The Casting Away of Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine Read online

  PART II

  Adopting Mrs. Lecks's suggestion, I "ducked" my head under the bar, andpassed to the other side of it. Mrs. Lecks, with but little trouble,followed my example; but Mrs. Aleshine, who, by reason of her stoutness,floated so much higher out of the water than her friend and I, found itimpossible to get herself under the bar. In whatever manner she made theattempt, her head or her shoulders were sure to bump and arrest herprogress.

  "Now, Barb'ry Aleshine," said Mrs. Lecks, who had been watching her, "ifyou ever want to get out of this salt water, you've got to make up yourmind to take some of it into your mouth and into your eyes, that is, ifyou don't keep 'em shut. Get yourself as close to that bar as you can,and I'll come and put you under." So saying, Mrs. Lecks returned to theother side of the bar, and having made Mrs. Aleshine bow down her headand close her eyes and mouth, she placed both hands upon her companion'sbroad shoulders, and threw as much weight as possible upon them. Mrs.Aleshine almost disappeared beneath the water, but she came upsputtering and blinking on the other side of the bar, where she wasquickly joined by Mrs. Lecks.

  "Merciful me!" exclaimed Mrs. Aleshine, wiping her wet face with herstill wetter sleeve, "I never supposed the heathens would be up to suchtricks as makin' us do that!"

  I had waited to give any assistance that might be required, and, whiledoing so, had discovered another bar under the water, which proved thatentrance at almost any stage of the tide had been guarded against.Warning my companions not to strike their feet against this submergedbar, we paddled and pushed ourselves around the turn in the rockypassage, and emerged into the open lagoon.

  This smooth stretch of water, which separated the island from itsencircling reef, was here about a hundred feet wide; and the first thingthat arrested our attention as we gazed across it was a little wharf orlanding-stage, erected upon the narrow beach of the island, almostopposite to us.

  "As sure as I stand here," exclaimed Mrs. Lecks, who never seemed toforget her upright position, "somebody lives in this place!"

  "And it isn't a stickery coral island, either," cried Mrs. Aleshine,"for that sand's as smooth as any I ever saw."

  "Whoever does live here," resumed Mrs. Lecks, "has got to take us in,whether they like it or not, and the sooner we get over there, thebetter."

  Mrs. Aleshine now regretted the loss of her oar, and suggested that someone of us who could get under bars easily should go back after it. ButMrs. Lecks would listen to no such proposition.

  "Let the oars go," she said. "We won't want 'em again, for I'll neverleave this place if I have to scoop myself out to sea with an oar."

  I told the two women that I could easily tow them across this narrowpiece of water; and instructing Mrs. Lecks to take hold of the tail ofmy coat, while Mrs. Aleshine grasped her companion's dress, I began toswim slowly toward the beach, towing my companions behind me.

  "Goodnessful gracious me!" suddenly exclaimed Mrs. Aleshine, with agreat bounce and a splash, "look at the fishes!"

  The water in the lagoon was so clear that it was almost transparent, andbeneath us and around us we could see fish, some large and some small,swimming about as if they were floating in the air, while down below thewhite sandy bottom seemed to sparkle in the sunlight.

  "Now don't jerk my skeert off on account of the fishes," said Mrs.Lecks. "I expect there was just as many outside, though we couldn't see'em. But I must say that this water looks as if it had been boiled andfiltered."

  If any inhabitant of the island had then been standing on the wharf, hewould have beheld on the surface of the lagoon the peculiar spectacle ofa man's head surmounted by a wet and misshapen straw hat, and followedby two other heads, each wearing a dripping and bedraggled bonnet, whilebeneath, among the ripples of the clear water, would have been seen thefigures belonging to these three heads, each dressed in the clothesordinarily worn on land.

  As I swam I could see before me, on the island, nothing but a mass oflow-growing, tropical vegetation, behind which rose some palms and othertrees. I made for the little wharf, from which steps came down into thewater, and as soon as we reached it we all clambered rapidly up, andstood dripping upon the narrow platform, stamping our feet and shakingour clothes.

  "Do you see that house?" said Mrs. Lecks. "That's where they live, and Iwonder which way we must go to get there."

  From this somewhat elevated position I could plainly see, over the topsof the bushes and low trees, the upper part of the roof of a house. WhenI found the bars across the passage in the reef, I had easily come tothe conclusion that the inhabitants of this island were not savages; andnow since I had seen the wharf and the roof of this house, I felt quiteconvinced that we had reached the abode of civilized beings. They mightbe pirates or some other sort of sea miscreants, but they were certainlynot savages or cannibals.

  Leaving the wharf, we soon found a broad path through the bushes, andin a few moments reached a wide, open space, in which stood a handsomemodern-built house. It was constructed after the fashion of tropicalhouses belonging to Europeans, with jalousied porches and shadedbalconies; the grounds about it were neatly laid out, and behind it wasa walled inclosure, probably a garden.

  "Upon my word," exclaimed Mrs. Aleshine, "I'd like to be less drippin'before I make a call on genteel folks!"

  "Genteel folks!" exclaimed Mrs. Lecks, indignantly. "If you're too proudto go in as you are, Barb'ry Aleshine, you can go set in the sun tillyou're dry. As for me, I'm goin' to ask for the lady of the house, andif she don't like me she can lump me, so long as she gives me somethin'to eat and a dry bed to get into."

  I was too much amazed to speak, but my companions took everything as amatter of course. They had expected to see strange things in the outerworld, and they were not surprised when they saw them. My mind was notcapable of understanding the existence of an establishment like this ona little island in mid-ocean. But it was useless for me to attempt toreason on this apparent phenomenon; and, indeed, there was no time forit, for Mrs. Lecks walked boldly up to the front door and plied theknocker, stepping back immediately, so that she might not drip too muchwater on the porch.

  "When they come," she said, "we'll ask 'em to let us in the back way, sothat we sha'n't slop up their floors any more than we can help."

  We waited for a couple of minutes, and then I, as the member of theparty who dripped the least, went up on the porch and knocked again.

  "It's my belief they're not at home," said Mrs. Lecks, after we hadwaited some time longer, "but perhaps we'll find some of the servantsin," and she led the way to the back part of the house.

  As we passed the side of the mansion I noticed that all thewindow-shutters were closed, and my growing belief that the place wasdeserted became a conviction after we had knocked several times at adoor at the back of the building without receiving any answer.

  "Well, they're all gone out, that's certain!" said Mrs. Lecks.

  "Yes, and they barred up the entrance to the island when they left," Iadded.

  "I wonder if there's another house in the neighborhood?" asked Mrs.Aleshine.

  "I don't believe," said I, "that the neighborhood is very thicklysettled; but if you will wait here a few minutes, I will run around thiswall and see what there is beyond. I may find the huts of some nativesor work-people."

  I followed a path by the side of the garden wall, but when I reached theend of the inclosure I could see nothing before me but jungle andforest, with paths running in several directions. I followed one ofthese, and very soon came out upon an open beach, with the reef lyingbeyond it. From the form of the beach and the reef, and from theappearance of things generally, I began to think that this was probablya very small island, and that the house we had seen was the only oneon it. I returned and reported this belief to my companions.

  "MRS. LECKS WALKED BOLDLY UP TO THE FRONT DOOR AND PLIEDTHE KNOCKER."]

  Now that Mrs. Aleshine had no fear of appearing in an untidy conditionbefore "genteel folks," her manner changed very much. "If the family hasgone in
to the country," said she, "or whatever else they've done, I wantto get into this house as soon as I can. I expect we can find somethingto eat. At any rate, we can get ourselves dry, and lay down somewhere torest, for not a wink has one of us slept since night before last."

  "I should think," said Mrs. Lecks, addressing me, "that if you couldmanage to climb up to them second-story windows, you might find one ofthem that you could get in, and then come down and open the door for us.Everybody is likely to forget to fasten some of the windows on the upperfloors. I know it isn't right to force our way into other people'shouses, but there's nothin' else to be done, and there's no need of ourtalkin' about it."

  I agreed with her perfectly, and taking off my coat and shoes, I climbedup one of the columns of the veranda, and got upon its roof. Thisextended nearly the whole length of two sides of the house. I walkedalong it and tried all the shutters, and I soon came to one in whichsome of the movable slats had been broken. Thrusting my hand and armthrough the aperture thus formed, I unhooked the shutters and openedthem. The sash was fastened down by one of the ordinary contrivancesused for such purposes, but with the blade of my jack-knife I easilypushed the bolt aside, raised the sash, and entered. I found myself ina small hall at the head of a flight of stairs. Down these I hurried,and, groping my way through the semi-darkness of the lower story, Ireached a side door. This was fastened by two bolts and a bar, and Iquickly had it open.

  Stepping outside, I called Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine.

  "Well," said the latter, "I'm sure I'll be glad to get in, and as we'vesqueezed most of the water out of our clothes, we won't make so much ofa mess, after all."

  We now entered, and I opened one of the shutters.

  "Let's go right into the kitchen," said Mrs. Lecks, "and make a fire.That's the first thing to do."

  "I CLIMBED UP ONE OF THE COLUMNS."]

  But Mrs. Lecks soon discovered that this mansion was very different froma country dwelling in one of our Middle States. Externally, and as faras I had been able to observe its internal arrangements, it resembledthe houses built by English residents which I had seen in the WestIndies. It was a dwelling in which modern ideas in regard toconstruction and furnishing adapted themselves to the requirements of atropical climate. Apparently there was no kitchen. There were no stairsleading to a lower floor, and the darkened rooms into which mycompanions peered were certainly not used for culinary purposes.

  In the meantime I had gone out of the door by which we had entered, andsoon discovered, on the other side of the house, a small building with achimney to it, which I felt sure must be the kitchen. The door andshutters were fastened, but before making any attempt to open them Ireturned to announce my discovery.

  "Door locked, is it?" said Mrs. Aleshine. "Just wait a minute."

  She then disappeared, but in a very short time came out, carrying abunch of large keys.

  "It's always the way," said she, as the two followed me round the backof the house, "when people shut up a house and leave it, to put all thedoor-keys in the back corner of some drawer in the hall, and to takeonly the front-door key with them. So, you see, I knew just where to gofor these."

  "It's a poor hen," said Mrs. Lecks, "that begins to cackle when she'sgoin' to her nest; the wise ones wait till they're comin' away. Nowwe'll see if one of them keys fit."

  Greatly to the triumph of Mrs. Aleshine, the second or third key I triedunlocked the door. Entering, we found ourselves in a good-sized kitchen,with a great fireplace at one end of it. A door opened from the roominto a shed where there was a pile of dry twigs and fire-wood.

  "Let's have a fire as quick as we can," said Mrs. Lecks, "for since Iwent into that shet-up house I've been chilled to the bones."

  "That's so," said Mrs. Aleshine; "and now I know how a fish keepscomfortable in the water, and how dreadfully wet and flabby it must feelwhen it's taken out."

  I brought in a quantity of wood and kindling, and finding matches in atin box on the wall, I went to work to make a fire, and was soonrewarded by a crackling blaze. Turning around, I was amazed at theactions of Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine. I had expected to see themstanding shivering behind me, waiting for the fire to be made; butinstead of that, they were moving rapidly here and there, saying not aword, but going as straight to cupboard, closet, and pantry as the houndfollows the track of the hare. From a wild chaos of uncongenialsurroundings, these two women had dropped into a sphere in which theywere perfectly at home. The kitchen was not altogether like those towhich they had been accustomed, but it was a well-appointed one, andtheir instincts and practice made them quickly understand where theywould find what they wanted. I gazed on them with delight while onefilled a kettle from a little pump in the corner which brought waterfrom a cistern, and the other appeared from the pantry, carrying atea-caddy and a tin biscuit-box.

  "Now, then," said Mrs. Lecks, hanging the kettle on a crane over thefire, and drawing up a chair, "by the time we've got a little dried offthe kettle will bile, and we'll have some hot tea, and then the bestthing to do is to go to bed."

  "We'll take time to have a bite first," said Mrs. Aleshine, "for I wasnever so near famished in my life. I brought out a box nearly full ofbiscuits, and there's sardines in this, Mr. Craig, which you can easyopen with your knife."

  I piled on more wood, and we gathered close around the genial heat. Thesunshine was hot outside, but that did not prevent the fire from beingmost comforting and refreshing to us.

  As soon as the kettle began to simmer, up jumped Mrs. Aleshine. Asugar-bowl and some cups were placed upon a table, and in a short timewe were cheered and invigorated by hot tea, biscuits, and sardines.

  "This isn't much of a meal," said Mrs. Aleshine, apologetically, "butthere's no time to cook nothin', and the sooner we get off our wetthings and find some beds, the better."

  "If I can once get into bed," said Mrs. Lecks, "all I ask is that thefamily will not come back till I have had a good long nap. After that,they can do what they please."

  We now went back to the house, and ascended the main stairway, which ledup to a large central hall.

  "We won't go into the front rooms," said Mrs. Lecks, "for we don't wantto make no more disturbance than we can help; but if we can find thesmallest kind of rooms in the back, with beds in 'em, it is all we canask."

  The first chamber we entered was a good-sized one, neatly furnished,containing a bedstead with uncovered mattress and pillows. Opening acloset door, Mrs. Lecks exclaimed: "This is a man's room, Mr. Craig, andyou'd better take it. Look at the trousers and coats! There's nobedclothes in here, but I'll see if I can't find some."

  In a few minutes she returned, bearing blankets, sheets, and apillow-case. With Mrs. Aleshine on one side of the bedstead and Mrs.Lecks on the other, the sheets and blankets were laid with surprisingdeftness and rapidity, and in a few moments I saw before me a mostinviting bed.

  While Mrs. Aleshine held a pillow in her teeth as she pulled on thepillow-case with both hands, Mrs. Lecks looked around the room with theair of an attentive hostess. "I guess you'll be comfortable, Mr. Craig,"she said, "and I advise you to sleep just as long as you can. We'll takethe room on the other side of the hall; but I'm first goin' down to seeif the kitchen fire is safe, and to fasten the doors."

  "'I GUESS YOU'LL BE COMFORTABLE, MR. CRAIG.'"]

  I offered to relieve her of this trouble, but she promptly declined myservices. "When it's rowin' or swimmin', you can do it, Mr. Craig, butwhen it's lockin' up and lookin' to fires, I'll attend to that myself."

  My watch had stopped, but I suppose it was the middle of the afternoonwhen I went to bed, and I slept steadily until some hours after sunrisethe next morning, when I was awakened by a loud knock at the door.

  "It's time to get up," said the voice of Mrs. Lecks, "and if yourclothes are not entirely dry, you'd better see if there isn't somethin'in that closet you can put on. After a while I'll make a big fire in thekitchen, and dry all our things."

  I found my clothes were still very
damp, and after investigating thecontents of the closet and bureau, I was able to supply myself withlinen and a light summer suit which fitted me fairly well. I even foundsocks and a pair of slippers.

  When I entered the kitchen, I first opened wide my eyes with delight,and then I burst out laughing. Before me was a table covered with awhite cloth, with plates, cups, and everything necessary upon it; at oneend was a steaming tea-pot, and at the other a dish of some kind of hotmeat, and Mrs. Aleshine was just taking a pan of newly baked biscuitsfrom a small iron oven.

  "I don't wonder you laugh," said Mrs. Lecks, "but our clothes was stillwet, and we had to take just what we could find. I'm not in the habit ofgoin' about in a white muslin wrapper with blue-ribbon trimmin's, and asfor Mrs. Aleshine, I did think we'd never find anything that she couldget into; but there must be one stout woman in the family, for thatyeller frock with black buttons fits her well enough, though I must sayit's a good deal short."

  "I never thought," said Mrs. Aleshine, as she sat down at the tea-pot,"that the heathens had so many conveniences, specially bakin'-powdersand Dutch ovens. For my part, I always supposed that they used theiraltars for bakin', when they wasn't offerin' up victims on 'em."

  "Have you got it into your head, Barb'ry Aleshine," said Mrs. Lecks,looking up from the dish of potted beef she was serving, "that thishouse belongs to common heathen? I expect that most of the savages wholive on these desert islands has been converted by the missionaries, butthey'd have to take 'em from Genesis to Revelations a good many timesbefore they'd get 'em to the p'int of havin' force-pumps in theirkitchens and spring-mattresses on their beds. As far as I've seen thishouse, it looks as if the family had always been Christians, andprobably either Catholics or Episcopalians."

  "On account of the cross on the mantelpiece in our room, I suppose,"said Mrs. Aleshine. "But whether they're given to idols or prayer-books,I know they've got a mighty nice house; and considerin' the distancefrom stores, there's a good deal more in that pantry than you'd expectto find in any house I know of, when the family is away."

  "It is my opinion," said I, "that this house belongs to some rich man,probably an American or European merchant, who lives on one of the largeislands not far away, and who uses this as a sort of summer residence."

  "I thought it was always summer in this part of the world," said Mrs.Lecks.

  "So it is in effect," I replied, "but there are some seasons when it isvery unpleasant to remain in one of those towns which are found on thelarger islands, and so the owner of this house may come up heresometimes for fresh sea air."

  "Or it's just as like," said Mrs. Aleshine, "that he lives somewhere upin the iceberg regions, and comes here to spend his winters. It would dojust as well. But, whichever way it is, I can't help thinkin' it'scareless not to leave somebody in the house to take care of it. Why, forall the family would know about it, tramps might break in and stay aslong as they like."

  "That's just what's happenin' now," said Mrs. Lecks, "and for my part Iain't goin' to find no fault. I don't suppose the people would have beenso hard-hearted as to turn us away from their doors, but I've seenenough of folks in this world not to be too sure about that."

  "THAT YELLER FROCK."]

  "How do you suppose," said Mrs. Aleshine, addressing me, "that thefamily gets here and goes back? Do they keep a private steamboat?"

  "Of course they have a private vessel of some kind," I answered,"probably a yacht. It is quite certain that ordinary steamers nevertouch here."

  "If that's the case," said Mrs. Lecks, "all we can do is to wait heretill they come, and get them to send us away in their ship. But whetherthey've just gone or are just a-comin' back depends, I suppose, onwhether they live in a freezin' or a burnin' country; and if they don'tlike our bein' here when they come back, there's one thing they can makeup their minds to, and that is that I'm never goin' to leave this placeon a life-preserver."

  "Nor me nuther," said Mrs. Aleshine, finishing, with much complacency,her third cup of tea.

  When breakfast was over, Mrs. Lecks pushed back her chair, but did notimmediately rise. With an expression of severe thought upon her face,she gazed steadfastly before her for a minute, and then she addressedMrs. Aleshine, who had begun to gather together the cups and the plates."Now, Barb'ry Aleshine," said she, "don't you begin to clear off thetable, nor touch a single thing to wash it up, till we've been over thishouse. I want to do it now, before Mr. Craig goes out to prospect aroundand see what else is on the island, which, I suppose, he'll be wantin'to do."

  I replied that I had that intention, but I was quite willing to go overthe house first.

  "It's come to me," said Mrs. Lecks, speaking very gravely, "that it's nouse for us to talk of the family bein' here, or bein' there, till we'vegone over this house. If we find that they have, as far as we know, goneaway in good health and spirits, that's all well enough; but ifanything's happened in this house, I don't want to be here with what'shappened--at least, without knowin' it, and when we do go over thehouse, I want a man to go with us."

  "If you'd talked that way last night, Mrs. Lecks," exclaimed Mrs.Aleshine, "I'd never slept till after sun-up, and then got up and gonehuntin' round among them frocks and petticoats to find somethin' thatwould fit me, with the quiet pulse I did have, Mrs. Lecks!"

  To this remark Mrs. Lecks made no reply, but, rising, she led the wayout of the kitchen and into the house.

  The rooms on the first floor were very well furnished. There was a largeparlor, and back of it a study or library, while on the other side ofthe hall was a dining-room and an apartment probably used as a familyroom. We found nothing in these which would indicate that anythinguntoward had happened in them. Then we went up-stairs, I leading theway, Mrs. Lecks following, and Mrs. Aleshine in the rear. We firstentered one of the front chambers, which was quite dark, but Mrs. Lecksunfastened and threw open a shutter. Then, with a rigid countenance anddetermined mien, she examined every part of the room, looked into everycloset, and even under the bed. It was quite plain that it was in one ofthe chambers that she expected to find what had happened, if anythinghad happened.

  The room on the other side of the hall was very like the one we firstexamined, except that it had two beds in it. We next visited the chamberrecently occupied by my two companions, which was now undergoing theprocess of "airing."

  "We needn't stop here," remarked Mrs. Aleshine.

  But Mrs. Lecks instantly replied: "Indeed, we will stop; I'm going tolook under the bed."

  "Merciful me!" exclaimed Mrs. Aleshine, putting her hand on her friend'sshoulder. "Supposin' you should find somethin', and we sleepin' herelast night! It curdles me to think of it!"

  "It's my duty," said Mrs. Lecks, severely, "and I shall do it."

  And do it she did, rising from the task with a sigh of relief.

  My room was subjected to the same scrutiny as the others, and then wevisited some smaller rooms at the extreme back of the house, which wehad not before noticed. A garret, or loft, was reached by a steepstairway in one of these rooms, and into its dusky gloom I ventured bymyself.

  "Now, don't come down, Mr. Craig," said Mrs. Lecks, "till you're surethere's nothin' there. Of all places in the house, that cockloft, afterall, is the most likely."

  I had none of the fears which seemed to actuate the two women, but I hada very unpleasant time of it groping about in the darkness and heat,and, as the place was only partly floored, running the continual risk ofcrashing down through the lath and plaster. I made myself quite sure,however, that nothing had happened in that loft, unless some one hadsuffocated there, and had dried up and become the dust which I raised atevery step.

  "Now, then," said Mrs. Lecks, when I descended, "as there is no cellar,we'll go wash up the breakfast things; and if you want to take a walk,to see if there's any genuwine heathens or anybody else a-livin' in thisisland, we're not afraid to be left alone."

  For the whole of the rest of the morning I wandered about the island. Iinvestigated the paths that I
had before noticed, and found that each ofthem led, after a moderate walk, to some wide and pleasant part of thebeach. At one of these points I found a rustic bench; and, stuffed inbetween two of the slats which formed the seat, I found a book. It hadbeen sadly wet and discolored by rain, and dried and curled up by thewind and sun. I pulled it out, and found it to be a novel in French. Onone of the fly-leaves was written "Emily." Reasoning from thedilapidated appearance of this book, I began to believe that the familymust have left this place some time ago, and that, therefore, theirreturn might be expected at a proportionately early period. On secondthoughts, however, I considered that the state of this book was oflittle value as testimony. A few hours of storm, wind, and sun mighthave inflicted all the damage it had sustained. The two women would bebetter able to judge by the state of the house and the condition of theprovisions how long the family had been away.

  I then started out on a walk along the beach, and in little more than anhour I had gone entirely around the island. Nowhere did I see any signof habitation or occupation except at the house which had given usshelter, nor any opening through the surrounding reef except the barredpassageway through which we had come.

  When I returned to the house, I found that Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshinehad been hard at work all the morning. They had, so to speak, goneregularly and systematically to housekeeping, and had already dividedthe labors of the establishment between them. Mrs. Aleshine, who pridedherself on her skill in culinary matters, was to take charge of thecooking, while Mrs. Lecks assumed the care of the various rooms and thegeneral management of the household. This arrangement was explained tome at length, and when I remarked that all this seemed to indicate thatthey expected to remain here for a long time, Mrs. Lecks replied:

  "In my part of the country I could tell pretty close, by the dust on thetables and on the top of the pianner, how long a family had been out ofa house; but dust in Pennsylvany and dust on a sea island, where there'sno wagons nor carriages, is quite different. This house has been left invery good order, and though the windows wants washin', and the floorsand stairs brushin',--which will be easy considerin' that none of 'emhas carpets,--and everything in the house a reg'lar cleanin' up andairin', it may be that the family hasn't been gone away very long, andso it may be a good while before they come back again. Mrs. Aleshine andme has talked it over, and we've made up our minds that the right thingto do is just to go along and attend to things as if we was a-goin' tostay here for a month or two; and it may be even longer than that beforethe people come back. And I don't think they'll have anything tocomplain of when they find their house in apple-pie order, their windowswashed, their floors clean, and not a speck of dust anywhere."

  "For my part," said Mrs. Aleshine, "I don't see what they've got to findfault with, anyway. I look on this as part of the passage. To be sure,we ain't movin' a bit on our way to Japan, but that's not my fault, noryet yours, Mrs. Lecks, nor yours, Mr. Craig. We paid our passage to goto Japan, and if the ship was steered wrong and got sunk, we hadn'tanything to do with it. We didn't want to come here, but here we are,and I'd like to know who's got any right to find fault with us."

  "MRS. ALESHINE HAD BEEN HARD AT WORK ALL THE MORNING."]

  "And bein' here," said Mrs. Lecks, "we'll take care of the things."

  "As far as I'm concerned," added Mrs. Aleshine, "if this island wasmovin' on to Japan, I'd a great deal rather be on it than on that ship,where, to my way of thinkin', they didn't know much more abouthousekeepin' than they did about steerin'."

  "I think your plans and arrangements are very good," I said. "But howabout the provisions? Are there enough to hold out for any time?"

  "There's pretty nigh a barrel of flour," said Mrs. Aleshine, "a gooddeal of tea and coffee and sugar, and lots of things in tins and jars.There's a kind of cellar outside where they keep things cool, andthere's more than half a keg of butter down there. It's too strong touse, but I can take that butter and wash it out, and work it over, andsalt it, and make it just as good butter as any we got on board theship."

  "But," said I, "you have given me nothing to do. I shall not be contentto stand about idle and see you do all the work."

  "There's nothin' in the house," said Mrs. Lecks, "which you need putyour hand to; but, if you choose to go out into that garden, and see ifthere's anything can be done in it, or got out of it,--that is, if youknow anything about garden work,--I'm sure we'd be very glad of anyfresh vegetables we could get."

  I replied that I had been accustomed to garden work in an amateur way,and would be glad to do anything that was possible in that direction.

  "I never seed into that garden," said Mrs. Aleshine, "but of all thefoolish things that ever came under my eye, the buildin' a wall around agarden, when a picket fence would do just as well, is the foolishest."

  I explained that in these countries it was the fashion to use wallsinstead of fences.

  "If it's the fashion," said Mrs. Aleshine, "I suppose there's no usesayin' anything ag'in' it; but if the fashion should happen to change,they'd find it a good deal easier to take down a barbed-wire fence thana stone wall."

  This conversation took place in the large lower hall, which Mrs. Leckshad been "putting to rights," and where Mrs. Aleshine had just enteredfrom the kitchen. Mrs. Lecks now sat down upon a chair, and, dust-clothin hand, she thus addressed me:

  "There's another thing, Mr. Craig, that me and Mrs. Aleshine has beentalkin' about. We haven't made up our minds about it, because we didn'tthink it was fair and right to do that before speakin' to you andhearin' what you had to say on one side or another of it. Mrs. Aleshineand me has had to bow our heads to afflictions, and to walk sometimes inroads we didn't want to; but we've remembered the ways in which we wasbrought up, and have kept in them as far as we've been able. When ourhusbands died, leavin' Mrs. Aleshine with a son, and me without any,which, perhaps, is just as well, for there's no knowin' how he mighthave turned out--"

  "That's so," interrupted Mrs. Aleshine, "for he might have gone as aclerk to Roosher, and then you and me would 'a' had to travel differentways."

  "And when our husbands died," continued Mrs. Lecks, "they left usenough, and plenty, to live on, and we wasn't the women to forget themand their ways of thinkin', any more than we'd forget the ways of ourfathers and mothers before us."

  "That's so!" said Mrs. Aleshine, fervently.

  "And now, Mr. Craig," continued Mrs. Lecks, "we don't know how you'vebeen brought up, nor anything about you, in fact, except that you'vebeen as kind to us as if you was some sort of kin, and that we neverwould have thought of comin' here without you, and so me and Mrs.Aleshine has agreed to leave this whole matter to you, and to do just asyou say. When us two started out on this long journey, we didn't expectto find it what you call the path of roses, and, dear only knows, wehaven't found it so."

  "That's true!" ejaculated Mrs. Aleshine.

  "And what we've had to put up with," continued Mrs. Lecks, "we have putup with. So, Mr. Craig, whether you say dinner in the middle of the dayat twelve, as we've always been used to, or at six o'clock in theafternoon, as they had it on board that ship,--and how people ever cometo turn their meals hind part foremost in that way, I can't say,--we aregoin' to do it; if you've been brought up to six o'clock, you won't hearno complainin' from us, think what we may."

  I was on the point of laughing aloud at the conclusion of this speech,but a glance at the serious faces of the two women, who, with so muchearnest solicitude, awaited my reply, stopped me, and I hastened toassure them that dinner in the middle of the day would be entirely inaccordance with my every wish.

  "Good!" exclaimed Mrs. Aleshine, her eyes sparkling amid the plumpnessof her face, while an expression of calm relief passed over the featuresof Mrs. Lecks.

  "And now I'll be off and get us somethin' to eat in less than no time,"said Mrs. Aleshine. "We didn't know whether to make it lunch or dinnertill we had seen you, so you can't expect much to-day, but to-morrowwe'll begin, and have everything straight and comforta
ble. I'm goin' toget up early in the mornin' and bake a batch of bread, and you needn'tbe afraid, Mr. Craig, but what I'll have you a bit of hot meat everynight for your supper."

  In the afternoon we all visited the garden, which, although a good dealovergrown with luxuriant weeds, showed marks of fair cultivation. Someof the beds had been cleared out and left to the weeds, and we foundsome "garden truck," as my companions called it, with which we were notfamiliar. But there were tomato-vines loaded with fruit, plenty of beansof various kinds, and a large patch of potatoes, many of which had beendug.

  From the lower end of the garden, Mrs. Aleshine gave a shout of delight.We went to her, and found her standing before a long asparagus bed.

  "Well!" she exclaimed. "If there's anything that settles it firm in mymind that these people is Christians, it's this bed of grass. I don'tbelieve there ever was heathens that growed grass."

  "I thought that was all settled when we found the bakin'-powders," saidMrs. Lecks.

  "But this clinches it," answered her companion. "I can't tell from asparrowgrass bed what church they belong to, but they're no idolaters."

  The next morning I delivered to the genial Mrs. Aleshine a large basketfull of fresh vegetables, and we had a most excellent dinner. Somewhatto my surprise, the table was not set in the kitchen, but in thedining-room.

  "Me and Mrs. Aleshine have made up our minds," said Mrs. Lecks, inexplanation, "that it's not the proper thing for you to be eatin' in thekitchen, nor for us neither. Here's table-cloths, and good glass andchina, and spoons and forks, which, although they're not solid silver,are plated good enough for anybody. Neither you nor us is servants, anda kitchen is no place for us."

  "That's so!" said Mrs. Aleshine. "We paid our money for first-classpassages, and it was understood that we'd have everything as good asanybody."

  "Which I don't see as that has anything to do with it, Barb'ryAleshine," said Mrs. Lecks, "for the steamship people don't generallythrow in desert islands as part of the accommodation."

  "We didn't ask for the island," retorted Mrs. Aleshine, "and if they'dsteered the ship right we shouldn't have wanted it."

  When we had finished our dinner, Mrs. Lecks pushed back her chair, andsat for a few moments in thought, as was her wont before saying anythingof importance.

  "There's another thing," said she, "that I've been thinkin' about,though I haven't spoke of it yet, even to Mrs. Aleshine. We haven't noright to come here and eat up the victuals and use the things of thepeople that own this house, without payin' for 'em. Of course, we're notgoin' to sleep on the bare ground and starve to death while there's bedsand food close to our hands. But if we use 'em and take it, we ought topay the people that the place belongs to--that is, if we've got themoney to do it with--and Mrs. Aleshine and me has got the money. When wewent down into our cabin to get ready to leave the ship, the first thingwe did was to put our purses in our pockets, and we've both got draftswrapped up in oil silk, and sewed inside our frock-bodies; and if youdidn't think to bring your money along with you, Mr. Craig, we can lendyou all you need."

  I thanked her for her offer, but stated that I had brought with me allmy money.

  "Now," continued Mrs. Lecks, "it's my opinion that we ought to pay ourboard regular every week. I don't know what is commonly charged in aplace like this, but I know you can get very good board where I comefrom for six dollars a week."

  "'THERE'S ANOTHER THING,' SAID SHE, 'THAT I'VE BEENTHINKIN' ABOUT.'"]

  "That is for two in a room," said Mrs. Aleshine; "but havin' a room tohimself would make it more for Mr. Craig."

  "It ain't his fault," said Mrs. Lecks, somewhat severely, "that heain't got a brother or some friend to take part of the room and pay partof the expense. But, anyway, the room isn't a large one, and I don'tthink he ought to pay much more for having a room to himself. Sevendollars is quite enough."

  "But then you've got to consider," said Mrs. Aleshine, "that we do thecookin' and housework, and that ought to be counted."

  "I was comin' to that," said Mrs. Lecks. "Now, if me and Mrs. Aleshinewas to go out to service, which you may be sure we wouldn't do unlesscircumstances was very different from what they are now--"

  "That's true!" earnestly ejaculated Mrs. Aleshine.

  "But if we was to do it," continued Mrs. Lecks, "we wouldn't go intoanybody's family for less than two dollars a week. Now, I've alwaysheard that wages is low in this part of the world, and the work isn'theavy for two of us; so, considering the family isn't here to make theirown bargain, I think we'd better put our wages at that, so that'll makefour dollars a week for each of us two to pay."

  "But how about Mr. Craig?" said Mrs. Aleshine. "He oughtn't to work inthat garden for nothin'."

  "Fifty cents a day," said Mrs. Lecks, "is as little as any man wouldwork for, and then it oughtn't to take all his time. That will makethree dollars to take out of Mr. Craig's board, and leave it fourdollars a week, the same as ours."

  I declared myself perfectly satisfied with these arrangements, but Mrs.Aleshine did not seem to be altogether convinced that they were just.

  "When a woman goes out to service," said she, "she gets her board andis paid wages besides, and it's the same for gardeners."

  "Then I suppose, Barb'ry Aleshine," said Mrs. Lecks, "that we ought tocharge these people with our wages, and make 'em pay it when they comeback!"

  This remark apparently disposed of Mrs. Aleshine's objections, and herfriend continued: "There's a jar on the mantelpiece there, of the kindthe East Indy ginger comes in. It's got nothin' in it now but some brownpaper in which fish-hooks is wrapped. We came here on a Wednesday, andso every Tuesday night we'll each put four dollars in that jar, underthe fish-hook paper; then if, by night or by day, the family comes backand makes a fuss about our bein' here, all we have to say is, 'The boardmoney's in the ginger-jar,' and our consciences is free."

  Mrs. Lecks's plan was adopted as a very just and proper one, and at theexpiration of the week we each deposited four dollars in the ginger-jar.

  While occupying this house I do not think that any of us endeavored topry into the private concerns of the family who owned it, although weeach had a very natural curiosity to know something about said family.Opportunities of acquiring such knowledge, however, were exceedinglyscarce. Even if we had been willing to look into such receptacles, theseveral desks and secretaries that the house contained were all locked,and nowhere could Mrs. Lecks or Mrs. Aleshine find an old letter orpiece of wrapping-paper with an address on it. I explained to mycompanions that letters and packages were not likely to come to a placelike this, but they kept a sharp lookout for anything of the kind,asserting that there could be no possible harm in reading the names ofthe people whose house they were in.

  In some of the books in the library, which were English and French inabout equal proportions, with a few volumes in German, I found writtenon the blank pages the names "Emily" and "Lucille," and across thetitle-pages of some French histories was inscribed, in a man's hand, "A.Dusante." We discussed these names, but could not make up our mindswhether the family were French or English. For instance, there was noreason why an Englishwoman might not be called Lucille, and even such asurname as Dusante was not uncommon either among English or Americans.The labels on the boxes and tins of provisions showed that most of themcame from San Francisco, but this was likely to be the case, no matterwhat the nationality of the family.

  The question of the relationship of the three persons, of whoseexistence we had discovered traces, was a very interesting one to Mrs.Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine.

  "I can't make up my mind," said the latter, "whether Emily is the motherof Lucille or her daughter, or whether they are both children of Mr.Dusante, or whether he's married to Lucille and Emily is hissister-in-law, or whether she's his sister and not hers, or whether he'sthe uncle and they're his nieces, or whether Emily is an old lady andMr. Dusante and Lucille are both her children, or whether they are twomaiden ladies and Mr. Dusante is their brother, or whether Mr. D
usanteis only a friend of the family, and boards here because no two womenought to live in such a lonely place without a man in the house."

  "Well," said Mrs. Lecks, "whether Mr. Dusante comes back with twonieces, or a wife and daughter, or Mrs. Dusante and a mother-in-law, ora pair of sisters, all we've got to say is, 'The board money's in theginger-jar,' and let 'em do their worst."

  In my capacity as gardener I do not think I earned the wages which mycompanions had allotted to me, for I merely gathered and brought in suchfruits and vegetables as I found in proper condition for use. In otherways, however, I made my services valuable to our little family. In acloset in my chamber I found guns and ammunition, and frequently I wasable to bring in a few birds. Some of these were pronounced by Mrs.Aleshine unsuitable for the table, but others she cooked with muchskill, and they were found to be very good eating.

  Not far from the little wharf which has been mentioned there stood,concealed by a mass of low-growing palms, a boat-house in which was alittle skiff hung up near the roof. This I let down and launched, andfound great pleasure in rowing it about the lagoon. There wasfishing-tackle in the boat-house, which I used with success, the lagoonabounding in fish. Offerings of this kind were much more acceptable toMrs. Aleshine than birds.

  "There's some kinds of fishes that's better than others," said she,"but, as a gen'ral rule, a fish is a fish, and if you catch 'em you caneat 'em; but it's a very different thing with birds. When you've neverseen 'em before, how are you goin' to tell but what they're some kin toan owl, a pigeon-hawk, or a crow? And if I once get it into my head thatthere's any of that kind of family blood in 'em, they disagree with mejust the same as if there really was."

  One afternoon, as I was returning in the boat from the point on theother side of the island where I had found the rustic seat and Emily'sbook, I was surprised to see Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine standing onthe end of the little wharf. This was an unusual thing for them to do,as they were very industrious women and seldom had an idle moment, andit seemed to be one of their greatest pleasures to discuss the work theywere going to do when they had finished that on which they were thenengaged. I was curious, therefore, to know why they should be standingthus idly on the wharf, and pulled toward them as rapidly as possible.

  "MRS. LECKS AND MRS. ALESHINE STANDING ON THE END OF THELITTLE WHARF."]

  When I had rowed near enough to hear them, Mrs. Aleshine remarked withcheerful placidity:

  "The Dusantes are comin'."

  The tide was quite low, and I could not see over the reef; but in a fewmoments I had grounded the skiff and had sprung upon the wharf. Out onthe ocean, about a mile away, I saw a boat, apparently a large one,approaching the island.

  "Now, then, Barb'ry Aleshine," said Mrs. Lecks, "you'll soon see whetherit's his two nieces, or his daughters, wife and sister-in-law, orwhatever of them other relationships which you've got so pat."

  "Yes," said Mrs. Aleshine; "but, what's more, we'll find out if he'sgoin' to be satisfied with the board money we've put in the ginger-jar."