Further Adventures of Quincy Adams Sawyer and Mason Corner Folks Part 17

"Maude, you must take the train at once for Redford and see what the trouble is. I will leave Alice at home and run down to see you this afternoon."

Maude found Florence in her room, her nose red and her eyes filled with tears.

"Now, Florence, what is it all about?"

"Oh, it is horrible," and there was a fresh flood of tears.

"Are you sick? Mother says she is well and so is father."

"It's all about Reggie."

"Capt. Hornaby? Is he dead?"

"Worse. I wish he was. No, I don't mean that. But the disgrace."

Maude was getting impatient. "What has he done? Married somebody else?

But he never proposed to you, did he?"

Florence wiped away her tears. "No, not exactly. But we understood each other."

"Well, I can't understand you. Why don't you tell me what he's done?"

"Well, you know that father loaned him some money when he lost his pocketbook in the pond."

Maude sniffed. "I imagined he did--n.o.body told me so."

"Father gave him a check for five hundred dollars."

"And the Captain's run away and won't pay. Those foreign fellows often do that. What an appropriate name Hornaby Hook is."

"He has paid. He sent father the money and said he was going back to England at once."

"So, ho! I understand now. My sister has been deserted, jilted, snubbed, and her Sawyer pride is hurt. If you'd written me that I'd be in Fernborough now, and so would Quincy and Alice. Florence, it was mean of you to send such a bloodcurdling telegram for so simple a thing."

"But that isn't all," cried Florence. "When the check for five hundred dollars that father gave him came back it had been raised to five thousand, and father has lost all that money. Oh, it is all over, and I shall never see him again."

Another paroxysm of sobs, and a flood of tears. Maude's sisterly sympathy was, at last, aroused.

"Don't take on so, Flossie. Perhaps he didn't do it after all."

"But father is so indignant. Think of his being paid back with his own money."

Maude could not help laughing. "That was rather nervy, I'll admit. But that very fact makes me think he's innocent."

She didn't really think so, but Florence was likely to go into hysterics and something must be done.

"You know his address. You had better write to him and see what he has to say for himself."

"I can't. Father says if I have any further communication with him, directly, or indirectly, he'll disown me."

"Well, wait awhile. Father'll calm down in time. Cheer up, Flossie, dry your eyes, and do put some powder on your nose. It's as red as a beet."

A little later in the season, Quincy and Alice started for their summer home at Nantucket, where they spent a pleasant two months, Quincy going up to Boston when needed at the State House. As autumn approached, and the time for the state election drew near, great influence was brought to bear on Quincy to make him rescind his decision, and run for governor a second time, but his mind was fully made up, and in spite of the urgings of the leaders of his own party, as well as those of the public at large, he remained firm in his resolve.

Mr. Evans worked hard for the nomination, but his predilections were well known among the labouring cla.s.ses, and he failed to receive the necessary votes. Benjamin Ropes, a man respected by all, was elected governor, and in January Quincy retired from public life, and settled down to what he thought would be a period of rest and quiet with his wife in the Mount Vernon Street home.

About the middle of the month, however, a letter came from Aunt Ella.

"FERNBOROUGH HALL, "HEATHFIELD, SUSs.e.x.

"MY DEAR QUINCY AND ALICE: I was going to write nephew and niece, but you both seem nearer and dearer to me than those formal t.i.tles express.

I see that Quincy is now out of politics, and I know that he needs a change. Your rooms are all ready for you here, and I want you both to come, just as soon as you can. It will be the best for you, too, Alice, as you will escape the very bad winter that Boston always has. I was delighted to hear the news, and I do hope and pray it will be a boy,--then we shall have a Quincy Adams Sawyer, Junior.

"I wish Maude could come with you. I could introduce her to society here, and, I have found--don't think me conceited--that there is nothing that improves an English gentleman so much as having an American wife.

If some of your nice young American gentlemen would marry some English girls and transplant them to American soil, I think the English-speaking race would benefit thereby.

"Sir Stuart is well, and so is "Your loving aunt, "ELLA."

"The same Aunt Ella as of old," said Quincy, "always full of new ideas and quaint suggestions. It would be a good thing for you to go, I think, Alice, and I should really relish the change myself. What do you say, a steamer sails next week from here; shall we go?"

"Why, Quincy, it is rather sudden, but I should be glad to see Aunt Ella and Linda again, and I really see no reason why we should not go."

"Well, we will call that settled, then. And Maude, do you think she would join us?"

"Not unless you take Mr. Merry with you," replied Alice with a good natured laugh.

Quincy called at the Beacon Street house that afternoon, and had a talk with Maude about going to Europe with them. He read her Aunt Ella's letter, and added,

"You see, she wishes you to come with us."

"Well, I won't go. She wants to marry me off to some Englishman with a t.i.tle and no funds. If I ever get married, my husband will be an American. No, take Florence, and let her hunt up Captain Hornaby, her recreant lover,--if he was one. She says they 'understood' each other, but it's evident none of us comprehended--I came near saying apprehended--him."

"I will speak to father about it," said Quincy. "Please tell him that I'll call at his office to-morrow morning. Give my love to Florence. I won't trouble her about it until I've seen father."

Alice thought Florence's subst.i.tution for Maude, as regarded the trip to England, was advisable, and certainly showed Maude's good-heartedness.

When Quincy saw his father he made no mention of the Hornaby incident in connection with Florence joining them on their trip abroad, but in spite of this the Hon. Nathaniel Adams Sawyer was, at first, strongly opposed to the idea of his daughter going away from home. Quincy knew his father too well to argue the matter, and turned the conversation to other subjects.

"I have brought my will, father, and wish you would put it in your safe.

I have left everything to Alice to do with as she pleases. I have named you and Dr. Paul Culver as my executors. Have you any objection to serving?"

"You will be more likely to act as my executor than I as yours, but I accept the trust, feeling sure that I shall have no duties to perform."