And seamen were so scarce just then in Boston that he had
been obliged to risk another voyage without engaging strangers to
man the _Seamew_. Besides, being a true Cape Codder, he disliked
hiring other than Cape men to work the schooner.
For one thing he could be grateful. Orion Latham had taken his chest
ashore this very day. And Zebedee Pauling had offered himself in
Orion's place on the wharf as Tunis had just now come ashore.
He had been glad to take on Zeb in place of his cousin. And from
young Pauling he had learned at least one piece of news connected
with affairs on Wreckers' Head. Zeb told him that the girl he had
brought to the Pauling house had talked with Elder Minnett and that
the elder had later taken her up to the Ball house, where she had
remained.
There was not much gossip about the matter it seemed. Nobody seemed
to know who the young woman was; nor did Zeb know what was going on
at the Ball homestead. It was with this slight information only that
Tunis now approached the old place. He saw Cap'n Ira hobbling into
the barn, but he saw nobody else about.
The day was gray, and a chill wind crept over the brown earth,
rustling the dead stalks of the weeds and curling little spirals of
dust in the road which rose no more than a foot or two, then fell
again, despairingly.
Pages:
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315