CHAPTER VIII
THE FIRE
For about half an hour the child slept peacefully. Once or twice Emmastole softly in to find her with hand under a cheek, now rather pale,and with red lips half-smiling as if in a pleasant dream. "Bless thechild, it's nothin' but a sick-headache," whispered Emma. "She'llbe all the better for the sleep." At the end of the half hour Ednastirred, sighed, opened her eyes and then sat up. The dizzy feeling wasnearly gone.
Emma came to the door. "Well," she said, "and how are you feeling?"
"A good deal better," said Edna cheerfully. "I think I'll get up and godown to the living-room, Emma."
"Do you feel equal to it?" asked Emma.
"Oh, yes I think I do. Besides the sun is coming in here now, and I'vebeen here all day, so I'd like a change."
"Then I'll tell you there's someone down there waiting for you. Hewouldn't have you disturbed, but said I was to bring him word when youwaked up. He's been there about a quarter of an hour, I should say, buthe said he would amuse himself with the papers and magazines, and youwere not to hurry on his account."
This didn't sound as if it could be Louis, as Edna at first supposed itmight be. He had not been asked to go on the sailing party, and couldeasily have come over. "It isn't my cousin Louis Morrison, is it?" sheasked.
"No, it's the owld gintleman with the eyebrows. I don't just rememberthe name."
"Why, it must be Uncle Justus," cried Edna getting up with alacrity."He was to have gone sailing with the others. I wonder why he didn'tgo. Is it the gentleman who was here to lunch yesterday, Emma?"
"That very same."
"Oh, then I'll go right down."
She slowly descended the stairs. After all her head did still feela little queer, and she was rather faint from eating nothing sincebreakfast, so she did not enter the room with her usual animation, andUncle Justus did not see her till she had nearly reached his side. Thenhe looked up over his spectacles. "Well, well, well," he cried, "how ismy little girl feeling?"
He held out his arms and Edna went to him. "I'm feeling a littlebetter," she said, as he took her on his knee and settled hercomfortably with her head against his shoulder.
"Poor little lamb," he murmured, "poor little lamb. I am so sorry--wewere all sorry to hear about the headache."
"But, Uncle Justus, I thought you were going on the sailing party."
"So I was, my dear, but I couldn't have enjoyed it knowing you werehere without your mother or any of your family. I know little folkslike their mothers when they are not feeling well, and though Icouldn't in any way take the place of your mother, I wanted to come andlook after you a little."
Edna put up a hand and softly stroked the cheek above the curledgrey whisker, and even a part of the whisker itself. "I think it wasdear of you to do that, but Uncle Justus, I am afraid Mr. Ramsey wasdisappointed not to have you go, and I did not mind so very much beingalone. I did want mother awfully, when I was feeling the sickest, butI tried to think how lovely everyone was to me, and of how nice it wasto be in this lovely cool place by the sea, instead of in the hot city,and I didn't feel so."
Uncle Justus murmured something which Edna couldn't quite make out,something about babes and sucklings which really did not appear to havemuch to do with the subject.
"Aren't you really disappointed about not going on the sailing party?"she asked presently.
"No, my dear. I prefer to be here. Besides, do you remember a littlegirl who gave up having her Thanksgiving at home that she might share alonely dinner with her old uncle? If you have forgotten, I have not."
"Oh, but," returned Edna, quite embarrassed, for the little girl wasnone other than herself, "you see you were quite well, and didn't havea headache." Just what this had to do with it was rather puzzling andUncle Justus smiled at the attempted argument.
Then they fell into talking about various things, and in the course ofthe conversation Edna told of her adventure in the fog, of how scaredshe had been, and how fearful lest Louis were drowned. Uncle Justuslistened attentively, and asked such adroit questions that thoughEdna tried to shield Louis, she knew that Uncle Justus was aware ofeverything that had happened. He was Louis's Uncle Justus as well asEdna's.
When the story was ended Uncle Justus was silent for a time, but hestroked Edna's hair thoughtfully. At last he said half to himself, "Ishall have to have a talk with the boy's mother. He will be ruined ifsomething is not done." And then Emma came in to know if Mr. Hornerwould have tea, and then since he declined this, she asked if he woulddine with Miss Edna.
"Oh, you will, Uncle Justus, won't you," begged Edna.
"I will if you would like me to," he said simply.
So Edna sat up straight and said, "He will stay, Emma, but you mustgive him more than I am to have, for Mrs. Ramsey said I'd better noteat anything very hearty."
"You were to have some broth and toast, Miss Edna," Emma told her, "andif you wanted more before bedtime I was to give you some hot milk."
"But they will be back by bedtime, Emma, I am sure."
"Very well, miss. I will see that the gentleman has something proper."
She went out and Edna, feeling that she had been coddled long enough,took a seat on a low chair, and pretty soon dinner was announced, thetwo eating it very happily together. Edna had her chicken broth andtoast for which she was quite ready by this time, declaring that shewas actually hungry and that her head was steadily getting better.
As she had predicted, it was not bedtime when the sailing partyreturned, full of their doings. Edna was ready with plenty of questionsand was told how Miss Eloise proved to be a good sailor, and hadenjoyed the trip immensely, of how Ben and Mr. Ramsey had carried herashore bodily, of how they had made a fire and cooked their supper, andlast of all, how they had all missed her.
It was after Ben and Uncle Justus had departed for the yacht thatEdna watching the lights in the harbor, heard Mr. Ramsey say, "Wesaw Mr. Horner in a new light to-day. Who could ever imagine him sotenderly anxious about his little niece? He always seemed rather acold undemonstrative person to me. I was certainly surprised when heinsisted upon returning that he might be with Edna in our absence."
"I was rather surprised myself," responded Mrs. Ramsey, "though now Iremember it, Jennie has told me that he is devoted to Edna, and thoughall his other pupils stand in awe of him, that she alone seems to haveno fear. He must have a tender heart, for all his bushy eyebrows andstern exterior."
The twinkling lights in the harbor were still shining when the littlegirls went to bed, but before morning a wilder light was blazingfrom the point where old Cap'n Si's little house stood, and, the nextmorning when the children looked across to where yesterday they hadseen the old man sitting on the bench outside his door, the smokecurling from the chimney and the flowers in his little garden making abrave showing, they beheld but a heap of blackened ruins.
Jennie was the first to see it and ran to her father who had just comedown. "Oh, Papa," she cried, "just come here. There isn't any Cap'nSi's house any more."
"What's that?" said her father joining her at the window where shestood.
"Just look."
Mr. Ramsey did look but he saw only the charred bits of wood from whicha slight smoke was rising. "That's bad, very bad," he said shaking hishead. "Why it was only last night that he was telling us that he wasborn in that house and hoped to die in it. I wonder how it could havehappened. I hope no one was hurt. Who lives with him, daughter? Do youremember?"
"His daughter and her family, Bert is the oldest; he is off fishing inCaptain Eli Brown's boat, then there is Louberta, but she's married.Amelia comes next, and then there's little Si, and Kitty is theyoungest. They haven't any father, for he was lost at sea two yearsago."
"I remember, I remember. It is all very sad. I must go over as soon asI have had some breakfast and we will see what is to be done."
As one after another came down the news of the fire was told, and Mrs.Ramsey declared she must go with her husband
to find out all about it.So they started off in the automobile as soon as breakfast was over,leaving three deeply interested little girls. There was no talk ofcalling Cap'n Si that morning, for he would not be looking for the flagto be run up, instead he was lying helpless on a cot, his hands swathedin cotton, and his stubbly beard singed by the fire he had vainly triedto put out.
It was two hours before Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey returned, and then itwas to tell a sorrowful tale. A lamp burning in one of the two littleupper rooms had been overturned by one of the children very early inthe morning, and before the full danger was realized the house wasin flames. Fortunately no one was very seriously hurt, Cap'n Si wasbadly scorched, and his hands showed some bad burns, but the doctorhad pronounced these not so very deep. Everything in the house wasconsumed, however, and the family were destitute and homeless.
The children gathered around Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey listening withabsorbed interest. "What will they do, Papa?" asked Jennie. "Theyhave nowhere to go and no clothes and no furniture. Oh, dear, isn't itdreadful?"
"Some of their neighbors have taken them in temporarily, and as soonas needs be we shall gather up whatever can be spared in the way ofclothing for them. Then there is a plan on foot to get up a bazar inorder to collect money for their furniture when they shall have anotherhouse."
"How will they be able to build a house? I know they are very poor."
"We hope enough money will be subscribed for that. Everyone respectsCap'n Si, and we think there will be enough forthcoming to build ahouse sufficiently large for their needs."
"Has papa subscribed?"
"Yes, dear; it was he who started the subscription paper."
"Were none of the children hurt at all?" asked Edna.
"One of them, the youngest was slightly burned, for she was asleep whenthe fire broke out. It was in saving her that Cap'n Si was burned."
"Are they going to ask those young men on the yacht to give something?"asked Edna. "They are not going off till this afternoon, you know."
"We didn't think of them, did we?" said Mrs. Ramsey to her husband.
"That is true, we didn't and most of them can well afford to make acontribution. I will see McAllister myself."
"What can we do?" asked Dorothy wistfully.
"Oh, yes, we want to help, of course," chimed in Jennie. "I will giveall the money I have left of my allowance, Mother, and all that iscoming to me for the rest of the time we are here."
"I think you'd better allow yourself a little, dear child, but I amsure papa will advance you whatever he thinks is right for you togive."
"I think I could give a dollar," said Edna after a pause. "I have thatmuch, and I am sure I don't have to spend it for I have six postagestamps, that will make two a week till I get back home. Would a dollardo any good, Mrs. Ramsey?"
"It would do a great deal of good, but instead of giving the moneyoutright how would you children like to buy materials to make fancyarticles for the bazar? In that way I haven't a doubt but you would geta better return."
"I think that would be a fine plan," said Dorothy, for, to tell thetruth, her savings were of small account, and as she calculated shetold herself that thirty-five cents would be the very limit. Moneyalways burned a hole in Dorothy's pocket, and it was hard for her topass a candy shop without spending her pennies. Mrs. Ramsey knew thisand knew also that while Dorothy was quite as generous as the other twoshe would have less to offer.
Both Jennie and Edna agreed with Dorothy that it was a very good planto spend the money in this way and they at once began to plan what theyshould buy.
"I think we all might make a trip to Boston in a day or two," said Mrs.Ramsey. "How would you like that? I think we might spend our money tobetter advantage there."
"That would be simply perfect," cried one and another.
All this had made everyone entirely lose sight of Edna's headache andit was not till Ben came in to say good-bye that anyone remembered it."Well, Ande," he said, "how's that head? A pretty trick you played onus yesterday."
"I didn't play any trick. It was my head played me a trick."
"Oh, that was the way, was it? Well, how is the tricky head to-day?"
"Why, it is about well, I think."
"But you are not sure. I've known heads to act that way before. Let mesee how you look." He turned her around to the light. "A little pale Ishould say. Did you eat any breakfast?"
"Oh, yes, I ate an egg and some milk-toast."
"Good enough. I reckon you'll do for a while. I say, wasn't it greatfor Uncle Justus to sneak away from us all in that way? I didn't thinkit was in the old chap. He wouldn't budge any more than a balky mule.Soon as he heard you were alone and laid up with a headache off he musttrot in the other direction."
"I think it was perfectly lovely of him," said Edna earnestly.
"So it was, Pinky Blooms--by the way, you aren't Pinky Blooms to-day.To tell you the truth if Uncle Justus hadn't made up his sedate mind tocome, yours truly intended to say ta-ta to the sailing party himself."
"Oh, Ben, did you really?"
"Yes, my lady, though it is too late in the day to make boastfulvaunts, and it would have spoiled Uncle Justus's little game if bothof us had come. Moreover, it wouldn't have been polite for all of usto have fled from the sailing party. You see Mr. McAllister took UncleJustus's place and there would have been no one to take mine."
"Did you hear about the fire?" Edna asked next.
"Indeed I did, and I am glad enough that a plan is on foot toraise money for those poor fisher people. I wonder who is receivingsubscriptions. All the fellows chipped in and I have quite a wad herewhich I am instructed to turn over to the proper authorities."
"Oh, Mr. Ramsey is just the one, for he started the paper."
"Good! I'll get rid of it at once if you will help me find thegentleman."
Edna was only too ready to do this and together they hunted up Mr.Ramsey whom they found in the little room where he had his desk, andwhich was called the smoking-room.
It was indeed quite a roll of bills which Ben handed over. The boyssaid never mind specifying names, just say it is from the Pippin."Nobody knows how much anybody gave. We just passed around the hat andthis is the result."
"A pretty handsome result, I should say," remarked Mr. Ramsey muchpleased. "At this rate we shall be able to put up as good a house asneed be. Please thank the Pippin in the name of myself and the familyof Cap'n Si."
"I'll do it, sir. The boys were glad to come up to scratch."
"I think it is very lucky the fire was last night instead of to-night,"remarked Edna gravely.
"And why?" asked Ben.
"Because if it hadn't been till to-night you all would be gone and thenyou wouldn't have passed around the hat."
Both Mr. Ramsey and Ben laughed at this subtle reasoning, and then Bensaid he must say good-bye to Mrs. Ramsey, so they went out leaving Mr.Ramsey to other matters.
"I wish you would tell me why the yacht is called Pippin," said Edna.
"My dearest child, I see you do not make yourself acquainted withslang, and far be it from me to intrude it upon your youthfulattention. If you were to ask Clem McAllister why he named it that hewould say, 'Because she is such a pippin,' meaning a beauty, and thatis all there is of it."
Edna understood by this that a pippin was another name for a beauty andwas quite satisfied. She had two brothers of her own, and cousin Benhad passed the previous year at her home; therefore she was not at allunfamiliar with boyish slang.
The good-byes to Mrs. Ramsey and the other two little girls beingmade Ben took his departure, telling Edna she would see him early inthe fall, and as Uncle Justus would not on any account leave withoutlearning how Edna was, his was the next call. It was not a long one,for the yacht was to leave the harbor early and there was not much timeleft though Edna managed to tell about the fire and the bazar, and tosend a great many messages to all at home whom Uncle Justus would seebefore she herself would.
Edna felt a little homesick
and lonely after these two relativeshad left her. She was still a little the worse for her yesterday'sillness, and wished for mother and Celia, for her father and the boys.It certainly would be very good to see them again, and she was gladthat in two weeks she would be turning her face toward home. But thesethoughts did not last long, for Jennie called her to come and see thepile of clothes her mother had laid aside for Cap'n Si's grandchildren,and began to tell of the many things which they could make for thebazar, so she was soon interested in all this.
"We are going to see Miss Newman and Miss Eloise after lunch," Jennietold her, "for we want to tell everyone about the bazar, and they willbe so interested on account of Amelia."
"We might stop at the hotel, too," suggested Edna, "and I can tell myaunt about it, then she can tell the other people there and we mightget a lot of things from them."
"That will be a fine plan," declared Jennie. "We will go with mother inthe automobile for she wants to see Mrs. Duncan. A lot of ladies are tomeet here to-morrow to make all the arrangements, and mother wants totell Mrs. Duncan to come."
So there was quite enough on hand to drive away homesickness, and Ednastarted out with the rest with no thought of anything but the bazar andthe promised trip to Boston.