CHAPTER XV
REBBY AND LUCIA
Rebby was too astonished at Lucia's unexpected appearance to make anyresponse to this rude salutation; and, with another scornful glance,Lucia went on her way to where Mrs. Lyon and Mrs. Weston were talkingtogether, and took a seat beside them, and was cordially welcomed byRebecca's mother, who, of course, knew nothing of the trouble betweenthe two girls.
"Lucia has forgotten her cup and spoon, Rebby; bring her your lustremug," called Mrs. Weston.
For a moment Rebby pretended not to hear. She was filling the cups withcool spring water, and not until her mother called the second time didshe start toward the house for her cherished lustre mug. She was readyto cry at the thought of Lucia's insulting words, and now she must carrythe pretty mug to her, and serve her as though she were a welcomeguest.
"I won't let her know that I care; and I must be polite because she is aguest, even if she wasn't invited," thought Rebby, as carrying thelustre mug and a birch-bark plate with a square of honeycomb and abrownish crisp "spider-cake" she went toward Lucia.
Neither of the little girls spoke, and Rebby did not look at her formerfriend who had led her into such sad mischief. Then suddenly there was acrash, a loud cry from Lucia and from Rebby as the lustre mug fell tothe ground, and the contents of the frail plate streamed over thedelicate yellow muslin of Lucia's fine dress.
"Oh! She has spoiled my dress! She did it on purpose! She did! She did!"wailed Lucia, while Rebecca stood looking at the pieces of her cherishedmug that had been brought from Boston when the Westons moved to Machias.
"She dropped it on purpose," Rebby said, but no one seemed to think ofher mug. Mrs. Lyon and Mrs. Weston were both endeavoring to comfortLucia, and to repair the harm done to the yellow muslin. But the honeyand water were not easily removed from the delicate fabric.
"I am going home. It's a cheap, foolish party anyway. Honey and water,and corn-bread!" sobbed Lucia angrily, pulling away from the friendlywomen, and running down the path.
Mrs. Lyon and Mrs. Weston looked after her in amazed disapproval.
"I begin to think there is something in the rumors that Captain Hortonand his wife are not trustworthy," Mrs. Lyon said. "The child is soill-bred she can be but indulged and spoiled at home," and Mrs. Westonagreed. But neither of them imagined that Lucia's mother and father weredisloyal to the American cause, and only waiting a profitableopportunity to betray the little settlement to its enemies.
Lucia's angry words cast but a brief shadow over the gathering, and noone noticed that Rebecca had disappeared. At the moment Lucia startedfor home Rebby had run toward the house. She hurried up the stairs tothe little room under the roof where she and Anna slept, and from thecloset she drew out the square wooden box that her father had made forher. Her initials R. F. W. were carved inside a small square on thecover, and it had a lock and key. Rebby was very proud of this box, andin it she kept her most treasured possessions: a handkerchief of finelawn with a lace edge, a pin made from a silver sixpence, and theprayer-book her Grandmother Weston had given her. When Lucia gave herthe silk mitts for a birthday present Rebby had put them carefully awaywith these other treasures. Now she pulled them out hurriedly, and,without waiting to close the box, she ran down the stairs through thekitchen, keeping carefully out of sight of the group under the elmtrees, until she could not be seen from the house. Then she caught aglimpse of Lucia's yellow dress, and ran faster than before. But she didnot call Lucia's name. She said to herself that she would never speak toLucia again.
Hearing the hurrying steps behind her Lucia looked over her shoulder,and seeing Rebby she became frightened and ran faster than ever. Luciadid not know why she was afraid, but she remembered that she had notbeen asked to the party, that she had spoken insultingly to Rebby,and--she had dropped the mug purposely. So it was small wonder that herguilty conscience accused her, and that she was eager to reach homebefore Rebby could overtake her.
On raced the two girls along the narrow path. A few men at the wharveswatched the flying figures, but no one imagined it more than a game.Very soon the Horton house was in sight. Its front door opening on thestreet stood open to admit the pleasant spring air. In a moment Luciawas in the house and had slammed and fastened the door behind her.
Rebby stood on the step breathless, the silk mitts clasped in her hand.After a moment she rapped loudly on the door. There was no response. Butin a moment an upper window opened, and Mrs. Horton looked down atRebby.
"Why, Rebecca Flora!" she exclaimed in her pleasant voice. "Lucia hasgone to your party."
"If you please, Mrs. Horton, I have brought back the mitts Lucia gave mefor a birthday present," responded Rebby, her voice faltering a little.
"Oh! Don't they fit? Why, that is a shame. Well, lay them on the step,"said Mrs. Horton, wondering why Rebby should look so flushed and warm,and why she had not given the mitts to Lucia. Later on, when she heardLucia's account of Rebby's turning honey and water over the prettyyellow muslin, she decided that Rebecca was ashamed to keep a gift aftertreating Lucia so badly.
Rebby went slowly toward home tired and unhappy. All the pleasure ofthe party, she said to herself, was spoiled. She was not sorry to giveup the mitts, for everything that reminded her of Lucia made her thinkof the night when they had pushed the liberty tree from its moorings.
When she was nearly home she heard Mr. Foster's whistle and in a momentthey were face to face.
"Well, Rebecca Flora, 'twas a fine party," he said smilingly, for Mr.Foster had not seen the accident to the mug. "The neighbors are allsmiling and cheerful, and we are all the better for meeting in thisneighborly fashion," and Mr. Foster ended his sentence with a whistlelike a bird's note. "You must come with the others to the liberty poleon Sabbath morning," he added. "Parson Lyon is to preach to us there,and 'twill be a great occasion."
"Yes, sir," Rebby responded, and went slowly on up the slope. It beganto seem to her that she would never escape from the liberty pole. Andnow she met Mr. and Mrs. Lyon, with Melvina dancing along in front ofthem. "More like Danna than Danna is like herself," thought Rebby,smiling, as she remembered how sedately and quietly Melvina had walkedbefore Danna and Luretta had played their mischievous pranks on the dayof the tempest.
The neighbors had all gone when Rebecca reached home, and Mrs. Westonand Anna were in the house, while Mr. Weston and Paul were taking up theseats under the elm trees. The pieces of the broken lustre mug lay onthe kitchen table, and Rebby's face clouded as she stood looking atthem.
"Lucia Horton dropped it on purpose!" she said. "I know she did."
"And nobody asked her to come to our party," added Anna; "'twas rude ofher to come."
Mrs. Weston looked in astonishment at her two little daughters.
"Not ask Lucia?" she questioned, and listened to Rebby's explanation:that, because of the Hortons' store of dainties, and their scorn of thesimple fare of their neighbors, Rebby had decided not to ask Lucia toher party.
But when the little girl had finished her story, Mrs. Weston shook herhead disapprovingly.
"I am not pleased with you, Rebecca," she said. "'Twas not a kindthought to sit in judgment and decide to punish a friend for somethingthat is no fault of hers. Lucia did right to come. Of course she thoughtyou would welcome her."
"She didn't! She didn't!" exclaimed Rebby. "She made up faces at me, andsaid--"
"Never mind, Rebecca. You see what comes from quarreling. Your mug isbroken, Lucia's dress is spoiled, and you had no pleasure from theafternoon. Now, there is something for you to do to put this straight.You must take off your pinafore, put on your sunbonnet, and go straightto Mrs. Horton's and ask Lucia's pardon."
"Oh, Mother!" wailed Rebby. "It isn't fair. It isn't my fault."
But Mrs. Weston was firm. From Rebby's own story her mother decided thatshe had been unfair to Lucia; she did not ask if Rebby had purposelyspilled the honey on Lucia's muslin dress, but she felt it was not the
time to allow any ill feeling among the families of the settlement, andthat Rebecca's failure to ask the Hortons to come with the otherneighbors to taste the wild honey could easily offend them.
Anna stood looking first at Rebby and then at her mother. It was soseldom that Rebby cried, that it seemed a very dreadful thing to heryounger sister.
"I'll go, Mother, let me go!" she asked eagerly.
"Do not be so foolish, Anna," responded Mrs. Weston. "This is yoursister's duty. It has nothing to do with you. Take off your pinafore,Rebecca, and do as I bid you."
Rebecca was sobbing bitterly. She could not believe that her motherreally meant that she should go and ask Lucia Horton's forgiveness.
"If you knew----" she began, tempted to tell her mother all that Luciahad said about the liberty pole, and even what they had done to preventits erection. But the memory of her promise held her. She knew that hermother expected obedience, and she took off her pinafore, took hersunbonnet, and, still sobbing, went slowly from the room. Anna startedto follow her, but Mrs. Weston called her back sharply.
"Anna, you are not to go with your sister," she said, and the littlegirl came slowly back.
"Oh, dear," she sighed, "I wish Lucia Horton would go sailing off to farlands. To--to Egypt," she concluded. For Anna had never heard much thatwas pleasant about Egypt, and was sure that all this trouble wasLucia's fault.
Rebecca had never been so unhappy in her life as when she realized thather mother expected her to go to the Hortons' and ask Lucia's pardon fornot inviting Mrs. Horton and Lucia to the honey party. There were robinssinging in the trees, bluebirds flitting about with gay little notes,and the spring day was full of beauty, but Rebby was not conscious of itas she went slowly along the path.
Very soon she was again standing in front of the Hortons' door, andsummoning all her courage she rapped loudly. There was no response, andafter a few moments she rapped again; but the house seemed silent anddeserted, and no one came to open the door.
And now Rebecca did not know what to do. If she went home she knew thather mother would say that she must return at a later hour to fulfil hererrand. So the little girl decided to sit down on the steps and wait fora time.
Twilight was near at hand. The sun was low in the western sky, and acool little breeze crept up from the river and stirred the tree-tops.Shadows gathered about the house, and still there was no sign or soundof the Hortons, and Rebby was about to start for home when a man camearound the corner of the house and spoke to her.
He was evidently a sailor, and in a great hurry. He asked no questionsbut began speaking as if he had no time to lose.
"Tell your mother that the _Polly_ and _Unity_ will come into harborto-morrow, and that Captain Jones is on board the _Unity_. There's aBritish gunboat along with them, and your father says there may betrouble, and for you and your mother to keep close indoors until hecomes."
The sailor started to move off, but Rebby found courage to ask:
"Where--where are the sloops now?"
"Anchored below Round Island; but we'll be sailing in with morning tide.The Captain bade me keep well out of sight and come straight back to thesloop. Be sure you tell your mother," responded the man, speaking insuch low tones that Rebby had to listen sharply to understand.
"Yes, I'll tell my mother," she replied, and without a moment'shesitation she started for home as fast as her feet could carry her. Shehad entirely forgotten her anger toward Lucia, or her mother's reproof.All she could think of was the news this sailor, evidently a member ofthe _Polly's_ crew, had told her, believing that he was speaking toLucia Horton.
And now Rebecca recalled all that Lucia had told her of what mightbefall the little village if a British gunboat sailed into harbor andsaw a liberty tree flaunting its courageous defiance to injustice. Butnow she could tell her father, not Lucia's secret, but what the sailorhad told her.
"And Father will know what to do. Father and Mr. Lyon," she thoughtbreathlessly, as she ran swiftly up the path and burst into the kitchen,where her father and mother and Anna were waiting her return.
She told her story quickly, and without any mention of what Lucia hadconfided in her weeks before. "The sailor thought I was Captain Horton'slittle girl," she concluded.
Mr. Weston questioned Rebby carefully, and then said:
"I'll take this news to Captain O'Brien and to Parson Lyon; but saynothing about it to anyone until we see what news the _Polly_ brings."And he hurried away to prepare his neighbors for possible danger.
"You see, Rebby, your obedience may have saved the settlement," saidMrs. Weston, putting her arm about Rebecca.
"But I had not seen Lucia, Mother. I was waiting for her," said Rebecca.
Mrs. Weston made no answer; her thoughts were too full of the possibledangers to the settlement from the British gunboat to think much of thepostponed apology; nor was the matter ever again mentioned.
"Now, Rebby, you really have done something for America," declared Anna,as the sisters went up to their room that night. But Rebby shook herhead.
"No, Danna, I haven't. But perhaps I can sometime, and you too," shereplied. For some reason, that Rebby could not explain even to herself,her thoughts centered around what her father had said on their trip tothe Falls of the store of powder and shot at Chandler's Riversettlement. She had heard her father say that Machias was but illprovided with munitions; and with a British gunboat coming into harborthe next day who could tell how quickly powder and shot might beneeded?