That a trap had been for Cap'n Amazon, that it had been sprung and
failed to catch the master mariner, seemed quite plain to Louise.
Betty Gallup's oft-expressed suspicions and Washy Gallup's gossip
suddenly impressed the girl. With these vague thoughts was connected
in her mind the discovery she had made that one of Cap'n Amazon's
thrilling stories was pasted into the old scrapbook. Why she should
think of that discovery just now mystified her; but it seemed somehow
to dovetail into the enigma.
Cap'n Amazon lifted the flap in the counter for Louise and in his usual
kindly tone said:
"Good fishin', Niece Louise? Bring home a mess?"
"Yes, indeed," she told him. "The baskets are outside. Let Amiel
bring them around to the back."
"Aye, aye!" returned the captain briskly. "Tautog? We'll have 'em for
supper," and let her pass as though nothing extraordinary had occurred.
But to Louise's troubled mind the bursting of the old chest was like
the explosion of a bomb in Cap'n Abe's store.
What was the meaning of it all? Why had the chest been filled with
bricks and useless garments? And by whom?
If by Cap'n Abe, what was his object in doing such a perfectly
incomprehensible thing? He had deliberately, it seemed, shipped a
quite useless chest to Boston with no expectation of calling for it at
the express office.
Pages:
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239