized the girl who sped past him. He clambered back into his wagon and whipped his team into a dead run. He drew rein on the racing horses before a group of gaping men in front of the general store.

"Did you see anything down yon way, Hank?" asked Jud Johnson.

"See!" exclaimed Hank, rubbing the dust from his eyes. "See! Good G.o.d!

Boys, that d.a.m.n thing was running away! Hear me? It was running like h.e.l.l! What are you gaping fools standing here for, looking like a pa.s.sel of brainless idiots! 'Phone!" he screamed.

"'Phone what? Who to?" asked Jud with exasperating calm.

"Everything! Everybody!" was the doubly illuminating reply. "She'll be killed! Do you hear me?"

"We'd have to be deaf as nails not to hear you," said Jud as he spat a mouthful of tobacco juice against the front wheel of the wagon. "All the 'phoning in creation won't stop her. If she ain't of a mind to pull that thing up to a halt from the inside, it ain't likely that a fellow could do it by getting in its path and yelling whoa, even if he'd holler as loud as you've been doing at us. Why didn't you try it when you see her coming?"

"But they've got to stop it! The constables----"

"How?"

"How'd you suppose I know? Get out of my way and let me get at the 'phone!"

"You ain't going to do nothing of the kind," replied Jud as he stepped in front of the belligerent Hank. "There's some reason for driving like that. I don't know what's up, but the first feller to interfere with her joy ride is going to get hurt. I was in the cellar of her dad's place doing an odd job of plumbing for him when she come to me, and said: 'Jud, I'm going for a drive.' I 'lowed that was real nice, wondering why she'd be telling me that. 'I may have to drive pretty fast, and I want you to telephone ahead as far as you can to have the road clear. Tell the policemen my name, and ask that they don't stop me.'"

"But her dad----"

"Her dad ain't home. He went over Riverhead way more than an hour ago."

"But, Jud----"

"Dry up that b.u.t.ting, Hank, or we'll lead you out in the alley behind your store and feed you tin cans."

Hank climbed back to his wagon-seat, and Jud, noticing the determined expression in the storekeeper's eyes, deputized two men to keep watch of him while he went inside and did some telephoning.

Elizabeth Fox reached the city limits without being molested. She then looked at her watch, and slowed down her car. She kept the speedometer needle wavering within the speed law till she set her brakes before the building where the law firm of Starr and Jordan maintained their offices. Harold was so surprised to see his sister that he gave her the name of the Trust Company for which she asked before he realized what he was doing. She glanced at the clock, hastily scribbled the address on a card, and ran from the room. Harold stood still in dumb amazement. He walked to the window and looked down into the street below. He recognized her red motor-car as it glided through the traffic at an alarming rate. A mild oath escaped him as it dawned upon him that the name of the bank was that of the firm through which the interest payments had been made on the Phillips loan. What on earth could she be up to?

It was far past the noon hour when Elizabeth returned. The office was empty, the force having gone home for the Sat.u.r.day half-holiday. She turned from the locked door, but it flew open, and Harold called to her.