Dorothy's Travels

Evelyn Raymond

Description

SAILING DOWN THE HUDSON All aboard - what's goin'! All ashore - what ain't!

Informations

• Publié par: Pub One Info
• Date de parution: 23 octobre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9782819904540
• Langue: English

Extrait

CHAPTER I
SAILING DOWN THE HUDSON "All aboard – what's goin'!All ashore – what ain't!"
The stentorian shout of the colored steward, soclose to Dorothy's ear, made her jump aside with a little scream.Then as she saw that the boat hands were about to draw the gangplank back to the steamer's deck, she gave another little cry andfairly pushed Alfaretta toward it. "Never mind hugging me now,girlie, you must go or you'll be left!"
But the lassie from the mountain only smiled andanswered: "I don't mind if I am. Look a-here!" and with that shepulled a shabby purse from the front of her blouse and triumphantlydisplayed its contents. "Oh! Alfy! How'll you ever get back?" "Easyas preachin'. I – "
But Dorothy had no further time to waste inargument. Here were Jim Barlow and Monty Stark shaking either handand bidding a hasty good-by, while Molly Breckenridge was fairlydancing up and down in her anxiety lest the lads should also beleft on board, as Alfaretta was likely to be.
But they were not. Another second they had boundeddown the stairs from the saloon to the lower deck, a workman hadobligingly caught Monty by his coat collar and laughingly flung himover the plank to the dock beyond, while Jim's long legs strodeafter and made their last leap across a little chasm of water."Good-by, good-by, good-by!"
Handkerchiefs waved, kisses were tossed across thewidening water, the bell rang, the whistle tooted, and Dorothy'stravels had begun. Then as the group of schoolmates watching thisdeparture from the shore grew more indistinct she turned upon herold mountain friend with the astonished question: "But Alfaretta!Whatever made you do this? What will become of you, alone in thatgreat city of New York?" "I didn't say anything about Ne' York, didI? Should think you'd be glad to have me go along with you a littlebit o' way. Course, I shall get off the boat when it stops toCornwall landing. And I thought – I thought – Seems if I couldn't have you go so far away, Dolly. It's terriblelonesome up-mounting now-a-days. And I – I don't see why some folkshas everything and some hasn't nothin'!"
There was more grief than grammar in this speech anda few tears sprang to the girl's eyes. But Alfy boasted that shewas not a "crier" and as she heard the stewardess announcing:"Tickets, ladies and gentlemen," she dashed the moisture away andstared at the woman.
After her usual custom, "Fanny" was collecting moneyfrom the various passengers and would obligingly procure theirtickets for those not already provided. As she made her way throughthe throng, which on that summer morning crowded the upper deck ofthe pretty "Mary Powell," the three young friends watched her withsurprised interest.
Apparently she took no note of the amount anybodygave her, carrying bills of all dimensions between her fingers andpiles of specie on her broad palm. "How can she tell how much she'staken from anybody? How can she give them their right change?"wondered Dorothy. "I give it up! She must be a deal better atarithmetic than I am. I should make the mixedest mess of thatbusiness;" answered Molly, equally curious. "Yet you will see thatshe makes no mistakes. I've been traveling up and down the river onthis same boat for many years and I've given her all sorts of sums,at times, on purpose to try her. But her memory never fails," saidMiss Greatorex who was in charge of the party. She sat quite calmlywith the amount of three fares in her hand but with a mostforbidding gaze at Alfaretta.
Who that young person was or why she had thrustherself into their company she did not understand. She had herselfbut known of this trip on the day before, when Miss PenelopeRhinelander had been obliged to give it up, on account of theextreme illness of a near relative.
However, here she was with her two pupils, whom shetaught at the Rhinelander Academy, bound for a summer's outing in –to her and them – unknown lands. Also, as there may be some whohave not hitherto followed the fortunes of Dorothy, it may be wellto explain that she was a foundling, left upon the doorstep of aman and wife, in a quiet street in Baltimore. That he had lost hishealth and his position as a letter-carrier in that city and hadremoved to his wife's small farm in the Hudson Highlands. Thatamong their friends there was somebody who had taken an interest inthe orphan girl and had burdened himself – or herself – with thecharge of her education. That she had passed the last school yearat the Academy and had been in some most exciting episodes detailedin "Dorothy's Schooling;" and that now, at the beginning of thelong vacation, she was traveling with her closest school friend anda teacher, whose life she had been the means of saving at the timeof the Academy fire, toward New York; and from thence to NovaScotia – there to grow strong for another year of study.
Alfaretta Babcock's home was near to her home uponthe mountain; and though unlike, there was a sincere affectionbetween this untaught country girl and the dainty Dorothy, and Alfyhad begged a ride in a neighbor's wagon going to Newburgh, that shemight bid her friend good by and watch her set sail on what seemedmust be the most wonderful of journeys.
She was to have returned home as she had come; butwhen the steamer was on the point of leaving an impulse had seizedher to travel thus herself, if only for the brief distance betweenthis landing and the one nearer her own home. She had a few centsin her purse and hoped they would be enough to pay her fare; andnow when they were already moving down the stream and her familiarmountain-top came into view, she made a wild dart toward thestewardess, shouting: "Ma'am, please, ma'am, take mine! I've got toget off the next place and – and – I mustn't be left!"
Fanny picked up the camp-chair Alfy had stumbledover, remarked in a soothing voice, "Plenty of time, little gal,oceans of time, oceans of time," and glanced at the money sosuddenly thrust into her already crowded palm. "Four cents, littlegal? Hardly enough. Fifteen is the regular fare. All you got,sissy? Look and see."
The tone was kind but the statement sounded like aknell in poor Alfaretta's ears. Thousands of times she had watchedthe many boats pass up and down the river, but only once had shebeen upon any and that was a row-boat. It had been the dream of herlife to voyage, as she was doing now, far and away beyond thoseHighlands, that seemed to meet and clasp hands across the mightystream, and see the wonderful world that lay beyond. For the boatsalways disappeared around that projecting point of rock and forest,and so she knew that the mountains did not meet but merely seemedso to do. Well, of course, she wasn't to find out about themto-day. She knew that quite well, because her own landing was onthis side the "Point" and she could go no further. Indeed, couldshe now go even so far? "Fifteen cents! My heart! – I – I – Whatcan I do? Will the captain drop me – in the – river? Will – "
The stewardess was very busy. People were watchingher a little anxiously because of her indifferent handling of hermoney and the tickets she had not hurried to bring; and the suddenterrified clutch at her skirts which Alfy gave set her trippingamong the crowded chairs and made her answer, crossly: "Forgoodness sake, girl, keep out from under foot! If you haven't themoney go to your friends and get it!" "Friends! I haven't got any!"cried Alfaretta, and flung her skirt over her face and herself downupon the nearest seat.
From their own place Molly and Dolly watched thislittle by-play for a moment, then darted forward themselves to seewhat was the matter. "Why, Alfy dear, what's happened? Won't thewoman get your ticket for you? Never mind. I'll ask her. Maybe shewill for me." "You needn't, Dolly girl! There ain't enough and I'mafraid they'll drop me off into the water! She – she – " "Alfy! Howsilly! Nobody would do such a thing. It would be murder. But youshouldn't have come unless you had the money and I'll go ask MissGreatorex for some. She has our purses in her satchel, taking careof them for us. Wait a minute. You stay with her, Molly, while I goget it. How much, Alfy?"
The girl began to count upon her fingers: "Four –that's what I have and it was meant for candy for the children –five, six – How many more'n four does it take to make fifteen Iwonder? I'm so scared I can't think. And I wish, I – wish – to –goodness - knows I'd ha' said good-by back there to the dock andnot let myself get carried off down river to nobody knows where. Ifthey dassent to drop me off the boat they might keep me here till Ipaid – " "Alfaretta Babcock! I certainly am ashamed of you. That'sa hard thing to say, just at parting, but it's the truth. The idea!First you fancy a decent human being will drown you because youhaven't a little money, and then you can't reckon fifteen! Whatwould dear Mr. Seth say, after teaching you so faithfully? Nevermind. Don't act so foolish any more and I'll go get the money."
This was not so easy as she fancied. The boat wasalready nearing the next landing where Alfaretta must go ashore, orbe carried on to a much greater distance from her home, but itseemed difficult to make Miss Greatorex understand what was wantedand why. The poor lady's deafness had increased since her frightand exposure at the time of the fire and, now that she had been putinto a position of greater trust than ever before, her sense ofresponsibility weighed heavily upon her. At parting, her principal,Miss Rhinelander, had enjoined: "Take particular care of the girls'finances, Cousin Isobel. It is important that they should learn tobe wise in their small expenditures so that they may be equallyprudent when they come to have the handling of larger sums – ifthat should ever be. Make them give a strict account of everythingand check any foolishness at the beginning."
The subordinate promised. She was a "poor relation"and knew that she was an unpopular teacher with many of the pupilsof