“He won’t go with her,” said Mrs. Rhines, “without some of us go with him.”
“Yes, he will,” said the captain, “if I tell him to, and give him something to carry.”
“Then you must give him something that he won’t eat, or she’ll give every mite of it to him.”
Captain Rhines filled Fannie’s basket with apples, and put in some flowers, and Mrs. Rhines gave her some cake to eat herself. Tige took the basket in his mouth, and away they went; but Fannie gave him all her cake before she got home.
She made out to get him into the house, where he licked the baby’s face, and frightened it half to death, and then set out for home, refusing the most urgent solicitations to stay to dinner.
Tige also had the promise of going over to Elm Island again, to see the baby there.
The heart of Captain Rhines was bound up in John. Two days had now passed since the time fixed in his mind for their arrival. He became very uneasy. Every few moments he would catch the spy-glass, and run out on the hill to look.
“Why, Captain Rhines,” said his wife, “I don’t think you need laugh any more at us women for being nervous and fidgety when our friends are away! I’m sure you beat us all. Old Aunt Nabby Rideout, of Marblehead, that they say used to bank up her house with tea-grounds, never begun with you! You can’t expect folks that are coming by water to come just at the time they set. You must have patience.”
“Patience! I’ve had patience to kill.”
“Perhaps they’ve had a head wind, or calm.”