CHAPTER XVIII
A LONG LOOK AHEAD
Before the Corner House party and their guests could get away in theirautomobile after the show, and before Cap'n Quigg and Louise had, intheir bashful way, thanked the young folks from Milton for helping savethe burning canalboat, Uncle Bill Sorber appeared to bid the partygood-night.
Right then and there the ringmaster made a bargain with the captain ofthe _Nancy Hanks_ to transport Scalawag to Milton on this return trip.The circus had shown at the home town of the Corner House girls whilethey were away on their motor trip earlier in the summer; so Mr. Sorberwould not again be in Milton during the open season.
"Old Scalawag has done his last tricks in the ring to-night," theshowman said. "I'd made my mind up to that before you young peopleappeared. And now we had a chance to make a little fancy business of it.I believe in advertising the circus in season and out. The papers willgive us half a column at least to-morrow, what with the fire on thatbarge and the presentation of Scalawag to this little girlie here," andhe shook hands again with Dot.
Dot was sound asleep before the car was off the circus field. She andSammy slept most of the way home and, it was so late, when they arrivedmost of the congratulations and all the punishment due the youngsterswas postponed.
To tell the truth, Dot rose the next morning with a vague feeling thatthe venture in piracy, as Luke Shepard for a long time called it, wassomething that had happened to her and Sammy in a dream. And the adultswere all so glad that the affair had turned out happily that evenscoldings were mild.
Sammy, however, had an interview with his father that next evening thatmade a deep impression upon the boy's mind.
For the first time Sammy began to understand that he had an influenceupon other people--especially small people--that must be for good ratherthan ill. He was the older, and he should not have allowed Dot to leadhim astray. Besides, it was not manly for a boy to encourage a littlegirl to do things that might bring her to harm.
"When I go off to be a real pirate," Sammy confessed later to Neale, "Iain't goin' to take a girl anyway. No more. My father says pirates thatcarried off women with 'em never came to a good end."
The flurry of excitement and anxiety regarding Dot and Sammy blew overas all similar things did. With Mrs. MacCall, one may believe thatthere was seldom a day passed at the old Corner House that did not bringits own experiences of a startling nature. Aunt Sarah declared she waskept "in a fidgit" all the time by the children.
"I don't know what a fidgit is," Tess confessed; "but we've got to becareful what we do now for a while, Dottie."
"Why?" asked the little girl.
"'Cause Aunt Sarah seems awfully uncomfortable when she's in one ofthose fidgits. Yesterday, when you were lost, she was walking up anddown stairs and all over the house. She must have walked _miles_! Iguess fidgits are wearing on her."
The older Corner House girls did not mean that their guests should feelneglected because of the excitement about the lost children. One day'splanned amusement for Cecile and Luke Shepard was lost. The latterdeclared, however, that pursuing embryo pirates and saving burningcanalboats, to say nothing of attending the circus, seemed to him tohave made up a more or less interesting and exciting day.
Luke was making himself much liked by every member of the Corner Housefamily. Even Aunt Sarah endured his presence with more than usualcomplacency. Agnes found him a most cheerful philosopher and friend. Thelittle girls considered him, next to Neale O'Neil, to be the nicest boythey had ever known.
Mrs. MacCall had her say regarding Luke Shepard, too. It was to Ruth,and the outburst came after the Scotch woman had ample time to considerand form her opinion of the young man.
"Hech, ma lassie! there's a time coming when all o' ye will be thinkin'o' young men, an' bringin' them to the hoose. Forbye it's natural yeshould. But 'tis in ma mind, Ruthie, ye'll never find one more suited toye than yon bonnie lad."
"Oh, Mrs. Mac!" gasped Ruth, blushing furiously, and she actually ranout of the room to escape the keen scrutiny of the old housekeeper.
The oldest Corner House girl was growing up. One could not doubt it.Agnes exclaimed one morning as she and Ruth were dressing:
"Why, Ruthie! you really are as big as the old girls now. Of course youare. You are just as much grown up as Carrie Poole--and _she's_ engaged.And so is Elizabeth Forbes. And Annie Dudley will be married beforeChristmas. Oh, Ruthie! did you ever think of being married?"
"For goodness' sake, child!" ejaculated Ruth, hiding her face quicklyfrom her pretty sister, "where is your sense?"
"My cents are where my dollars are," laughed Agnes. "I am talking justas good sense as you ever heard, Ruth Kenway. Of course, some day youwill marry."
"What for?" snapped her sister, inclined to be a little piqued becauseof Agnes' insistence.
"To please yourself, I hope," Agnes said slyly. "But surely to pleasesome man, my dear."
"I don't know any man I'd want to please--"
"Hush!" warned Agnes, who was looking out of the open window, and shesaid it with mischief dancing in her eyes. "There's Luke Shepard."
"What do you mean?" demanded Ruth, flaring up in haste, not at all likeher usual placid self.
"Why--on the lawn. Luke is on the lawn, I was going to say," declaredAgnes, making innocent eyes again. "Why so touchy?"
But her sister did not answer her. To tell the truth she was beingworried a good deal by the family's interest in a matter which sheconsidered should interest herself alone--and one other.
Of course she had gone out with boys before, had been brought home fromparties, had been escorted from evening meetings. Boys had carried herbooks home from school, and invited her to entertainments, and all that.But Ruth had always been so busy--there were such a multitude of thingsshe was interested in--that never a sentimental thought had entered herhead about any of these young swains.
If any of them had been inclined to have what the slangy Agnes called a"crush" on Ruth, they had quickly discovered that she had no use forthat sort of thing. She made friends of boys as she made friends ofgirls--and that was all. And, really, she had never cared greatly to goout much or be with boys. She only had endured Neale about the house--orso she believed--because he was useful and really was a remarkablydomestic boy.
Ruth's mental attitude toward men was rapidly changing. She had never inher life before thought so much about boys, or young men, as she hadduring this week that Luke Shepard remained at the house with hissister. He seemed quite unlike any other person that Ruth had ever knownbefore.
They were much together. Not, seemingly, by any plan on either side. Butif Ruth took her sewing to the front porch, like enough she would findLuke there reading. Cecile and Agnes were clattering off at all hours toshop, or go to the motion picture shows, or visit Agnes' friends.
If Luke had anything to do at all, usually it was more convenient to doit in the company of the eldest Corner House girl. And wherever theymet, or whatever they did, Ruth and Luke found plenty of subjects forconversation.
Never out of topics for small talk, were they, no indeed! And the mostinteresting things to say to each other! Of course, each was deeplyinterested in whatever seemed of moment to the other.
Not having known each other for very long, Ruth and Luke had to learnmany things about each other which they would have known as a matter ofcourse had they been brought up as neighbors. They wanted to learn eachother's likes and dislikes on a multitude of questions. Then theydeferred to each other's tastes in a way that at first amazed the otherpeople in the house and then secretly amused them.
That is, Mrs. MacCall, Agnes, and Neale were amused. Tess merely saidseemingly apropos of nothing at all:
"Our Ruthie never did like boys before. But I guess Mr. Luke must bedifferent."
"He isn't as nice as Neale," Dot proclaimed, loyal to the older friend,"but I like him."
Mr. Howbridge chanced to call--or was it chance! At any rate, he metLuke Shepard and his sister and seem
ed to approve of both of them.
"Your young friends are remarkably attractive, I am sure, Ruth," thelawyer said, with twinkling eyes as he was going. "Let me see, there'sno danger yet of a dowry being wanted out of that idle money we aregoing to have--for Agnes, for instance?"
Ruth blushed furiously. She was getting that habit, it seemed, of late.
"I do wish, Mr. Howbridge, that you wouldn't joke so--"
"On such very serious subjects?" he interposed.
"It would be very serious indeed if our Agnes thought of such things. Ather age!"
"True. And, of course, nobody else in this house could possibly bearsuch a thing in mind. Good-bye, my dear. Of course, if anything shouldhappen, let me know at once."
"Oh, everything is all right now, Mr. Howbridge," said Ruth, ignoringhis insinuations. "I am sure the roof will not leak now that the roofershave been here. And, as you say, the painting of the house would bettergo until late in the fall."
He shook his finger at her as he went out of the door.
"You are a very bright young lady, Ruth Kenway."
"Boy," said Cecile to her brother, "you are getting in deep."
"And glad of it," growled Luke, knowing full well what she meant.
"But what about Neighbor?"
"I am going to see Neighbor," declared the young man, looking veryuncomfortable but decisive. "I'm not going to be a cad."
"You couldn't be that, Luke," she told him.
"Oh, yes, I could. I have been tempted," Luke said.
"Tempted to do what--to say what?"
"To try and make Ruth Kenway like me and let me tell her how very fond Iam of her without a thought for the future, Sis."
"Oh, Luke! You are looking so very far ahead."
"I know it. And with the prospect I have without Neighbor's help, itwould be looking very, very far indeed. I would be wrong to try to tieup any girl so long. I've fought that all out. I won't do it."
"But what will you do?" asked his sister, grieving for him in both voiceand look.
"See Neighbor the moment we get home. I'll put it to him straight. I'llbe no man's slave and for no amount of money. If he will see it in theright light I shall stop off here at Milton on my way to college, andjust tell Ruth all about it."
"And if Neighbor will not listen to reason?"
"Then I must not speak to Ruth," the young man said bitterly, and turnedabruptly away from her.
"Yes. But," murmured Cecile, "will that be kind to Ruth? I wonder!"