The Woman-Haters Read online

  CHAPTER II

  MR. JOHN BROWN

  Once before, during his years of service as keeper of EastboroTwin-Lights, had Seth seen such a sight as that which now caused him tomake his dash for the shore. Once before, after the terrible storm of1905, when the great steamer Bay Queen went down with all on board, theexact spot of her sinking unknown even to this day. Then the whole oceanside of the Cape, from Race Point to Orham, was strewn with ghastlyrelics. But the Bay Queen met her fate in the winter season, amid a galesuch as even the oldest residents could not remember. Now it was earlysummer; the night before had been a flat calm. There had been no wreck,or the lifesavers would have told him of it. There would be no excusefor a wreck, anyway.

  All this, in disjointed fragments, passed through the lightkeeper'smind as he descended the path in frantic bounds and plowed throughthe ankle-deep white sand of the beach. As he approached the recumbentfigure he yelled a panted "Hi, there!" He did not expect the hail to beanswered or even noticed. Therefore, he was pleasantly disappointed whenthe figure rolled over, raised itself on one elbow, looked at him in adazed sort of way and replied cheerfully but faintly, "Hello!"

  Seth stopped short, put a hand to the breast of his blue flannel shirt,and breathed a mighty sigh of relief.

  "Gosh!" he exclaimed with fervor. Then, changing his labored gallopfor a walk, he continued his progress toward the man, who, as if hismomentary curiosity was satisfied, lay down again. He did not rise whenthe lightkeeper reached his side, but remained quiet, looking up from apair of gray eyes and smiling slightly with lips that were blue. He wasa stranger to Atkins, a young fellow, rather good looking, dressed inblue serge trousers, negligee shirt, blue socks, and without shoesor hat. His garments were soaked, and the salt water dripped from hisshoulders to the sand. The lightkeeper stared at him, and he returnedthe stare.

  "Gosh!" repeated Seth, after an instant of silence. "Jiminy crimps! Ifeel better."

  The stranger's smile broadened. "Glad to hear it, I'm sure," he said,slowly. "So do I, though there's still room for improvement. What wasyour particular ailment? Mine seems to have been water on the brain."

  He sat up and shakily ran a hand through his wet hair as he spoke.Atkins, his surprise doubled by this extraordinary behavior, could thinkof nothing to say.

  "Good morning," continued the young man, as if the meeting had been themost casual and ordinary possible; "I think you said a moment ago thatyou were feeling better. No relapse, I trust."

  "Relapse? What in the world? Are you crazy? I ain't sick."

  "That's good. I must have misunderstood you. Pleasant morning, isn't it?

  "Pleasant morn--Why, say! I--I--what in time are you doin', layin' thereall soaked through? You scared me pretty nigh to death. I thought youwas drowned, sure and sartin."

  "Did you? Well, to be honest, so did I, for a while. In fact, I'm notabsolutely sure that I'm not, even yet. You'll excuse me if I lie downagain, won't you? I never tried a seaweed pillow before, but it isn't sobad."

  He again stretched himself on the sand. Seth shook his head.

  "Well, if this don't beat me!" he exclaimed. "You're the coolest critterthat ever I--I--"

  "I am cool," admitted the young man, with a slight shiver. "Thisstretch of ocean here isn't exactly a Turkish bath. I've been swimmingsince--well, an hour or two ago, and I am just a little chilled."

  He shivered again.

  "Swimmin'! An hour or two? Where on earth did you come from?"

  "Oh, I fell overboard from a steamer off here somewhere. I--"

  Another and emphatic shiver caused him to pause. The lightkeeper awoketo the realities of the situation.

  "Good land of love!" he exclaimed. "What am I thinkin' of? Seein' youthis way, and you talkin' so kind of every-day and funny drove my sensesclean out, I guess. Get right up off that wet place this minute. Come upto the house, quick! Can you walk?"

  "Don't know. I am willing to try. Would you mind giving me a lift?"

  Seth didn't mind, which was fortunate, as his new acquaintance couldn'thave risen unaided. His knees shook under him when he stood erect, andhe leaned heavily on the lightkeeper's arm.

  "Steady now," counselled Atkins; "no hurry. Take it easy. If you'venavigated water all alone for hours, I cal'late between us we can manageto make a five-minute cruise on dry land. . . . Even if the course westeer would make an eel lame tryin' to follow it," he added, as thecastaway staggered and reeled up the beach. "Now don't try to talk. Letyour tongue rest and give your feet a chance."

  The climbing of the steep bluff was a struggle, but they accomplishedit, and at length the stranger was seated in a chair in the kitchen.

  "Now, the fust thing," observed Seth, "is to get them wet clothesoff you. Usually I'd have a good fire here, but that miserable Ezryhas--that is, my assistant's left me, and I have to go it alone, asyou might say. So we'll get you to bed and . . . No, you can't undressyourself, neither. Set still, and I'll have you peeled in a jiffy."

  His guest was making feeble efforts to remove his socks. Atkins pushedhim back into the chair and stripped the blue and dripping rags fromfeet which were almost as blue from cold. The castaway attempted a weakresistance, but gave it up and said, with a whimsical smile:

  "I'm mightily obliged to you. I never realized before that a valet wassuch a blessing. Most of mine have been confounded nuisances."

  "Hey?" queried Seth, looking up.

  "Nothing. Pardon me for comparing you with a valet."

  "Land sakes! I don't care what you call me. I was out of my head oncemyself--typhoid fever 'twas--and they say the things I called the doctorwas somethin' scandalous. You ain't responsible. You're beat out, andyour brain's weak, like the rest of you. Now hold on till I get you anightgown."

  He started for the bedroom. The young man seemed a bit troubled.

  "Just a minute," he observed. "Don't you think I had better move toa less conspicuous apartment? The door is open, and if any of yourneighbors should happen by--any ladies, for instance, I--"

  "Ladies!" Mr. Atkins regarded him frowningly. "In the fust place, thereain't a neighbor nigher'n four miles; and, in the next, I'd have youunderstand no women come to this house. If you knew me better, youngfeller, you'd know that. Set where you be."

  The nightshirt was one of the lightkeeper's own, and, although Seth wasa good-sized man, it fitted the castaway almost too tightly for comfort.However, it was dry and warm and, by leaving a button or two unfastenedat the neck, answered the purpose well enough. The stranger was pilotedto the bedroom, assisted into the depths of a feather bed, and coveredwith several layers of blankets and patchwork quilts.

  "There!" observed Seth, contentedly, "now you go to sleep. If you get tosweatin', so much the better. 'Twill get some of that cold water out ofyou. So long!"

  He departed, closing the door after him. Then he built a fire in therange, got breakfast, ate it, washed the dishes and continued hisforenoon's work. Not a sound from the bedroom. Evidently the strangearrival had taken the advice concerning going to sleep. But all the timehe was washing dishes, rubbing brass work or sweeping, Mr. Atkins'smind was busy with the puzzle which fate had handed him. Occasionally hechuckled, and often he shook his head. He could make nothing out ofit. One thing only was certain--he had never before met a human beingexactly like this specimen.

  It was half past twelve before there were signs of life in the bedroom.Seth was setting the table for dinner, when the door of the room openeda little way, and a voice said:

  "I say, are you there?"

  "I be. What do you want?"

  "Would you mind telling me what you've done with my clothes?"

  "Not a bit. I've got 'em out on the line, and they ain't dry yet. Ifyou'll look on the chair by the sou'west window you'll find a rig-out ofmine. I'm afraid 'twill fit you too quick--you're such an elephant--butI'll risk it if you will."

  Apparently the stranger was willing to risk it, for in a few momentshe appeared, dressed in the Atkins Sunday suit of blu
e cloth, and withSeth's pet carpet slippers on his feet.

  "Hello!" was the lightkeeper's greeting. "How you feelin'?--better?"

  "Tip top, thank you. Where do you wash, when it's necessary?"

  "Basin right there in the sink. Soap in the becket over top of it.Roller towel on the closet door. Ain't you had water enough for aspell?"

  "Not fresh water, thank you. I'm caked with salt from head to foot."

  "Does make a feller feel like a split herrin', if he ain't used to it.Think you can eat anything?"

  "Can I?" The response was enthusiastic. "You watch me! My last meal wasyesterday noon."

  "Yesterday NOON! Didn't you eat no supper?"

  "No."

  "Why not?"

  "Well, I--well, to be frank, because I hadn't the price. It took my lastcent to pay my fare on that blessed steamer."

  "Great land of love! What time was it when you fell overboard?"

  "Oh, I don't know. Two o'clock, perhaps."

  "Two o'clock! What was you doin' up at two o'clock? Why wasn't you inyour stateroom asleep?"

  "I hadn't any stateroom. Staterooms cost money."

  "My soul! And you swum three hours on an empty stomach?"

  "Not altogether. Part of it on my back. But, if you'll excusefamiliarity on short acquaintance, those things you're cooking smellgood to me."

  "Them's clam fritters, and, if YOU'LL excuse my sayin' so thatshouldn't, they ARE good. Set down and fill up."

  The visitor ate nine of the fritters, a slice of dried-apple pie, anddrank two cups of coffee. Seth, between intervals of frying and eating,watched him with tremendous curiosity and as much patience as he couldmuster. When the pie was finished he asked the first of the questionswith which he had been bursting all the forenoon.

  "Tell me," he said, "how'd you come to fall overboard?"

  "I'm not very certain just how it happened. I remember leaning over therail and watching the waves. Then I was very dizzy all at once. The nextthing I knew I was in the water."

  "Dizzy, hey? Seasick, may be."

  "I guess not. I'm a pretty good sailor. I'm inclined to think the causewas that empty stomach you mentioned."

  "Um-hm. You didn't have no supper. Still, you ate the noon afore."

  "Not much. Only a sandwich."

  "A sandwich! What did you have for breakfast?"

  "Well, the fact is, I overslept and decided to omit the breakfast."

  "Gosh! no wonder you got dizzy. If I went without meals for a wholeday I cal'late I'd be worse than dizzy. What did you do when you foundyourself in the water?"

  "Yelled at first, but no one heard me. Then I saw some lights off inthis direction and started to swim for them. I made the shore finally,but I was so used up that I don't remember anything after the landing.Think I took a nap."

  "I presume likely. Wonder 'twasn't your everlastin' nap! Tut! tut! tut!Think of it!"

  "I don't want to, thank you. It isn't pleasant enough to think of. I'mhere and--by the way, where IS here?"

  "This is Eastboro township--Eastboro, Cape Cod. Them lights out thereare Eastboro Twin-Lights. I'm the keeper of 'em. My name's Atkins, SethAtkins."

  "Delighted to meet you, Mr. Atkins. And tremendously obliged to you,besides."

  "You needn't be. I ain't done nothin'. Let me see, you said your namewas--"

  "Did I?" The young man seemed startled, almost alarmed. "When?"

  Seth was embarrassed, but not much. "Well," he admitted, "I don't know'syou did say it, come to think of it. What IS your name?"

  "My name?"

  "Yes."

  "Oh, why--my name is Brown--er--John Brown. Not the gentleman who washanged, of course; distant relative, that's all."

  "Hum! John Brown, hey? What steamer did you fall off of?"

  "Why--why--I can't seem to remember. That's odd, isn't it?"

  "Yes, I should say 'twas. Where was she bound?"

  "Bound? Oh, you mean where was she going?"

  "Sartin."

  "I think--I think she was going to--to. . . . Humph! how strange thisis!"

  "What?"

  "Why, that I should forget all these things."

  The lightkeeper regarded his guest with suspicion.

  "Yaas," he drawled slowly, "when you call it strange you ain'texaggeratin' none wuth mentionin'. I s'pose," he added, after a moment,during which he stared intently at Mr. Brown, who smiled in politeacknowledgment of the stare; "I s'pose likely you couldn't possiblyremember what port you hailed from?"

  "I suppose not," was the calm reply.

  Seth rose from the table.

  "Well," he observed, "I've been up all night, too, and it's past mybedtime. As I told you, my assistant's left all of a sudden and I'malone in charge of gov'ment property. I ought to turn in, but--" hehesitated.

  John Brown also rose.

  "Mr. Atkins," he said, "my memory seems to be pretty bad, but I haven'tforgotten everything. For instance," his smile disappeared, and his tonebecame earnest, "I can remember perfectly well that I'm not a crook,that I haven't done anything to be ashamed of--as I see it--that I'mvery grateful to you, and that I don't steal. If you care to believethat and, also, that, being neither a sneak or a thief, I sha'n't clearout with the spoons while you're asleep, you might--well, you might riskturning in."

  The lightkeeper did not answer immediately. The pair looked each otherstraight in the eye.

  Then Seth yawned and turned toward the bedroom.

  "I'll risk it," he said, curtly. "If I ain't awake by six o'clock Iwish you'd call me. You'll find some spare clay pipes and tobacco on themantelpiece by the clock. So long."

  He entered the bedroom and closed the door. Mr. Brown stepped over tothe mantel and helped himself to a pipe.