CHAPTER XIV
TIM'S FATHER
The "Boojum" and the little "Sabrina" dropped anchor in the harbor atNantucket Island almost at the same time. They found themselves in themidst of a fleet of trig catboats, yawls and splendid motor yachts.Every male in the island is said to have some sort of boat, and thecatboat seemed to be the choice of the majority. There is a stretch ofland-locked water reaching along one side of the island, and here,every day, are to be seen races between the many catboats.
Boat after boat slid in, found its mooring, and emptied itself of itsgay-sweatered, picnicking crowd. The boats were so packed and wedgedin that the "Boojum's" people began to wonder how they could picktheir way into shore with the tender.
Suddenly a speed boat shot out from the landing in front of the clubhouse and with marvelous skill threaded its way among the mooredboats. As it approached the "Boojum," a tall gray-haired man, who wasstanding at the wheel, raised one hand and waved it at the group onthe "Boojum's" deck.
"Why, he seems to be coming up alongside," Mr. Wing said in surprise.
"Ahoy on board the 'Boojum!'" boomed the man's deep voice.
"Come aboard," invited Mr. Wing with a cordial smile and a bewilderedvoice.
"It's Tim's father, of course," said Frances, springing forward togreet him. "They look exactly alike. Jane, run down into the saloonand tell Tim his daddy is here."
But Mr. Reynolds, with a Tim-like grin that included them all in itsheartiness, said:
"Please, young lady, let me go see my boy. I'll be up in a second andthank all of you for your kindness."
He had disappeared down the companionway before Frances got herbreath, Mr. Wing following and the rest of the crew close on the heelsof their captain.
Some persons think it is an amusing thing to see two men kiss, but noone would have been amused to see the gray-haired Mr. Reynolds takehis red-haired son in his arms and kiss him first on one cheek, thenon the other. Tim seemed to like it and not to be a bit abashed.
"How's mother?" he asked as soon as he emerged from the bear's hug hisfather was giving him.
"In an awful stew about you! When you didn't come home that night, shethrew a few fits and then, when there was no word from you, she threwa few more. The telegram that finally arrived only assured her youwere as well as might be expected with a broken leg. Now she is havingan awful time because the telegram didn't say which leg."
"Poor little Mumsy! It's the left one, but since I don't write orshave with my toes it doesn't really make much difference."
Then Tim introduced his father to the captain and the crew and theelder Reynolds by his heartiness and honest gratitude soon began torun his son a close race in their admiration and affection. It doesn'ttake many hours on ship board for people to become very wellacquainted and, already, the inmates of the "Boojum" had begun to feelthat Tim Reynolds was a life-long friend.
"And these two slips of girls carried you down that rocky hill all bythemselves? I don't believe it! Let me feel your muscle!" said Mr.Reynolds, putting his hand around Frances' biceps.
"Jimminy crickets! As hard as steel! Now where did you get yourstretcher? Tell me all about it, every detail. My wife is sure to wantto know everything that can be told. You say Tim was unconscious mostof the time?"
"Yes, sir," answered Frances, who, having been the one to find Tim,was tacitly understood to be the one to answer for him. "Eitherunconscious or light-headed, but his head was the only thing that waslight, I can assure you. He said he hadn't eaten anything for a dayand a night, but he must have been breathing heavily all the timebecause he certainly hadn't lost any weight."
Then she had to tell him how she and Jane made a stretcher with theirskirts and the oars. Here he interrupted:
"What kind of skirts? Tell me what kind and what color. The boy'smother will worry my soul out of me if I don't find out what kind andwhat color."
"Just plain khaki, Camp Fire Girls' skirts!" laughed Frances. "Thekind we are wearing now, but we must change them soon, as we alwaysdress up a bit when we go ashore."
"But, my dear young lady, please don't! I beg of you don't change yourskirts."
Mr. Reynolds' request was such a strange one the girls could not helplaughing. His manner was earnest, but in his eyes there was a regularTim twinkle.
"But why not?" insisted Frances.
"It is this way: you see, of course, when you go ashore it must be toour home, and I can tell you if you don't wear those skirts out ofwhich the stretcher was made that carried our Tim, his mother willnever cease bewailing, to say nothing of Cousin Esther. Of course, youcan tie them up in a bundle and let me carry them ashore, but ashorethey must go. Am I not right, Tim?"
"Well, Mother is right fond of detail and as for Cousin Esther--"confessed Tim. "If you girls don't mind--"
"Mind! Of course we don't mind," put in Jane. "The only thing Francesand I don't like about going ashore is having to doll up. We'll evencarry Tim ashore as we carried him down the hill if that would helpany."
"Not me!" cried Tim. "I'll never cease to be grateful to you forcarrying me as you did, but, remember, I am not unconscious now andmy leg has been set. I'm afraid you'll jiggle it out of place. I bidfor Breck and Jack to do the carrying this time."
"We certainly will," said Breck heartily, while Jack gave Tim areassuring pat on his shoulder. "I think, Mr. Reynolds," continuedBreck, "you had better send for a surgeon as soon as you get your sonhome. I am little more than an amateur and think an expert should passon my manner of setting bones."
"Certainly, young man, although I am sure you made a good job of it.What my boy would have done without your skill I tremble tocontemplate. Tell me--I think Mr. Wing said your name was AllenBreckenridge--are you related to Preston Breckenridge of California?"
"My father, sir!" and Breck's face flushed.
"Well now, isn't that too bad? Not that you are related to PrestonBreckenridge, but that you have come into port just too late to seeyour father. His yacht has been anchored here for several days, butthey set sail only this morning. I've no idea where they were going.Didn't know they were going at all. Meant to see them again. Quite aparty. You perhaps know where they are going?"
"No, sir, I do not know," answered Breck, the flush deepening on hiscountenance. "I thought they were still on the Pacific coast."
"Well, well! California people don't think a thing of stepping acrossthe continent," declared Mr. Reynolds, suddenly realizing that he hadrather put his foot in it and the good looking young man who had beenso nice about setting his son's leg was evidently not on very goodterms with his family.
While the general bustle was in process incident to going ashore andgetting the broken-boned Tim ready to be carried off, Breck had timeto whisper to Jane:
"You heard what Mr. Reynolds said about my father's being in thesewaters?"
"Yes, I heard. Aren't you going to try to find out where he is? Do youthink the rest of your family is along? He said a large party."
"There is no telling. Gee, I'm glad I wasn't one of them! I'd ratherswab the 'Boojum's' decks, even do galley work with greasy pots andpans to be scoured, than have to wait on the fool girls my sister,Lorna, gathers around her."
"Lorna! What a pretty name! You never told me her name was Lorna. Youalways just said 'my sister.' I've meant to ask you what her name wastime and again, but when we are together there always seems to be somany things to talk about I can't get to it."
"Yes, honey, and there always will be. That's what is so nice aboutyou: we never seem to talk out," and Breck slid his hand along therail and covered Jane's hand. "We don't get much time alone, though,do we? I love the old 'Boojum,' love her like a sister or a nicecomfortable maiden aunt, but I can't say she offers a fellow manychances to tell a girl how much he thinks of her. Ummhum! Just thinkof Hurricane Island! I tell you that's a great place for love making."
"How about the little tow-headed Grays? It seems to me on one occasionthey were pretty numerous," laughed Jane.<
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"Break away! Break away!" called Charlie, as he emerged from below.
"What did I tell you?" grumbled Breck.
"But you never did tell me if you are going to hunt up your family,"insisted Jane. "Do you intend to do it?"
"Not on your life! In the first place, they have gone. Mr. Reynoldssaid they had sailed this morning. I am too happy to row and if theGovernor and I get together we'll lock horns, as sure as shooting."
"Yes--but--"
"But what?"
"I can't fancy being in the same--same--Gulf Stream with my father andnot trying to see him, even if it meant having a small set-to with himwhen I did see him. No doubt he and I are to have some argument at ournext meeting, but I am nearly dead to see him all the same," andJane's black eyes softened to velvet.
"But perhaps your father is different," said Breck sadly.
"Different in some ways, but all fathers are more or less alike. Ireckon your father loves you just as much as mine does me. He justdoesn't know you are grown-up, and you see my father had to let megrow up because my mother died when I was so young. He thinks I've gotlots more judgment than Jack just because he can't get in his headJack is a man. If Jack had been a girl, he'd have realized long ago hewas no longer a child. I'm hoping you are going to be friends withyour father, Breck. It is a terrible thing to carry a grouch around,especially one against some of your own blood."
"I know it, honey, but you don't know what a ragging I got the lasttime I saw the Governor. Some day, maybe, it will come right and healup, but the place is still pretty sore."
"But how about Lorna?"
"Oh she is such a--such a--well, I think I won't say anything aboutLorna. I fancy she is what her environment has made her. She hasn'thad half a chance with everything on God's green earth hers for theasking. Everybody spoils her and she has such a bunch of silly friendsaround her flattering her to death that it is hard for the true Lornato come out. She was a cute kid years ago and I used to be mighty fondof her--she was of me too--but now--but never mind. She haschanged--changed a lot."
"Maybe you changed too," insisted Jane.
"But she seemed to have so little sympathy for my plans and ideals."
"Did you have any for hers?"
"But hers were so silly and vapid."
"Perhaps she thought yours were silly, too."
"Well, we won't row about it, honey. I guess I was rather superior andbig brotherish when last Lorna and I met," said Breck somewhatruefully.
"Next time, behave better," admonished Jane.
"All right, but I can't see a possibility of any next time for yearsto come. When you are given to understand by your father that yourroom is more desirable than your company, you are not likely to domuch hanging around after that," and the young man flushed.
"Poor old Breck! You mustn't think I'm blaming you. I am sure it isn'tyour fault, but I just have such a strong family feeling myself that Ican't understand when it is lacking. I know you have it too, and sohas your father--and no doubt poor little Lorna has it. You just can'tget together on it."
And Jane began to turn over in her mind how she might help her fianceto make friends with his family.