The Coming Wave Part 20

"I will be ready for you," added the skipper.

"High Rock is such a delightful place!" exclaimed Rosabel, turning to Isabel again. "I went there twice last summer; and I never enjoyed myself so much as I did in climbing the rocks, and looking out upon the ocean. I want you to see the place at once, Belle."

"I shall be delighted to go, especially if we are to sail in the Rosabel," replied Miss Peterson. "Isn't it a nice thing to have a boat named after you!"

"Of course it is a very great honor," laughed Rosabel, as she shook back the affluence of wavy auburn locks which fell upon her shoulders.

"Leopold is a real good fellow."

"He is a very good-looking fellow, too," added Isabel, in a lower tone.

"His face is handsome, and if he were only dressed in good style, he would be magnificent."

"I think he is nice now," said Rosabel, candidly, and without a blush, for the little beauty was conscious of nothing but a kindly regard for the landlord's son.

"He doesn't talk a bit country, and isn't clumsy and awkward, like many young fellows away from the city."

"His manners are as pleasant as those of any young man I ever met. Do you know, Belle, he speaks German?"

"What, Leopold!"

"He knows how to speak it a great deal better than I do, though he never studied it in school, as I have for two years."

Leopold had left the dining-room for a moment, so that he did not hear any of this conversation, and therefore had no idea how well he stood in the estimation of these young ladies. Of course they did not intend that he should know; and the next remark of Isabel, to the effect that she wished he was not a "waiter," would certainly have hurt his feelings.

Leopold had gone into the office, where he found a boy waiting for a chance to set up pins in the bowling alley, whom he sent for Stumpy, with directions for him to have the Rosabel ready immediately for the excursion to High Rock. Stumpy often went with him, and, as he intended to wear his good clothes on the trip, he wanted his help on this occasion.

As soon as breakfast was finished, Leopold was ready. His pa.s.sengers were to be Rosabel, Isabel, and Charley Redmond, a young man of seventeen, and the son of one of the New Yorkers in the party. The sloop was all ready when they reached the river. Stumpy had hoisted the mainsail, and hauled her up where the pa.s.sengers could embark without difficulty.

"Why, she is a real nice boat!" exclaimed Isabel, as she seated herself in the standing-room.

"I told you she was," replied Rosabel.

"Quite n.o.bby," added Charley Redmond, with a patronizing tone, as he adjusted his eye-gla.s.ses, for he was either near-sighted, or fancied that the gla.s.ses added to his dignity and importance. "I dare say this rustic is quite a boatman."

"He may be a rustic, but he is not so green as you are, Charley Redmond," added Isabel, indignantly; but she spoke for her friend rather than for herself.

The "rustic" did not hear any of these remarks, for after helping the girls to their seats, he had gone to cast off the cable which Stumpy was hauling in. But Leopold did not like Charley Redmond, for the young gentleman was a person of ten times as much importance, in his own estimation, as his father. He was supercilious, and, unlike the rest of the party, looked down upon the boatman, and everybody else in the town.

"Of course you couldn't expect much of a fellow down here," added Charley.

"He knows twice as much as you do," retorted Isabel, as the skipper took his place at the helm, thus putting an end to the conversation.

"Now shove her off, Stumpy," said Leopold.

"Stumpy!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Charley, with a laugh. "That's a romantic name."

"His name is Stumpfield Wormbury," Leopold explained. "He is a first-rate fellow."

"No doubt of it," sneered the New Yorker, who was not a good specimen of his _genus_, and could not appreciate such a "good fellow," with his brown face and coa.r.s.e clothes.

"He don't like his nickname very well, and when he objected to it, years ago, the fellows began to call him 'Wormy.' He couldn't stand that, and is satisfied now to be called 'Stumpy.'"

"Stumpy is better than Wormy," added Charley Redmond.

"Hoist the jib," said Leopold.

The Rosabel went off with a brisk breeze, at a speed which immediately rekindled the enthusiasm of the girls; and, to prolong the sail, Leopold stood off into the bay, going around a small rocky island, a mile from the light-house.

"It's rather rough out here," said Charley Redmond, when the sloop began to dance and leap on the waves thrown up by the fresh north-west wind.

"It's delightful!" exclaimed Isabel; "isn't it, Rose?"

"I think so, Belle; I enjoy it above all things."

"But the boat is rather small," suggested Charley, as a cloud of spray dashed over the bow.

"So much the better," added Rosabel.

When the sloop was a mile from the sh.o.r.e, where the water was not sheltered by the high cliffs, the white caps lighted up the bay, and it was very lively sailing. The Rosabel, close-hauled, pitched smartly, and the spray soon drenched Stumpy, who, presuming not to intrude himself into the presence of the New Yorkers in the standing-room, remained upon the half-deck. Mr. Redmond was not willing to own it, but he was actually frightened, as Leopold could see by the way he started when the boat pitched, and by the energy with which he held on to the washboard.

"I don't know that I like this very well," said he, at last, with a sort of shudder.

"It's perfectly splendid," exclaimed Belle.

"Elegant," added Rosabel.

"I will come about whenever you wish, Miss Hamilton," said Leopold.

"O, no, not yet," protested Isabel.

"I think it is about time," put in Charley. "It is cold and wet."

The skipper enjoyed the starts and squirmings of the young gentleman. He had the boat perfectly in hand, though by this time she had all the wind she could stagger under. He knew very well that the most exciting part of the sail was yet to come, for he would have the wind free as soon as he came about. If the girls had not been on board, he would have let the boat over far enough to take in a few buckets of water, for the especial benefit of Mr. Redmond. He knew just how much she would bear, and he could do it with entire safety; but he did not care to alarm his fair pa.s.sengers. Having weathered the island, he let off the sheets a little.

The Rosabel heeled over, and promptly increased her speed. The wind came in gusts, and now every flaw carried her down to the washboard. Mr.

Redmond was more uneasy than ever, but the girls only shouted in the exuberance of their delight.

"I don't believe in this thing," said Charley, at last, when his nervousness overcame him.

"Are you afraid, Charley?" laughed Belle.

"Of course I'm not afraid--ugh!" he muttered, as the sloop heeled over till the waves threatened to invade the standing-room.

"You _are_ afraid Charley."

"I'm not afraid; but I don't think it is safe. I've been in boats enough to know that this isn't the way to do the thing. Why don't you lower one of the sails, Leopold?"

"What for?" asked the skipper quietly.

"You will upset the boat!" gasped Charley.

"No danger of that."