CHAPTER XXVIII
In Which My Homecoming Proves To Be a Strange One Indeed
Naturally I thought that Ham’s telegram spelled trouble; but I kept my thoughts to myself. I did not feel like discussing the matter even with Thankful Polk.
We had begun to break out the Gullwing’s cargo and worked until dark. The next day the roustabouts would come aboard and relieve us of that. All hands (save Thank and I) would go up to the office to be paid off.
We in the forecastle heard nothing about the Barneys that day, nor did Mr. Jim return to the ship. We spent the evening skylarking on the forward deck. A man had come aboard with an accordion and the men danced, and sang, and had a general rough-and-tumble jollification. But I only looked on. Tomorrow would close such scenes for me—perhaps forever.
In the morning a lawyer and his clerk came aboard to take testimony regarding the loss of the Seamew. Just as I had supposed, the men who talked most were the old fellows who believed that the two ships had come together because of some supernatural attraction. The real incidents of the collision were buried under a heap of rubbish, testimony that would help the courts and the insurance people mighty little in getting at the facts of the case.
I was thankful that the lawyer did not put many questions to me. I stuck to my belief that Mr. Jim Barney had obeyed Captain Bowditch’s order to change the course of the Gullwing as soon as the order was given.
When the examination was over there was a deal of bustle in preparation of all hands going ashore. I paid Job Perkins the ten dollars I had promised him and lent Thank all I could spare after saving out enough for the tickets for Philly and myself to Darringford.
I suppose I might have borrowed a little money from Captain Bowditch; but Thank could get along until I could telegraph him a hundred from home. He had agreed to accept that much from me, and promised to join me at my mother’s summer home later.
Then we bade the men good-bye, and shook hands with the skipper and Mr. Gates and Mr. Hollister. Thank went with Philly and me to the railroad station. There I hoped to find Dao Singh—and Philly was anxious about him, too. But the Hindoo did not appear.
We could not wait for him; nor did I know how to find him in Baltimore. But I told Thank to keep a watch out for him, and if he saw Singh to let me know at once by telegraph.
We took the fast express for Boston and only had to transfer at one point. From that point I had engaged seats in the chair car and berths for both Philly and myself. There was but one day coach attached to the train when we changed, and we were scarcely aboard when a tall, turbanned figure appeared at the window beside my seat.
“Oh, Dao Singh!” cried Philly, and then rattled away to him in his own tongue.
He made me a low obeisance. “I have come, Sahib, as I promised,” he said, softly. “I take train here with you and the Memsahib. I ride forward in the other coach;” and bowing he left us.
I saw that he had a complete new outfit—a costume of his own country. He was a strange looking object as he stalked away to take his place in the day car.
I sent Ham another wire to say what hour we would arrive at Darringford station. I was sincerely worried about my mother. Perhaps she was ill. Perhaps—I dared not ruminate farther on that subject.
Phillis was greatly interested in the country through which the train flew. We looked pretty shabby—both of us—to be riding in a first-class coach, and the other passengers were curious about us. But we made no acquaintances on the way.
We arrived safely in Boston in the morning, and crossed the city to the other station. We had not long to wait for a local train that stopped at Darringford. It was not long after nine o’clock when the train stopped and we disembarked.
I saw Ham instantly; but he did not have our carriage. There was nobody else to welcome me—there was nobody about the station, indeed, who recognized me. I had changed a good deal during the twenty-two months I had been away.
But old Ham knew me. He rushed at me and wrung my hands and sputtered something at first that I could not understand. At last he said:
“And ye couldn’t have timed it better, Master Clint. You’re just in the nick of time. The court sits in ha’f an hour.”
Then he caught sight of Phillis and Dao Singh right behind me.
“What’s all this?” he muttered.
“I’ll tell you later,” I said. “It’s too long a story to give you now. Besides, you’ve got to tell me things first. Isn’t the carriage here? Can’t we all go right to Darringford House? Haven’t you told mother?”
He shook his head slowly.
“Can’t take you home, jest yet, Master Clint,” he said.
“But mother! is——?”
“She ain’t sick, and she ain’t well. Only poorly. Nothing to be worried about. And now that you’re here I reckon things will be straightened out all right.”
“Chester Downes!” I ejaculated.
“Yes. He’s cutting up didoes,” grunted Ham.
“But where is Lawyer Hounsditch?” I cried.
And then Ham did amaze me—and startle me, too.
“Old Mr. Hounsditch died a month ago, Clint,” he said. “It was sudden. He was an old man, you know, and there is nobody to take his place.”
“My guardian is dead, then!” I exclaimed.
“He was co-trustee with your mother, Clint. That’s where the trouble lies. Chester Downes is riggin’ to get appointed in his place. It comes up before the Judge of Probate this morning. You ain’t but jest in time.”
That woke me up, now I tell you! All my wits were working in a minute. Ham needed to make little more talk about it for me to fully understand what was threatening.
“And mother didn’t object?” I asked.
“You know what a holt Downes has over her,” Ham said gravely. “She did want him to wait until you came home. We got your letter from Valpariso and we knew the Gullwing was about due in Baltimore. But Chester Downes—you know him!”
“Let us take my little friend and Dao Singh to the hotel,” I said. “They can wait for us there. I must have a lawyer, Ham.”
“I got you one,” said the old man, quickly. “We’d have gone before the court if you hadn’t come in time and tried to get a stay.”
“Colonel Playfair.”
I knew him by reputation. A better man didn’t live in Darringford, nor a better lawyer—now that Mr. Hounsditch was dead. And it seemed to me that I remembered something about Colonel Playfair and my grandfather having once been close friends.
“Have you got any money, Ham?” I asked him. “For I haven’t a cent.”
“Plenty,” he replied.
“Get a carriage, then, and drive us to the hotel first; then to Colonel Playfair’s office.”
“Aye, aye, sir!” returned Ham and in a few moments we were off in a station hack, Ham on the seat with the driver.
Mr. and Mrs. Bramble kept the Darringford Hotel, and I left Philly in the good lady’s care. Dao Singh remained with her, of course. Then Ham and I raced to the office of the lawyer.
It was already half past nine. There was no time to lose if the matter of an appointment of a new trustee for the Darringford estate was the first item on the docket.
I knew Colonel Playfair by sight—a soldierly, white haired veteran with one arm. His shabby offices were in a brick building near the courthouse. I don’t suppose he would have known me in my present guise had not Ham Mayberry vouched for my identity.
“A close call, young man,” he said. “I understand you object to this Chester Downes being appointed in the place of Mr. Hounsditch?”
“I more than object,” I cried. “I won’t have it!”
“Hoighty-toighty!” he said. “That’s not the way to go into court. You have a choice, of course; but don’t speak that way to Judge Fetter.”
“No, sir,” I said, restraining myself.
“And you must have somebody else in mind to suggest for the appointment.”
“You are familiar with the situation, Colonel?” I asked. “You knew my grandfather, and you know how he made his will?”
“Humph! I know all about it,” he returned, grimly.
“You are the man to take Lawyer Hounsditch’s place. The co-trustee should be a lawyer, anyway.”
“Well, well, I don’t know about this,” he said, slowly. “You really should have another attorney, then, to appear before Judge Fetter.”
“Jest git it put over, Colonel,” said Ham, eagerly. “Then we kin settle about the trimmings afterward.”
The colonel laughed and took up his hat.
“All right,” he said. “We’ll go across to the judge’s chambers and see what we can do,” and he led the way out of his office.