第71章

Captain Hunniwell prated proudly on, chanting praises of his daughter's capabilities and talents, as he did to any one who would listen, and varying the monotony with occasional references to the wonderful manner in which young Phillips had "taken hold" at the bank.Ruth nodded and murmured something from time to time, but to any one less engrossed by his subject than the captain it would have been evident she was paying little attention.Jed, who was being entertained by Babbie and Petunia, was absently pretending to be much interested in a fairy story which the former was improvising--she called the process "making up as I go along"--for his benefit.Suddenly he leaned forward and spoke.

"Sam," he said, "there's somebody comin' up the walk.I didn't get a good sight of him, but it ain't anybody that lives here in Orham regular.""Eh? That so?" demanded the captain."How do you know 'tain't if you didn't see him?""'Cause he's comin' to the front door," replied Mr.Winslow, with unanswerable logic."There he is now, comin' out from astern of that lilac bush.Soldier, ain't he?"It was Ruth Armstrong who first recognized the visitor."Why," she exclaimed, "it is Major Grover, isn't it?"The major it was, and a moment later Captain Hunniwell ushered him into the room.He had come to Orham on an errand, he explained, and had stopped at the windmill shop to see Mr.Winslow.Finding the latter out, he had taken the liberty of following him to the Hunniwell home.

"I'm going to stay but a moment, Captain Hunniwell," he went on.

"I wanted to talk with Winslow on a--well, on a business matter.

Of course I won't do it now but perhaps we can arrange a time convenient for us both when I can.""Don't cal'late there'll be much trouble about that," observed the captain, with a chuckle."Jed generally has time convenient for 'most everybody; eh, Jed?"Jed nodded."Um-hm," he drawled, "for everybody but Gab Bearse.""So you and Jed are goin' to talk business, eh?" queried Captain Sam, much amused at the idea."Figgerin' to have him rig up windmills to drive those flyin' machines of yours, Major?""Not exactly.My business was of another kind, and probably not very important, at that.I shall probably be over here again on Monday, Winslow.Can you see me then?"Jed rubbed his chin."Ye-es," he said, "I'll be on private exhibition to my friends all day.And children half price," he added, giving Babbie a hug."But say, Major, how in the world did you locate me to-day? How did you know I was over here to Sam's?

I never told you I was comin', I'll swear to that."For some reason or other Major Grover seemed just a little embarrassed.

"Why no," he said, stammering a trifle, "you didn't tell me, but some one did.Now, who--""I think I told you, Major," put in Ruth Armstrong."Last evening, when you called to--to return Charlie's umbrella.I told you we were to dine here to-day and that Jed--Mr.Winslow--was to dine with us.Don't you remember?"Grover remembered perfectly then, of course.He hastened to explain that, having borrowed the umbrella of Charles Phillips the previous week, he had dropped in on his next visit to Orham to return it.

Jed grunted.

"Humph!" he said, "you never came to see me last night.When you was as close aboard as next door seems's if you might."The major laughed."Well, you'll have to admit that I came to-day," he said.

"Yes," put in Captain Sam, "and, now you are here, you're goin' to stay a spell.Oh, yes, you are, too.Uncle Sam don't need you so hard that he can't let you have an hour or so off on Thanksgiving Day.Maud, why in time didn't we think to have Major Grover here for dinner along with the rest of the folks? Say, couldn't you eat a plate of frozen puddin' right this minute? We've got some on hand that tastes of my grandfather, and we want to get rid of it."Their caller laughingly declined the frozen pudding, but he was prevailed upon to remain and hear Miss Hunniwell play.So Maud played and Charles turned the music for her, and Major Grover listened and talked with Ruth Armstrong in the intervals between selections.And Jed and Barbara chatted and Captain Sam beamed good humor upon every one.It was a very pleasant, happy afternoon.War and suffering and heartache and trouble seemed a long, long way off.

On the way back to the shop in the chill November dusk Grover told Jed a little of what he had called to discuss with him.If Jed's mind had been of the super-critical type it might have deemed the subject of scarcely sufficient importance to warrant the major's pursuing him to the Hunniwells'.It was simply the subject of Phineas Babbitt and the latter's anti-war utterances and surmised disloyalty.

"You see," explained Grover, "some one evidently has reported the old chap to the authorities as a suspicious person.The government, I imagine, isn't keen on sending a special investigator down here, so they have asked me to look into the matter.I don't know much about Babbitt, but I thought you might.Is he disloyal, do you think?"Jed hesitated.Things the hardware dealer had said had been reported to him, of course; but gossip--particularly the Bearse brand of gossip--was not the most reliable of evidence.Then he remembered his own recent conversation with Leander and the latter's expressed fear that his father might get into trouble.

Jed determined, for the son's sake, not to bring that trouble nearer.

"Well, Major," he answered, "I shouldn't want to say that he was.

Phineas talks awful foolish sometimes, but I shouldn't wonder if that was his hot head and bull temper as much as anything else.As to whether he's anything more than foolish or not, course Icouldn't say sartin, but I don't think he's too desperate to be runnin' loose.I cal'late he won't put any bombs underneath the town hall or anything of that sort.Phin and his kind remind me some of that new kind of balloon you was tellin' me they'd probably have over to your camp when 'twas done, that--er--er--dirigible;wasn't that what you called it?"