CHAPTER XLII.HOME AGAIN.
After a very early breakfast, Justin and Britomarte, with all their luggage, set out by the first omnibus that left the hotel for the early train to Washington. After paying his hotel bill, Justin had scarcely five dollars left, but he knew that he could get an advance from Lieutenant Ethel, whom he could reimburse immediately upon his arrival at Washington.
They met the young lieutenant on the ferryboat. He advanced smilingly toward them, saying:
“You see that I am punctual, and more than punctual, for I meet you on the ferryboat, instead of at the station. We could not have had a finer day for our journey,” he added, cheerfully, as he shook hands with Justin and with Britomarte.
For you see, Lieutenant Ethel was not one of those mistaken individuals who imagine that they must always continue to wear a long face on a bereaved friend. He had earnestly expressed his sympathy and heartily offered his services; and his action stood good for all times; and now he meant to be cheerful, and to try to cheer them.
They reached the station in good time.
Leaving Miss Conyers in the ladies’ room, they went together to the office to procure their tickets; and there Justin told the lieutenant of his dilemma.
“Draw on me, my dear fellow, for any amount in my possession. I have a hundred dollars in my pocketbook, and you are welcome to ninety of them,” said the young man, cordially.
“Which would leave you just money enough to take you to Washington. No, thank you. Twenty dollars will answer my purpose, if you will let me have the use of that sum until I get home,” smiled Justin.
“I wish it was twenty thousand, instead of twenty dollars, and that I were as able to give you the big sum as I am willing to lend you the little one,” said the lieutenant, placing a note in Justin’s hand. Justin thanked him, and got the tickets for himself and for Britomarte.
Before leaving the hotel, Miss Conyers had placed her pocketbook, containing thirty dollars, in the hands of Justin, with the request that he would keep it to pay her traveling expenses until they should reach their journey’s end, when he might return it. And Justin, to prevent, or rather to defer a dispute on the subject, had accepted the trust; but neither for her hotel bill nor for her railroad ticket had he touched her little hoard. He was resolved to return the pocketbook intact as he had received it.
Having secured their tickets and checked their baggage, they rejoined Britomarte and took her to the train,and found comfortable seats in the ladies’ car, to which Britomarte’s companionship admitted them both.
They were scarcely seated, when the newsboys came into the car, crying the morning papers.
“Times,Herald,World,Tribune,et cetera. Full particulars of the Battle of Gettysburg!—Capture of the PirateSea Scourge!—Wonderful rescue of three shipwrecked passengers from a Desert Island!—Tribune,World,Herald,Times!”
“Now, who on earth could have put our adventure in!” exclaimed Justin, half amused and half annoyed at the circumstance.
Lieutenant Ethel blushed and then laughed, saying:
“I am afraid I am responsible for that! though I never supposed it would get into the papers. You see, yesterday I told the whole story of the cruise of theXyphiasto some friends and strangers that I met at dinner at the Astor House. I dare say there were some gentlemen of the press present, though I did not think so at the time.”
“That accounts for all, then,” said Justin.
And the party bought half a dozen papers. And the train started.
They had a swift and pleasant run to Washington, where they arrived safely at seven o’clock in the evening.
On reaching the station, Lieutenant Ethel left the car first, to go and secure a carriage for his friends.
“Britomarte! my dear, dear Britomarte, you will come home with me to Erminie? Don’t wound me by refusing! Say that you will come,” urged Justin, when he was left alone with Miss Conyers.
“No, no, no! not this evening, for the world! For this evening you and your sister should meet alone,” she earnestly replied.
“To-morrow, then?” he inquired.
“Yes! to-morrow I will see Erminie.”
As every one was now leaving the cars, they arose from their seats and went out. Lieutenant Ethel met them with a carriage.
“Where, then, shall we take you to-night?” questioned Justin, as he handed Britomarte into her place.
She named the hotel where she wished to stop. And Justin gave the order to drive there.
On arriving at the house, he took care to secure a good room for Miss Conyers; but not until he was on the point of taking leave of her did he hand her her pocketbook. And he was relieved to see that, without examination, she put it in her pocket.
Then he bade her good-night, and re-entered the carriage and drove to the house of that clerical friend to whom he had written to prepare Erminie for his arrival. He did not leave his carriage, lest his friend should detain him too long from his sister. He merely sent in a request that the Rev. Mr. Sales would come out and speak to him for a moment.
And when that gentleman came out, full of wonder and welcome and warm congratulations, Justin eagerly inquired if he had received his letter and delivered the inclosure to its destination.
And being answered in the affirmative, and informed that his sister was prepared to receive him, Justin cordially thanked Mr. Sales for his kind offices.
The clergyman would willingly have detained Mr. Rosenthal, and made a lion of him for the evening. But Justin excused himself upon the ground of his great impatience to meet his sister.
And so Mr. Sales, with many expressions of amazement and thankfulness that Justin and his companions should have been so providentially preserved and happily restored to their friends, suffered him to depart.
Justin gave the order to drive to the parsonage, and then threw himself back on his cushions.
Ah! who can imagine the emotions with which, after so long an absence, he drew near his father’s house?
As in a dream, he saw the lights of the shops whirl past each side, as his carriage rolled through the streets. In a dream he perceived that it stopped before the gate of his old home. In a dream, he found himself going up the shaded walk, standing under the vine-wreathed portico, ringing the bell, and entering the door. Still in a dream, he found himself in a lighted drawing-room, and saw before him his sister Erminie, dressed as he had never seen her in his waking hours—in the deepest mourning. With a great cry:
“My brother! Oh, my brother!” she ran to him and threw herself upon his bosom.
And then he awoke! He clasped her closely to his heart. And they wept in each other’s arms.
Erminie was the first to recover herself. She lifted her head from his bosom and murmured the question:
“You know, my brother, you know that—that——” her voice again broke down into sobs.
“I know all, sweet sister, all!” he answered, tenderly caressing her.
“He died—as he wished to die—cheering on his men to the charge!—to that gallant charge which, for the time being, turned the tide of battle and almost redeemed the day, even on that fatal field of Manassas!” she sobbed.
“He died a hero’s death; he fills a hero’s grave; he leaves to all posterity a hero’s name!” murmured Justin, lovingly soothing her.
“On, Justin, I think, had there been many leaders like him in our army that day, the defeat had been a victory.”
With the departure of the shipwrecked lovers from the deserted island, that had been their refuge for so long a time, closed the most singular phase in their lives.
With their arrival in their native country to find it in the horrors of civil war, commences for them a career of activity and adventures full
“Of moving accidents by field and flood,Of hair breadth ’scapes i’ th’ imminent deadly breach,Of being taken by the insolent foe——”
“Of moving accidents by field and flood,Of hair breadth ’scapes i’ th’ imminent deadly breach,Of being taken by the insolent foe——”
“Of moving accidents by field and flood,Of hair breadth ’scapes i’ th’ imminent deadly breach,Of being taken by the insolent foe——”
“Of moving accidents by field and flood,
Of hair breadth ’scapes i’ th’ imminent deadly breach,
Of being taken by the insolent foe——”
All of which, together with the after fate of all the persons mentioned here, is told in the sequel to this story—“How He Won Her.”