CHAPTER XVIII
THE STORM
When Uncle William Minturn came in from the city that evening he hadsome mysterious news. Everybody guessed it was about Nellie, but assurprises were always cropping up at Ocean Cliff, the news was keptsecret and the whispering increased.
"I had hard work to get her to come," said Uncle William toMrs. Bobbsey, still guarding the mystery, "but I finally prevailedupon her and she will be down on the morning train."
"Poor woman, I am sure it will do her good," remarked Mrs. Bobbsey."Your house has been a regular hotel this summer," she said toMr. Minturn.
"That's what we are here for," he replied. "We would not have muchpleasure, I am sure, if our friends were not around us."
"Did you hear anything more about the last vessel?" asked Aunt Emily.
"Yes, I went down to the general office today, and an incoming steamerwas sure it was the West Indies vessel that was sighted four daysago."
"Then they should be near port now?" asked Mrs. Bobbsey.
"They ought to be," replied Uncle William, "but the cargo is so heavy,and the schooner such a very slow sailer, that it takes a long time tocover the distance."
Next morning, bright and early, Dorothy had the donkeys in harness.
"We are going to the station to meet some friends, Nellie," she said."Come along?"
"What! More company?" exclaimed Nellie. "I really ought to go home.I am well and strong now."
"Indeed you can't go until we let you," said Dorothy, laughing. "Isuppose you think all the fun went with Harry," she added, teasingly,for Dorothy knew Nellie had been acting lonely ever since thecarnival. She was surely homesick to see her mother and talk aboutthe big prize.
The two girls had not long to wait at the station, for the trainpulled in just as they reached the platform. Dorothy looked about alittle uneasily.
"We must watch for a lady in a linen suit with black hat," she said toNellie; "she's a stranger."
That very minute the linen suit appeared.
"Oh, oh!" screamed Nellie, unable to get her words. "There is mymother!" and the next thing Dorothy knew, Nellie was trying to "wearthe same linen dress" that the stranger appeared in--at least, thatwas how Dorothy afterwards told about Nellie's meeting with hermother.
"My daughter!" exclaimed the lady, "I have been so lonely I came tobring you home."
"And this is Dorothy," said Nellie, recovering herself. "Dorothy ismy best friend, next to Nan."
"You have surely been among good friends," declared the mother, "foryou have gotten the roses back in your cheeks again. How well you dolook!"
"Oh, I've had a perfectly fine time," declared Nellie.
"Fine and dandy," repeated Dorothy, unable to restrain her fun-makingspirit.
At a glance Dorothy saw why Nellie, although poor, was so genteel, forher mother was one of those fine-featured women that seem especiallyfitted to say gentle things to children.
Mrs. McLaughlin was not old,--no older than Nan's mother,--and she hadthat wonderful wealth of brown hair, just like Nellie's. Her eyeswere brown, too, while Nellie's were blue, but otherwise Nellie wasmuch like her mother, so people said.
Aunt Emily and Mrs. Bobbsey had visited Mrs. McLaughlin in the city,so that they were quite well acquainted when the donkey cart drove up,and they all had a laugh over the surprise to Nellie. Of course thatwas Uncle William's secret, and the mystery of the whispering theevening before.
"But we must go back on the afternoon train," insistedMrs. McLaughlin, who had really only come down to the shore to bringNellie home.
"Indeed, no," objected Aunt Emily, "that would be too much travelingin one day. You may go early in the morning."
"Everybody is going home," sighed Dorothy. "I suppose you will be thenext to go, Nan," and she looked quite lonely at the prospect.
"We are going to have a big storm," declared Susan, who had just comein from the village. "We have had a long dry spell, now we are goingto make up for it."
"Dear me," sighed Mrs. McLaughlin, "I wish we had started for home."
"Oh, there's lots of fun here in a storm," laughed Dorothy. "Theocean always tries to lick up the whole place, but it has to besatisfied with pulling down pavilions and piers. Last year the waterreally went higher than the gas lights along the boulevard."
"Then that must mean an awful storm at sea," reflected Nellie'smother. "Storms are bad enough on land, but at sea they must bedreadful!" And she looked out toward the wild ocean, that was keepingfrom her the fate of her husband.
Long before there were close signs of storm, life-guards, on thebeach, were preparing for it. They were making fast everything thatcould be secured and at the life-saving station all possiblepreparations were being made to help those who might suffer from thestorm.
It was nearing September and a tidal wave had swept over the southernports. Coming in all the way from the tropics the storm had madeitself felt over a great part of the world, in some places taking theshape of a hurricane.
On this particular afternoon, while the sun still shone brightly overSunset Beach, the storm was creeping in under the big waves thatdashed up on the sands.
"It is not safe to let go the ropes," the guards told the people, butthe idea of a storm, from such a pretty sky, made some daring enoughto disobey these orders. The result was that the guards were keptbusy trying to bring girls and women to their feet, who were beingdashed around by the excited waves.
This work occupied the entire afternoon, and as soon as the crowd leftthe beach the life-guards brought the boats down to the edge, gottheir lines ready, and when dark came on, they were prepared for thelife-patrol,--the long dreary watch of the night, so near the noisywaves, and so far from the voice of distress that might call over thebreakers to the safe shores, where the life-savers waited, watched,and listened.
The rain began to fall before it was entirely dark. The lurid sunset,glaring through the dark and rain, gave an awful, yellow look to theland and sea alike.
"It is like the end of the world," whispered Nellie to Nan, as the twogirls looked out of the window to see the wild storm approaching.
Then the lightning came in blazing blades, cutting through thegathering clouds.
The thunder was only like muffled rolls, for the fury of the oceandeadened every other sound of heaven or earth.
"It will be a dreadful storm," said Aunt Emily to Mrs. Bobbsey. "Wemust all go into the sitting room and pray for the sailors."
Everyone in the house assembled in the large sitting room, and UncleWilliam led the prayers. Poor Mrs. McLaughlin did not once raise herhead. Nellie, too, hid her pale face in her hands.
Dorothy was frightened, and when all were saying good-night shepressed a kiss on Nellie's cheek, and told her that the life-savers onSunset Beach would surely be able to save all the sailors that camethat way during the big storm.
Nellie and her mother occupied the same room. Of course the motherhad been told that the long delayed boat had been sighted, and now,how anxiously she awaited more news of Nellie's father.
"We must not worry," she told Nellie, "for who knows but the storm mayreally help father's boat to get into port?"
So, while the waves lashed furiously upon Sunset Beach, all the peoplein the Minturn cottage were sleeping, or trying to sleep, for, indeed,it was not easy to rest when there was so much danger at their verydoor.