“There's Eri,” said Captain Jerry. Then he added in an alarmed whisper, “Who on airth has he got with him?”
They heard their friend's voice warning someone to be careful of the top step, and then the chamber door opened and Captain Eri appeared. There were beads of perspiration on his forehead, and he was carrying a shabby canvas extension-case. Captain Jerry gazed at the extension-case with bulging eyes.
Captain Eri put down the extension-case and opened the door wide. A woman came in; a stout woman dressed in black “alpaca” and wearing brass-rimmed spectacles. Captain Jerry gasped audibly.
“Dr. Palmer,” said Captain Eri, “let me make you acquainted with Mrs. Snow of Nantucket. Mrs. Snow, this is Dr. Palmer.”
The Doctor and the lady from Nantucket shook hands, the former with a puzzled expression on his face.
“Perez,” continued the Captain, “let me make you known to Mrs. Snow—Mrs. Marthy B. Snow,”—this with especial emphasis,—“of Nantucket. Mrs. Snow, this is Cap'n Perez Ryder.”
They shook hands; Captain Perez managed to say that he was glad to meet Mrs. Snow. Captain Jerry said nothing, but he looked like a criminal awaiting the fall of the drop.
“Doctor,” continued the Captain, paying no attention to the signals of distress displayed by his friend, “I heard you say a spell ago that John here needed somebody to take care of him. Well, Mrs. Snow—she's a—a—sort of relation of Jerry's”—just a suspicion of a smile accompanied this assertion—“and she's done consid'rable nussin' in her time. I've been talkin' the thing over with her and she's willin' to look out for John till he gits better.”
The physician adjusted his eyeglasses and looked the volunteer nurse over keenly. The lady paid no attention to the scrutiny, but calmly removed her bonnet and placed it on the bureau. The room was Captain Eri's, and the general disarrangement of everything movable was only a little less marked than in those of his companions. Mrs. Snow glanced over the heap of odds and ends on the bureau and picked up a comb. There were some teeth in it, but they were distant neighbors.
“I don't use that comb very much,” said Captain Eri rather apologetically. “I gin'rally use the one downstairs.”