CHAPTER XXXVI. MURIEL VISITS TUNKETT AGAIN.
Doctor Winslow accompanied Miss Gordon and Muriel to the little coastvillage of Tunkett. It was twilight when the leisurely train at laststopped at the station and Jabez appeared through the flurry of snowdriving the doctor's old horse and two-seated buggy. The side curtainswere up and on the back seat the woman and the girl were soon madecomfortable.
How Miss Gordon was enjoying every moment of the quaint experience ofbeing suddenly transported from the atmosphere of a fashionable girls'school and from the most modern city in the world to this old-fashionedhamlet which had changed but little in one hundred years.
The wagon jolted along, for the road was full of frozen ruts, and Muriellaughed gleefully as she was thrown against the older woman. She knewthat she was laughing to keep from crying, but, oh, how hard it was, howmuch harder even than she had supposed that it would be, this coming backto Tunkett and no grand-dad there to meet her. But she would lock hergrief in her heart, she bravely resolved, and devote the next two weeksto bringing rest and recreation to the dear friend who had devoted somuch of her free time during the past months to teaching and helping her.
As they turned into the road, the booming of the breakers could plainlybe heard and the penetrating cold, salty wind from the sea reached eventhe sheltered back seat; but, before Miss Gordon or Muriel could bechilled, they were turning into a driveway, and, with unexpectedsuddenness, Methuselah stopped at a stepping block near the side veranda.
"Don't have to say whoa to this ol' horse," Jabez boasted. "Allays knowswhen he's put into the home port and just whar he's to dock withouttellin'."
Doctor Winslow laughed as he sprang out and unfastened the side curtainspreparatory to assisting Miss Gordon to alight.
"Jabez," he exclaimed, "you and Methuselah belong to a mutual admirationsociety, don't you?"
"We're fust rate friends, if that's what yer meanin'," the old mandeclared with a chuckle, "but horses are much the same as humans, I takeit; if you like them, why turn about they like you." Then, as thesuitcase had been removed, he picked up the reins. "Heave ahead,Methuselah, we'll cruise down to your anchorage."
Miss Gordon laughed. "Does the old horse understand what he means?""Indeed, he does," the physician assured her; then, as the side dooropened letting out into the snowy dusk a welcome flood of light, hecalled to the thin, neatly dressed woman who appeared there: "Here weare, Brazilla, bag and baggage! Miss Gordon, this is the sister of JabezMullet and the maker of the most famous chowder on the coast."
The housekeeper accepted Miss Gordon's hand, but turned at once to thetall, slender girl who stood in the background smiling at her just a bitwistfully. "Rilla, Rilla Storm, 'tain't you! It can't be! They've goneand made you over into a young lady such as comes here summers to thepoint."
The housekeeper actually was wiping tears from her eyes with one cornerof her immaculate apron. In a moment the girl's arms were about her."'Tis me, Brazilla. Maybe my clothes are different, but my heart's thesame. I couldn't ever change inside." Doctor Winslow had led Miss Gordoninto the warm, cheerful living room, and so, for a moment, the two oldfriends were alone in the entry.
"I dunno what made me cry," Miss Mullet was saying. "You can't guess whatit means to me havin' you come for Christmas, Rilla. I sorter wish GeneBeavers was comin', too. It'd be kind of a family gatherin'. But thar,I'm forgettin' the biscuits that's in the oven and me wantin' 'em to bejust the crispy brown the way Doctor Lem likes 'em."
For a moment Muriel stood alone in the entrance hall, thinking of allthat had happened since she stood there before. Then she heard a sweetvoice calling to her. "Yes, Miss Gordon, I'm coming," she replied.
Half an hour later all were seated about a festive board and Miss Gordondeclared that of such delicious homey cooking she had not partaken sinceshe was a girl.
A kerosene lamp, with a rose-colored shade, hung above the middle of thetable and on the snowy cloth were the old-fashioned white dishes withgold borders that had belonged, in the long ago, to the mother of DoctorLem.
The physician glanced over a flowering rose geranium which adorned thecenter of the table and smiled at Miss Gordon, who sat opposite, as heexclaimed with sincere appreciation: "You are right, Helen; I havetraveled the world over, but nowhere have I found anyone who can cook toplease me as can Brazilla Mullet."
That was what Doctor Lem said, but in the silent moment that followed histhoughts added that it was indeed pleasant to see the sweet face of MissGordon smiling at him from the other end of the table. The old house hadnot really been a home to him since his sister and mother had died but afew months apart.
The color in Miss Gordon's checks deepened as she met his gaze, or,perhaps, it was but the reflection from the rose-colored lampshade.
"Brazilla, do tell me the news," Muriel was saying. "I'm just sure thatsomething interesting must have happened. Have you seen Shags, and poorlittle crippled Zoeth lately, and how are Mrs. Sol and little Soland----"
"One question at a time if you want them answered, Rilla," Doctor Lemsmiled at the girl, who was seated at his right.
"I see little Zoey every day, and Shags, too," Miss Brazilla replied,"and as for news, I should say there was some. Hasn't Doctor Lem toldyou--oh, I guess he wants to surprise you with it," she concluded as shecaught a glance from the physician's smiling grey eyes which she rightlyinterpreted.
"You'll be surprised, all right," Jabez remarked, "an' glad, too, likethe rest of us was."
"Oh, Uncle Lem, when am I to know?" The girl turned eager, glowing eyestoward the physician and searched his face, but his expression wasinscrutable.
"What has happened? I do believe that it is something about the Wixons."
Brazilla rose just then to replenish the biscuits, and when she returnedshe exclaimed beamingly: "Jabe and I have another surprise for you,Rilla, and this one even Doctor Lem don' know. He'll be jest as s'prisedan' pleased as you'll be."
"Oh, goodie!" ejaculated Muriel in little girl fashion. "Then there aretwo surprises awaiting me. When am I to find them out?"
"Tomorrow, if the weather's fine, or even if 'tisn't. I don't supposethat foul weather could keep you anchored in port when ye've friendsexpectin' you over on the sand dunes." This from Jabez.
"I should say not," the girl retorted. "The wildest tempest that everraged over this coast couldn't keep me from going to see Zoey and Shagsthe first thing tomorrow morning. There's one thing, though, I'm sort ofdreading, and that's seeing dear old Uncle Barney's cabin boarded up andlooking so lonesome."
Then, turning to Captain Mullet, she continued: "Jabez, some day soonwill you sail Miss Gordon and me over to Windy Island? I want to find mylame pelican if he is there and feed the gulls."
"Yeah, Rilla, I'll cruise ye over thar mos' any time the wind's right."
"Don't take any chances," Doctor Winslow warned.
He suddenly realized that the two who would be passengers were veryprecious to him and he did not want to lose them. Then he rebukedhimself. It was presumptuous for a man nearing sixty to think that aswonderful a woman as Miss Gordon could care for him. He would put thethought from him and think of her only as a dear friend.
Doctor Lem returned to the city that night, but promised to run downagain in a few days and if possible remain over Christmas. Miss Gordonand Muriel retired early to the big upper chamber, where a glowing bed ofembers on the hearth was sending forth its warmth, but it was long beforeeither of them slept, for each was dreaming dreams as they listened tothe intermittent wail of the foghorn, to the distant boom of the surf onthe rocks, and to the rush and swish of the snow beating against thewindows.