Stephen, the "man of the family," was the only member of the household, servants excepted, who slept soundly that night.
Conscious of having done his duty in the affair with Pearson and his guardian, and somewhat fatigued by the disagreeable task of soothing his hysterical sister, he was slumbering peacefully at nine the next morning when awakened by a series of raps on his bedroom door.
"Ah! What? Well, what is it?" he demanded, testily opening his eyes. "Edwards, is that you? What the devil do you mean by ****** such a row?"The voice which answered was not the butler's, but Caroline's.
"Steve! Oh, Steve!" she cried. "Do get up and come out! Come, quick!""What's the matter?" inquired the young man, sitting up in bed.
"Is the house afire?"
"No, no! But do come! I want you. Something has happened.""Happened? What is it?"
"I can't tell you here. Please dress and come to me as quick as you can."Stephen, wondering and somewhat alarmed, dressed with unusual promptitude and obeyed. He found his sister standing by the library window, a letter in her hand. She looked troubled and anxious.
"Well, Caro," observed the boy, "here I am. What in the world's up now?"She turned.
"Oh, Steve!" she exclaimed, "he's gone!"
"Gone? Who?"
"Captain Warren. He's gone."
"Gone? Gone where? Caro, you don't mean he's--DEAD?""No, he's gone--gone and left us."
Her brother's expression changed to incredulous joy.
"What?" he shouted. "You mean he's quit? Cleared out? Left here for good?""Yes."
"Hurrah! Excuse me while I gloat! Hurrah! We got it through his skull at last! Is it possible? But--but hold on! Perhaps it's too good to be true. Are you sure? How do you know?""He says so. See."
She handed him the letter. It was addressed to "My dear Caroline"and in it Captain Elisha stated his intentions succinctly. After the plain speaking of the previous evening he should not, of course, burden them with his society any longer. He was leaving that morning, and, as soon as he "located permanent moorings somewhere else" would notify his niece and nephew of his whereabouts.
"For," he added, "as I told you, although I shall not impose my company on you, I am your guardian same as ever. I will see that your allowance comes to you regular, including enough for all household bills and pay for the hired help and so on. If you need any extras at any time let me know and, if they seem to me right and proper, I will send money for them. You will stay where you are, Caroline, and Stevie must go back to college right away.
Tell him I say so, and if he does not I shall begin reducing his allowance according as I wrote him. He will understand what Imean. I guess that is all until I send you my address and any other sailing orders that seem necessary to me then. And, Caroline, I want you and Stevie to feel that I am your anchor to windward, and when you get in a tight place, if you ever do, you can depend on me. Last night's talk has no bearing on that whatever. Good-by, then, until my next.
"ELISHA WARREN."
Stephen read this screed to the end, then crumpled it in his fist and threw it angrily on the floor.
"The nerve!" he exclaimed. "He seems to think I'm a sailor on one of his ships, to be ordered around as he sees fit. I'll go back to college when I'm good and ready--not before."Caroline shook her head. "Oh, no!" she said. "You must go to-day.
He's right, Steve; it's the thing for you to do. He and I were agreed as to that. And you wouldn't stay and make it harder for me, would you, dear?"He growled a reluctant assent. "I suppose I shall have to go," he said, sullenly. "My allowance is too beastly small to have him cutting it; and the old shark would do that very thing; he'd take delight in doing it, confound him! Well, he knows what we think of him, that's some comfort."She did not answer. He looked at her curiously.
"Why, hang it all, Caro!" he exclaimed in disgust; "what ails you?
Blessed if I sha'n't begin to believe you're sorry he's gone. You act as if you were.""No, I'm not. Of course I'm not. I'm--I'm glad. He couldn't stay, of course. But I'm afraid--I can't help feeling that you and I were too harsh last night. We said things--dreadful things--""Be hanged! We didn't say half enough. Oh, don't be a fool, Caro!
I was just beginning to be proud of your grit. And now you want to take it all back. Honestly, girls are the limit! You don't know your own minds for twelve consecutive hours. Answer me now! AREyou sorry he's gone?"
"No. No, I'm not, really. But I--I feel somehow as if--as if everything was on my shoulders. You're going away, and he's gone, and--What is it, Edwards?"The butler entered, with a small parcel in his hand.
"I beg your pardon, Miss Caroline," he said. "I should have given you this last evening. It was by your place at the table. I think Captain Warren put it there, miss."Caroline took the parcel and looked at it wonderingly.
"For me?" she repeated.
"Yes, Miss Caroline. It is marked with your name. And breakfast is served, when you and Mr. Stephen are ready."He bowed and retired. The girl sat turning the little white box in her hands.
"HE left it for me," she said. "What can it be?"Her brother snatched it impatiently.
"Why don't you open it and find out?" he demanded. "Perhaps it's his latch key. Here! I'll do it myself."He cut the cord and removed the cover of the little box. Inside was the jeweler's leather case. He took it out and pressed the spring. The cover flew up.
"Whew!" he whistled. "It's a present. And rather a decent one, too, by gad! Look, Caro!"He handed her the open case. She looked at the chain, spread carefully on the white satin lining. Inside the cover was fitted a card. She turned it over and read: "To my niece, Caroline. With wishes for many happy returns, and much love, from her Uncle Elisha Warren."She sat gazing at the card. Stephen bent down, read the inscription, and then looked up into her face.