第58章

Mr.E.Holliday and his doings were still East Wellmouth's favorite conversational topics.The great man was preparing to close his summer house and return to New York.His family had already gone--to Lenox, where they were to remain for a few weeks and then journey to Florida.E.Holliday remained, several of the servants remaining with him, but he, too, was to go very soon.There were rumors that he remained because of other schemes concerning his new estate.Just what those schemes were no one seemed to know.If John Kendrick knew he told no one, not even Emily Howes.

But E.Holliday himself disclosed his plan and it was to Thankful Barnes that he did so.He called at the High Cliff House one afternoon and asked to see its proprietor.Thankful was a trifle flustered.It was the first call which her wealthy neighbor had made upon her, and she could not understand why he came at this late date.

"For mercy sakes, come into the livin'-room with me, Emily," she begged."I shan't know how to act in the face of all that money."Emily was much amused."I never knew you to be frightened of money before, Auntie," she said."I thought you were considering borrowing some of this very--ahem--personage.""Maybe I was, though I cal'late I should have took it out in consideration; I never would have gone to him and asked.But now the--what do you call it?--personage--come to me for somethin', the land knows what.""Perhaps HE wants to borrow."

"Humph! Perhaps he does.Well, then, he's fishin' in the wrong puddle.Emily Howes, stop laughin' and makin' jokes and come into that livin'-room same as I ask you to."But this Emily firmly declined to do."He's not my caller, Auntie,"she said."He didn't even ask if I were in."So Thankful went into the living-room alone to meet the personage.

And she closed all doors behind her."If you won't help you shan't listen," she declared."And I don't know's I'll tell you a word after he's gone."The call was a long one.It ended in an odd way.Emily, sitting by the dining-room window, heard the front door slam and, looking out, saw Mr.Kendrick stalking down the path, a frown on his face and outraged dignity in his bearing.A moment later Thankful burst into the dining-room.Her cheeks were flushed and she looked excited and angry.

"What do you think that--that walkin' money-bag came here for?" she demanded."He came here to tell me I'd got to sell this place to him.Yes, sell it to him, 'cause he wanted it.It didn't seem to make any difference what I wanted.Well, it will make a difference, I tell you that!"When she had calmed sufficiently she told of the interview with her neighbor.E.Holliday had lost no time in stating his position.

The High Cliff House, it appeared, was a source of annoyance to him and his.A boarding-house, no matter how genteel or well-conducted a boarding-house it may be, could not longer be tolerated in that situation.The boarders irritated him by trespassing upon his premises, by knocking their tennis balls into his garden beds, by bathing and skylarking on the beach in plain sight from his verandas.And the house and barn interfered with his view.He wished to be perfectly reasonable in the matter; Mrs.Barnes, of course, understood that.He was willing to pay for the privilege of having his own way.But, boiled down and shorn of politeness and subterfuge, his proposition was that Thankful should sell her property to him, after which he would either tear down the buildings on that property, or move them to a less objectionable site.

"But, Auntie," cried Emily, "of course you told him you didn't want to sell.""Sartin I did.I told him all I had was invested here, that my first season had been a good one considerin' 'twas the first, and that my prospects were all I had a right to hope for.I told him Iwas sorry if my boarders had plagued him and I'd try to see they didn't do so any more.But I couldn't think of sellin' out.""And what did he say to that?"

"What didn't he say? What I said didn't make a bit of difference.

He made proclamation that any reasonable price I might name he would consider.He wouldn't submit to what he called 'extortion'

of course, but he would be perfectly fair, and all that.I kept sayin' no and he kept sayin' yes.Our talk got more and more sultry long towards the last of it.He told me that he made it a p'int to get what he wanted and he was goin' to get it now.One thing he told me I didn't know afore, and it's kind of odd, too.

He said the land this house sits on used to belong to him once.

His father left it to him.He sold it a long while ago, afore my Uncle Abner bought, I guess.Now he's sorry he sold.""That was queer, what else did he say?"

"Oh, he said a whole lot about his desire to make East Wellmouth his permanent residence, about the taxes he paid, and what he meant to do for the town.I told him that was all right and fine and the town appreciated it, but that I'd got to think of myself; this boardin'-house idea was a life-long ambition of mine and I couldn't give it up.""And how did it end?"

"Just where it begun.His last words to me was that if I wouldn't listen to reason then he'd have to try other ways.And he warned me that he should try 'em.I said go ahead and try, or words not quite so sassy but meanin' the same.And out he marched.Oh, Emily, WHAT do you suppose he'll try? He can't MAKE me sell out, can he? Oh, dear! Oh, dear! here's more trouble.And I thought there was enough already!"Emily did her best to reassure her relative, telling the latter that of course she could not be forced into parting with what was her own and that Mr.Kendrick was talking merely for effect; but it was plain that Miss Howes herself was troubled.

"I think you should consult a lawyer, Auntie," she said."I am sure I am right, and that that man can't make you do what you don't want to do.But I don't know, of course, and a lawyer would know because that is his business.Why don't you ask John--Mr.John Kendrick, I mean? He will advise you."Thankful nodded."I will," she said.