"Wait till you see him and then judge for yourself." Gwen put her head to one side as she viewed the arrangement of her roses in a bowl. "Aren't they lovely, Aunt Cam? I got them just over the fence as I came along. There are two letters for you and a couple of papers."
"Did you ask about the mackerel?" said Miss Elliott, picking up her letters.
"Yes, and that's all the good it did. I was informed that our mackerel was wrapped up, all ready to deliver, when some one came along who wanted it, and, being on the spot, secured it, so we are minus our mackerel as there are no more. Ira told me the tale as if it would console me to know that it had come so far in reaching us as to be wrapped up."
"Oh dear," sighed Miss Elliott, "then we must either eat canned something, or try to get a lobster."
"If I could catch sight of Mr. Williams as he comes from the pound I'd be sure to get some kind of fish," said Gwen. "I believe I'll go hunt him up. I may not be too late." She picked up her hat and went out again. The breeze, which always blew up freshly by ten o'clock, no matter how warm the early morning hours, had begun to stir among the tree-tops; the grass was vividly green upon the hummocks; in the woods the birds were calling to each other. A tame crow sat upon a neighboring roof, making such human noises as led Gwen to think some one was calling her. She went down hill to the little hollow where the cove curved in toward the marsh, then up she climbed to penetrate a pine grove and come out again upon the spot where Luther Williams moored his dory. She had not miscalculated for, looking up, she saw him ahead trundling his barrow of fish. She ran after him calling as she went, and directly he turned, dropped the handles of his barrow and waited till she came up.
"Any fish for sale, Mr. Williams?" sang out Gwen.
"Well, not at retail," he returned, "but you're welcome to your pick."
"Couldn't do that," answered Gwen, turning over, with a hesitating finger, the contents of the wheelbarrow.
"Then you can't have any," said Mr. Williams with a smile, essaying to pick up the handles again.
"That is unkind," returned Gwen. "Would you condemn us to a dinner of canned soup and potted ham when here are these beautiful fish just out of the water? Some one bore off the mackerel we ordered, and we are minus our chief dinner dish unless you'll let us depend upon you."