The incident of the wrecked sea chest held her attention in only a secondary degree. All through supper she was listening for Betty Gallup's heavy step. She knew she could not sleep that night without knowing how Lawford was.
For the very reason that she felt so deeply regarding it, she shrank from talking with Cap'n Amazon of the accident that had happened to Lawford. She was glad the substitute storekeeper had "gone for'ard" again to attend to customers when Betty came clumping up the back steps.
"He's all right, Miss Lou," said the kindly woman, patting the girl's hand. "I waited to see Doc Ambrose when he come back from the P'int. He says there ain't a thing the matter with him that vinegar an' brown paper won't cure.
"But land sakes! Miss Lou, ain't this an awful thing 'bout your Uncle Abe's chest? That old pirate knows more'n he'd ought to 'bout what's come o' Cap'n Abe, even if they ain't brought it home to him yit."
"Now, Betty, I wish you wouldn't," begged the girl. "Why should you give currency to such foolish gossip?"
"What foolish gossip?" snapped the woman.
"Why, about my Uncle Amazon."
"How d'ye know he's your uncle at all?" demanded Betty. "You never seen him before he come here. You never knowed nothin' 'bout him, so you said, 'fore you come here to Cardhaven."
"But, Betty——"
"Ain't no 'buts' about it!" fiercely declared the "able seaman."
"Cap'n Abe's gone—disappeared. We don't know what's become of him.
Course, Huldy Baker was a silly to think Cap'n Abe had been murdered
and cut up like shark bait and shipped away in that old chest."