CHAPTER VI
IN THE FOG
For a moment Edna stood still bewildered, then she ran a little wayalong the bank calling "Louis! Louis!" terrified at receiving noanswer. The bank which here reached its greatest height, sloped gentlydown on the north side, and curved away from the sea, leaving a tinycove in which Louis had seen the boat. There might be another cave onthat side. Edna resolved to go down and investigate.
The going down was much easier than the coming up, for at some distanceaway the shore was nearly level with the bank, and one had but to walkto reach it, no scrambling necessary. The grass, short and stubbly, wasstrung with fine mist and at each step Edna grew wetter and wetter, butshe did not heed this, for her whole thought was centered upon Louis,and she was imagining all sorts of things. Perhaps he had drifted awayin the boat far out of sight. Perhaps the boat's owner had seen him andhad borne him off to be locked up for meddling with another's property.Perhaps he was really out there now on the water, hidden by the fog,and was trying to row ashore.
She reached the beach at last. The tide was coming in higher andhigher, and was sweeping around the point where the cave was, rushingin and out with a great noise. Edna shuddered as she thought; supposeshe had not been able to get away before now and had been hemmed inon both sides by the waves. Once in a while the fog lifted slightly,and she strained her eyes for a sight of the boat. Once she was sureshe saw it, but a second view disclosed a lobsterman coming in fromhauling his lobster-pots. He rowed steadily, but passed by too far outfor the little girl to attract his attention. It had grown very dampand chilly, and the east wind cut like a knife. The child's clothingwas wet through and her teeth chattered as she faced the sea. She wasnot quite sure where she was, for she had never walked so far along theshore, but had reached different places by way of the road. Moreover,the fog hid all landmarks, and there was not even a fisherman's hut toguide her.
At last she made up her mind that it was useless to stand there andconcluded that she would best turn away from the shore and try to findthe road. She went up the bank again by the easier way and then turnedat right angles, stumbling through the stubbly grass and over hummocks.She thought she was going in a straight line, but she was reallyzig-zagging across the field and bearing toward the north instead ofthe south.
Suddenly she saw through the veil of mist, a small building ahead. "Itmust be a fisherman's hut," she told herself. "Perhaps it belongs tothe man who owns the boat. I'll go there and see." This gave her a newimpetus and she hurried on, and presently was surprised to see that itwas not a fisherman's house at all, but a small bungalow, set with backto a grove of trees and facing a small strip of beach. "Why," exclaimedEdna, delightedly, "if it isn't the little bungalow where Miss Eloiselives. Well, I am surprised. I hadn't an idea I was anywhere near it."
On she went with better heart. Here were friends close at hand whocould advise and comfort her. She reached the door and lifted thelittle brass knocker. The door was opened to her by Miss Newman.
"Why, Edna Conway, what in the world brought you over here byyourself?" was Miss Newman's surprised greeting. "Why, the child isdrenched to the skin. Come right in to the fire." She ushered her intothe tiny living-room where a cheerful fire was blazing on the hearth.Before this Miss Eloise was sitting. "It is Edna, Ellie," said hersister, "and the child is soaking wet. My dear child, why did you comeout in this fog wearing that flimsy gingham? And no rubbers, no coat?What were you thinking of?"
This was too much for Edna and her lip quivered, the tears filled hereyes and she stood forlornly without saying a word.
"You poor little dear," said Miss Eloise, who was watching her. "Youshall not scold her, sister. You do not know what accident may havehappened. Come over here, darling child, and tell me all about it."
The effect of Miss Eloise's sympathy finished what Miss Newman'scensure began and Edna burst into tears, sobbing out. "It--it wasall--all nice and bright when we came away from the--the house,and--and I d--didn't know there was going to--to be any fog."
"Of course you didn't," said Miss Eloise soothingly. "What did I tellyou, sister? Go on, dear, and tell us how it all happened."
"Louis and I went to find the cave, and it was ever so far." Edna drewa long breath but checked her tears. The fire was very comforting andMiss Eloise was a tower of refuge. "Then he went off to get a boat andwas coming back to the cave. I was going to be a shipwrecked maidenwith jewels and he was a bold robber, but--but he didn't come, and thetide--the tide--" Here she broke down into a second fit of weeping.
"There, there, don't try to tell any more just yet. You see," shesaid to her sister, "the child is all wrought up. There is no knowingwhat she may have been through. She ought to have some dry shoes andstockings, sister, and she'd better take off that soaking frock. Thatlittle blue flannel kimono of mine will be just the thing."
So Miss Newman went off to bring back the dry things, helped Edna offwith the wet frock and on with the dry shoes and stockings, and by thattime she had become calmer. The shoes were not very much too big, andthe kimono was not much too long, for Miss Eloise was a tiny creature."Now do you think you could tell us the rest," said Miss Newman takingexample from her sister and speaking very gently.
"I'll try," said Edna more at her ease. "I waited ever so long forLouis to come, and he didn't. I was inside the cave, you know, and Iwas pretending to be asleep, and when I knew it was too much of a longtime I thought I would go out and find Louis, and then I saw the fogand the tide was coming in just as fast. I was so scared, for I knew itmight come all the way up into the cave, and so I just tore out as hardas I could. It was up real high, for it splashed 'way over my feet. Ihad to scramble up the bank for the water was coming up all over thebeach and there wasn't any other way. When I got to the top I saw thatI could get down very easily on the other side. There was a littlecove there, a tiny little one, and I guessed that was where Louis sawthe boat, but the boat wasn't there and I called and called but nobodyanswered. Then I went down as far as I dared but I couldn't find Louis.Oh, Miss Eloise, I am so afraid he is drowned."
Both ladies looked very grave, for there seemed likelihood of thisbeing the case. Edna's tears began to flow again, and she buried herhead in Miss Eloise's lap.
"Poor little girl, you have had a sorry time of it," said Miss Eloise,gently caressing the child's head. "What do you think had better bedone, sister?"
Miss Newman sat thoughtfully looking into the fire for a few minutesbefore she answered, then she said: "I think I'd better go up to theDuncan's. They have a telephone, you know, and can let Mrs. Ramsey knowwhere Edna is. She will be worried, I am sure. Then we can telephone tothe hotel and find out if Louis is there. We need not necessarily alarmhis mother, but if he is not there I will get Rudolph Duncan to go outand inquire about whose boat that was which Louis saw by the cave, andwe may discover something that way. Rudolph will like to go, for he hashis sou'wester and rubber boots, while as for me I am used to going outin all sorts of weather. I will not be gone any longer than I can help,and--why Edna, you have not had any dinner. Of course you haven't."
"Why, is it dinner time?" she asked.
"It is past our dinner time. We had just finished when you came in, orat least Amelia had just finished washing the dishes. We have dinner inthe middle of the day, you know, on account of having Amelia come to dothe dishes. Ellie, dear, I wonder if you could see that the child hassomething to eat while I am gone. Everything is in the refrigerator,but I am afraid there is not much beyond bread and milk."
"There is pie," Miss Eloise reminded her, "and there are plenty oftomatoes. We can manage, I am sure, sister. You go right along."
So Miss Newman did not waste time in getting ready, but started forthin a very few minutes, and then Miss Eloise sent Edna out into thelittle shed to report upon what she might find in the refrigerator.
The child realized now that she was really hungry, and having sharedher anxieties with some one to be depended upon, she felt that ther
ewas nothing further to be done. Holding up the blue kimono so it wouldnot drag on the floor, she went out into the little shed, annexed tothe back of the bungalow. She looked inside the refrigerator. Therewas a plate of cold fish. Not very appetizing, thought she. A dish ofcold baked potatoes--neither did these appeal to her--, a few tomatoes,butter, milk, and a little saucer of stewed apples. She took out themilk, the butter, the tomato and the stewed apples, and set these onthe table. "I've found something," she called out.
"Bring it in here by the fire," said Miss Eloise in reply.
Edna carefully carried the things into the front room.
"There is salt on the shelf over the sink," Miss Eloise told her. "Thebread is in the bread-box, and the pie is on the kitchen table coveredwith a tin lid. It gets soggy if you put it in the refrigerator. Theknives are in the table drawer, and I think there are forks there,too."
Edna returned to the kitchen to get these things. There was quite alarge section of blueberry pie, and there were some slices of breadalready cut. The pie looked very good and she was pleased to think thata whole pie had been too much for the two Newmans and Amelia. "I amgoing to eat the tomato and some bread and butter first," she told herfriend; "then I will eat some bread and milk and the stewed apples, andkeep the pie till the last. I am very glad it was such a big pie thatyou could not eat it all."
"I am glad, too," said Miss Eloise smiling, "and I am glad you couldfind something else you liked."
Edna ate her meal with a good appetite, and then carried the emptydishes out into the kitchen. "Shall I wash them?" she asked.
"Oh, no, I wouldn't try," said Miss Eloise. "You might set them in thedish pan and run some water over them so they won't get dry or attractthe flies."
Edna did as she was told and then returned to watch for Miss Newman.She had not long to wait before she saw her coming across the fieldwhich separated the Duncan's house from the little bungalow. "Here shecomes," cried Edna trying to get to the door in such haste that sheforgot to hold up the blue kimono and came near to sprawling at fulllength. However, she did get to the door in time to open it before MissNewman should turn the knob, and to be ready to ask, "Did you find outanything about Louis?"
"Well, I did and I didn't," Miss Newman told her. "Let me get off thiswaterproof and I will tell you." She slipped off the garment and hungit over the back of a chair, then she removed her rubbers and cameover to the fire to dry the edge of her skirt. "We called up Mrs.Ramsey first of all and told her where you were, then we called up thehotel. I let Rudolph do the asking, so Mrs. Morrison would think it wassomeone at the Duncan's who wanted to know about Louis. He was not withhis mother, and she said she had not seen him since he went out afterbreakfast to see Edna. 'He is probably at Mrs. Ramsey's,' she toldRudolph."
"Oh, dear, where can he be?" sighed Edna, anxiety written on herusually happy face.
"Then I told Rudolph the circumstance of the boat. 'Oh, I know whoseboat that is,' he said, 'it belongs to Dick Fenton. He is a fisherman.I can get hold of him easily.' So now Rudolph has gone to hunt up Dickand he has promised to come around this way and let us know. So now,my dear, all we can do is to wait till Rudolph returns. Did you getsomething to eat?"
"Yes, indeed, I did, and the pie was delicious. I am so very fond ofblueberry pie. Thank you so much, Miss Newman for leaving me such anice big piece."
Miss Newman laughed. "I am glad you take it that way, though the truthis, we didn't know we were leaving it for you."
"I am afraid I drank up all the milk," Edna went on. "I hope you willnot need it for your supper."
"No, we shall not, for neither of us takes milk in tea and they willbring more for the morning."
"Did Rudolph think that anything dreadful had happened to Louis?" askedEdna after a pause.
"No, he seemed to think that no one could take the boat without DickFenton's knowledge, and said that anyhow there were no oars in it, asDick always took the oars up to the house."
It was a great relief to hear this, and Edna began to feel much morehopeful. "Only," she said, "I don't see why he didn't come back."
"That is where the mystery is," acknowledged Miss Newman.
The mystery was not solved till an hour later when not only Rudolph,but Louis himself appeared. Miss Eloise was entertaining Edna with astory that the time might not hang too heavily. The bad weather hadmade a porch party out of the question, and this afternoon Edna was theonly listener. The fairy prince had but just entered into the tale whena knock at the door scattered all hope of his ever being recognized asthe little bird on a bough.
Edna flew to the door, reaching it less clumsily this time as shehad resumed her own frock which was now quite dry. "It's Louis! It'sLouis!" she screamed. "Oh, Louis, why didn't you come? I was in such atrouble about you."
"Well, I'll tell you how it was," said Louis, entering the room. "Itwasn't my fault at all. I went down and got into the boat, but I foundthere were no oars, so of course there wasn't any use for me to try togo out in it. While I was sitting there Dick came along; he's the manthe boat belongs to, you know. 'Hallo, sonny,' he said, 'Waiting for atrip to sea?' I said I was just sitting there pretending I was out atsea. 'I'm going to draw my pots,' he said, 'Want to come along?' Now,you know, Edna, of course I couldn't miss such a chance as that, for Ihad never seen anyone draw lobster-pots, so of course I said yes, I'dlike to go. I didn't think we would be gone very long, and I knew youwould stay until we got back. I never thought about the tide coming in,or would have made Dick wait till I had gone to tell you not to wait."
"You should have gone to tell her anyhow," said Miss Newman severely."It was inexcusable to leave a little girl all that time by herself."
"Well, but you see," said Louis in self-defence, "I was afraid Dickwouldn't wait for me."
"You could have asked him whether he would."
Louis did not reply but hurried on with his story. In his heart ofhearts he was conscious of having neglected his cousin for the sake ofhis own amusement, and had really no excuse to offer. "Well, so I gotin the boat and we went off. It was further than I thought, but justthe minute we got back I went right around to the cave, or at leastI tried to get there. Gee! when I saw it was full of water, wasn't Iscared for a minute? Then I said to myself, 'Edna's not such a fool asto stay and get drowned. Of course she's gone home,' but just the sameI thought I'd better go see, so I went back to Mrs. Ramsey's, or atleast I started to go, but I met Rudolph and he told me where you wereand that everybody was kicking up a fuss about me, so I came back withhim, and here I am."
It was all so little of a tragedy, and all Edna's alarm had been duemerely to the thoughtlessness of one careless and selfish boy, sono one felt the least sympathy with Louis when he said. "I missed mydinner, too."
"Serves him right," said Rudolph, under his breath to Miss Newman.
"Then I would advise you to go straight home to your mother," said MissNewman in her most freezing manner, "and I hope it is the last timeEdna ever trusts herself to your tender mercies."
Here Miss Eloise held out her arms and gathered Edna to her with kissesand caresses, whispering to her that she was a darling child.
Louis looked a little ashamed, but was evidently so much more sorryfor himself at missing his dinner than for Edna in any state of mind orbody, that no one detained him when he said he would go to his mother.Rudolph did not offer to see him on his way, but turning to Edna said,"Whenever you are ready to go I can take you to Mrs. Ramsey's as easilyas not. We haven't our motor-car this year, but I can drive over in thesurrey."
Edna thanked him and he went off promising to return in half an hour.Neither Miss Newman nor Miss Eloise made any comment upon Louis, butEdna was perfectly aware that they did not approve of him. She wishedLouis were not so selfish, and she looked back to the time when sheand her cousin were together at school, with Uncle Justus and AuntElizabeth. Louis was really nicer then, though more than once, even atthat time, he had put Edna at disadvantage. She looked so sober thatMiss Elois
e asked what she was thinking about.
"Louis," was the laconic reply.
"I wouldn't think about him," said Miss Eloise with more spirit thanshe usually displayed.
"What that boy needs is to go to boarding school," said Miss Newmanfirmly. "He ought to be where there are a lot of other boys to teachhim he is of no importance whatever."
"He was so unhappy at Uncle Justus's school that his mother says heshall never go away to school again," remarked Edna.
"Poor boy, then there is no hope for him," replied Miss Newman.
Edna did not exactly understand what this meant, but she did not sayso, but seeing she still looked very sober, Miss Eloise changed thesubject, and began talking of Edna's friends, Dorothy and Jennie. "Whydidn't you all play together, Edna?" she asked. "I thought you threelittle girls were inseparable."
Edna hung her head. She wanted to shield Louis, but at the same timeshe did not want to say anything against her two friends. Finally shecompromised by saying, "Boys don't like to play with dolls."
"Oh, I see," said Miss Eloise with a smile, for Edna's words had giventhe key to the situation.
It was not long before Rudolph appeared with the surrey. He brought awarm coat of his sister's to wrap Edna up in, and they set off afterEdna had given earnest thanks to her entertainers.