The September twilight followed. It was night and still the fog held down. The old sea began to roll with an easterly swell, and Frank was not heard from. Kate put every lamp that she could muster into the tower room, for a lighthouse.
Chapter XV.
As Frank rowed down the harbor in the morning, he saw himself clearly, in the light of conscience, as a selfish, contemptible brother. He admitted to himself that he ought to have taken Kate in the Clover and given her a morning’s pleasure on this one of the latest days he should be at home.
Two or three times he half yielded to the impulse to go back for her and began to row with uncertain weak stroke outward, when, with sudden impetus, Victor, from the island, shot past him with the call “You’d better hurry! Capital morning for fishing, and we’re off at high water for Long Island.”
“It’s my last chance to see the fishing-boats and the old mill and everything, and mother won’t let Kate go outside any time,” thought Frank, and he bent to the oars and shot past the coal dock, as seen by Kate and Harry in the last chapter.
At the island everyone was busy preparing to leave for new fishing-grounds—the season for fishing in that part of the Sound being nearly past. The great seines were being taken down from the reels along the side of the wharf, casks of water were going out to sloops in small boats, and every fisherman was getting together his individual belongings, to say good-bye to the island for weeks to come.
Frank made the Clover fast to the wharf, climbed the ladder and wandered about awhile, watching the work that was going on and secretly wondering whether or not if he had worn his uniform the men would have paid more heed to him, for a chance word was all the attention he could elicit, until Victor returned from town. Victor had been to the postoffice to obtain the latest news from the homes of the men before they should set sail. Victor distributed his letters and then went, accompanied by Frank, “to pack up.”
As he proceeded to thrust into a huge carpet-bag his belongings, he said:
“I wanted to see that land toggery of yours you’re going to school in.”