CHAPTER XXIV.
The Sight of a New Beauty, and Some Advice from Higbee
From the landing on a still morning in late July, Mrs. Drelmer surveyed the fleet of sailing and steam yachts at anchor in Newport harbour. She was beautifully and expensively gowned in nun's grey chiffon; her toque was of chiffon and lace, and she held a pale grey parasol, its ivory handle studded with sapphires. She fixed a glass upon one of the white, sharp-nosed steam yachts that rode in the distance near Goat Island. "Can you tell me if that's the Viluca?" she asked a sailor landing from a dinghy, "that boat just astern of the big schooner?"
"No ma'am; that's the Alta, Commodore Weckford."
"Looking for some one?" inquired a voice, and she turned to greet Fred Milbrey descending the steps.
"Oh! Good-morning! yes; but they've not come in, evidently. It's the Viluca—Mr. Bines, you know; he's bringing his sister back to me. And you?"
"I'm expecting the folks on Shepler's craft. Been out two weeks now, and were to have come down from New London last night. They're not in sight either. Perhaps the gale last night kept them back."
Mrs. Drelmer glanced above to where some one seemed to be waiting for him.
"Who's your perfectly gorgeous companion? You've been so devoted to her for three days that you've hardly bowed to old friends. Don't you want her to know any one?"
The young man laughed with an air of great shrewdness.