第49章

That night came a sudden shift in the weather and when morning broke the sky was gray and overcast and the wind blew raw and penetrating from the northeast.Jed, at work in his stock room sorting a variegated shipment of mills and vanes which were to go to a winter resort on the west coast of Florida, was, as he might have expressed it, down at the mouth.He still felt the sense of guilt of the night before, but with it he felt a redoubled realization of his own incompetence.When he had surmised his neighbor and tenant to be in trouble he had felt a strong desire to help her; now that surmise had changed to certainty his desire to help was stronger than ever.He pitied her from the bottom of his heart; she seemed so alone in the world and so young.She needed a sympathetic counselor and advisor.But he could not advise or help because neither he nor any one else in Orham was supposed to know of her trouble and its nature.Even if she knew that he knew, would she accept the counsel of Shavings Winslow? Hardly! No sensible person would.How the townsfolk would laugh if they knew he had even so much as dreamed of offering it.

He was too downcast even to sing one of his lugubrious hymns or to whistle.Instead he looked at the letter pinned on a beam beside him and dragged from the various piles one half-dozen crow vanes, one half-dozen gull vanes, one dozen medium-sized mills, one dozen small mills, three sailors, etc., etc., as set forth upon that order.One of the crows fell to the floor and he accidently stepped upon it and snapped its head off.He was gazing solemnly down at the wreck when the door behind him opened and a strong blast of damp, cold wind blew in.He turned and found that Mrs.

Armstrong had opened the door.She entered and closed it behind her.

"Good morning," she said.

Jed was surprised to see her at such an early hour; also just at that time her sudden appearance was like a sort of miracle, as if the thoughts in his brain had taken shape, had materialized.For a moment he could not regain presence of mind sufficient to return her greeting.Then, noticing the broken vane on the floor, she exclaimed:

"Oh, you have had an accident.Isn't that too bad! When did it happen?"He looked down at the decapitated crow and touched one of the pieces with the toe of his boot.

"Just this minute," he answered."I stepped on it and away she went.Did a pretty neat, clean job, didn't I?...Um-hm....

I wonder if anybody stepped on MY head 'twould break like that.

Probably not; the wood in it is too green, I cal'late."She smiled, but she made no comment on this characteristic bit of speculation.Instead she asked: "Mr.Winslow, are you very busy this morning? Is your work too important to spare me just a few minutes?"Jed looked surprised; he smiled his one-sided smile.

"No, ma'am," he drawled."I've been pretty busy but 'twan't about anything important.I presume likely," he added, "there ain't anybody in Ostable County that can be so busy as I can be doin'

nothin' important."

"And you can spare a few minutes? I--I want to talk to you very much.I won't be long, really."He regarded her intently.Then he walked toward the door leading to the little workroom."Come right in here, ma'am," he said, gravely; adding, after they had entered the other apartment, "Take that chair.I'll sit over here on the box."He pulled forward the box and turned to find her still standing.

"Do sit down," he urged."That chair ain't very comfortable, Iknow.Perhaps I'd better get you another one from my sittin'-room in yonder."He was on his way to carry out the suggestion, but she interrupted him."Oh, no," she said."This one will be perfectly comfortable, I'm sure, only--""Yes? Is there somethin' the matter with it?""Not the matter with it, exactly, but it seems to be--occupied."Jed stepped forward and peered over the workbench at the chair.

Its seat was piled high with small pasteboard boxes containing hardware-screws, tacks and metal washers--which he used in his mill and vane-making.

"Sho!" he exclaimed."Hum! Does seem to be taken, as you say.Irecollect now; a lot of that stuff came in by express day before yesterday afternoon and I piled it up there while I was unpackin'

it.Here!" apparently addressing the hardware, "you get out of that.That seat's reserved."He stretched a long arm over the workbench, seized the chair by the back and tipped it forward.The pasteboard boxes went to the floor in a clattering rush.One containing washers broke open and the little metal rings rolled everywhere.Mr.Winslow did not seem to mind.

"There!" he exclaimed, with evident satisfaction; "sit right down, ma'am."The lady sat as requested, her feet amid the hardware boxes and her hands upon the bench before her.She was evidently very nervous, for her fingers gripped each other tightly.And, when she next spoke, she did not look at her companion.

"Mr.Winslow," she began, "I--I believe--that is, Babbie tells me that--that last evening, when you and she were on your way back here in the boat, she said something--she told you something concerning our--my--family affairs which--which--"She faltered, seeming to find it hard to continue.Jed did not wait.He was by this time at least as nervous as she was and considerably more distressed and embarrassed.He rose from the box and extended a protesting hand.

"Now, now, ma'am," he begged."Now, Mrs.Armstrong, please--please don't say any more.It ain't necessary, honest it ain't.She--she--that child she didn't tell me much of anything anyhow, and she didn't mean to tell that.And if you knew how ashamed and--and mean I've felt ever since to think I let myself hear that much! Ihope--I do hope you don't think I tried to get her to tell me anything.I do hope you don't think that."His agitation was so acute and so obvious that she looked at him in wonder for a moment.Then she hastened to reassure him.

"Don't distress yourself, Mr.Winslow," she said, smiling sadly.