第66章

October passed and November came.The very last of the summer cottages were closed.Orham settled down for its regular winter hibernation.This year it was a bit less of a nap than usual because of the activity at the aviation camp at East Harniss.The swarm of carpenters, plumbers and mechanics was larger than ever there now and the buildings were hastening toward completion, for the first allotment of aviators, soldiers and recruits was due to arrive in March.Major Grover was a busy and a worried man, but he usually found time to drop in at the windmill shop for a moment or two on each of his brief motor trips to Orham.Sometimes he found Jed alone, more often Barbara was there also, and, semi-occasionally, Ruth.The major and Charles Phillips met and appeared to like each other.Charles was still on the rising tide of local popularity.Even Gabe Bearse had a good word to say for him among the many which he said concerning him.Phineas Babbitt, however, continued to express dislike, or, at the most, indifference.

"I'm too old a bird," declared the vindictive little hardware dealer, "to bow down afore a slick tongue and a good-lookin'

figgerhead.He's one of Sam Hunniwell's pets and that's enough for me.Anybody that ties up to Sam Hunniwell must have a rotten plank in 'em somewheres; give it time and 'twill come out."Charles and Jed Winslow were by this time good friends.The young man usually spent at least a few minutes of each day chatting with his eccentric neighbor.They were becoming more intimate, at times almost confidential, although Phillips, like every other friend or acquaintance of "Shavings" Winslow, was inclined to patronize or condescend a bit in his relations with the latter.No one took the windmill maker altogether seriously, not even Ruth Armstrong, although she perhaps came nearest to doing so.Charles would drop in at the shop of a morning, in the interval between breakfast and bank opening, and, perching on a pile of stock, or the workbench, would discuss various things.He and Jed were alike in one characteristic--each had the habit of absent-mindedness and lapsing into silence in the middle of a conversation.Jed's lapses, of course, were likely to occur in the middle of a sentence, even in the middle of a word; with the younger man the symptoms were not so acute.

"Well, Charlie," observed Mr.Winslow, on one occasion, a raw November morning of the week before Thanksgiving, "how's the bank gettin' along?"Charles was a bit more silent that morning than he had been of late.He appeared to be somewhat reflective, even somber.Jed, on the lookout for just such symptoms, was trying to cheer him up.

"Oh, all right enough, I guess," was the reply.

"Like your work as well as ever, don't you?""Yes--oh, yes, I like it, what there is of it.It isn't what you'd call strenuous.""No, I presume likely not, but I shouldn't wonder if they gave you somethin' more responsible some of these days.They know you're up to doin' it; Cap'n Sam's told me so more'n once."Here occurred one of the lapses just mentioned.Phillips said nothing for a minute or more.Then he asked: "What sort of a man is Captain Hunniwell?""Eh? What sort of a man? You ought to know him yourself pretty well by this time.You see more of him every day than I do.""I don't mean as a business man or anything like that.I mean what sort of man is he--er--inside? Is he always as good-natured as he seems? How is he around his own house? With his daughter--or--or things like that? You've known him all your life, you know, and Ihaven't."

"Um--ye-es--yes, I've known Sam for a good many years.He's square all through, Sam is.Honest as the day is long and--"Charles stirred uneasily."I know that, of course," he interrupted.

"I wasn't questioning his honesty."

Jed's tender conscience registered a pang.The reference to honesty had not been made with any ulterior motive.

"Sartin, sartin," he said; "I know you wasn't, Charlie, course Iknow that.You wanted to know what sort of a man Sam was in his family and such, I judge.Well, he's a mighty good father--almost too good, I suppose likely some folks would say.He just bows down and worships that daughter of his.Anything Maud wants that he can give her she can have.And she wants a good deal, I will give in,"he added, with his quiet drawl.

His caller did not speak.Jed whistled a few mournful bars and sharpened a chisel on an oilstone.

"If John D.Vanderbilt should come around courtin' Maud," he went on, after a moment, "I don't know as Sam would cal'late he was good enough for her.Anyhow he'd feel that 'twas her that was doin' the favor, not John D....And I guess he'd be right; I don't know any Vanderbilts, but I've known Maud since she was a baby.She's a--"He paused, inspecting a nick in the chisel edge.Again Phillips shifted in his seat on the edge of the workbench.

"Well?" he asked.

"Eh?" Jed looked up in mild inquiry."What is it?" he said.

"That's what I want to know--what is it? You were talking about Maud Hunniwell.You said you had known her since she was a baby and that she was--something or other; that was as far as you got.""Sho!...Hum....Oh, yes, yes; I was goin' to say she was a mighty nice girl, as nice as she is good-lookin' and lively.

There's a dozen young chaps in this county crazy about her this minute, but there ain't any one of 'em good enough for her....

Hello, you goin' so soon? 'Tisn't half-past nine yet, is it?"Phillips did not answer.His somber expression was still in evidence.Jed would have liked to cheer him up, but he did not know how.However he made an attempt by changing the subject.

"How is Babbie this mornin'?" he asked.

"She's as lively as a cricket, of course.And full of excitement.

She's going to school next Monday, you know.You'll rather miss her about the shop here, won't you?""Miss her! My land of Goshen! I shouldn't be surprised if Ifollered her to school myself, like Mary's little lamb.Miss her!

Don't talk!"

"Well, so long....What is it?"

"Eh?"