the other with slices of sugared ginger. They thanked him, and Eva added, “I hope we’ll see you often while you’re in port, Captain Pollock.”
“Won’t you come to dinner,” asked Kendra, “one evening soon?”
Captain Pollock shook his head. “You are very kind, but I must say no. I’ll be in port only a short time, and I have much to do.”
He spoke so crisply that Kendra felt uncomfortable. It seemed clear that he had made this call solely for the sake of good manners and would be glad when he could get it over with. Eva was saying pleasantly,
“But you’ll come back to San Francisco, I hope, before you leave the Pacific entirely?”
Captain Pollock said yes. His plan was to go on to Canton and several other Oriental ports, and call at San Francisco again next spring, before returning to New York.
Eva said she would be glad to see him then. There was some conversation about what ports he expected to visit, but he was so ill at ease that even she could not help feeling chilled. There was an awkward pause. To fill it in Kendra asked,
“Captain Pollock, how is Loren Shields?”
As she spoke Loren’s name the captain gave a start. His answer was almost gruff.
“Mr. Shields,” he said, “is no longer with us.”
Kendra caught her breath in astonishment. Loren was a man who did his work well. Light-hearted he was, but not fight-minded. He would never have broken his contract. Nor could he have been dismissed except for some outrageous breach of duty, and she could not believe him guilty of any such thing. Something had certainly gone wrong.
Eva too was startled. She asked if Loren had stayed in Honolulu.
Captain Pollock said no. Loren had returned to San Francisco on the Cynthia, but upon arrival their contract had been dissolved by mutual consent.
His answer was brief to the point of terseness. Observing that he did not care to discuss the matter, Eva tactfully changed the subject by asking if he would not take a cup of tea, with some cinnamon wafers Kendra had baked yesterday.
Captain Pollock declined. He said he must leave them now. As master of a ship newly arrived he had many imperative duties.
When he had gone Eva spoke to Kendra, mystified. “What is the matter with him?”
Kendra said she too had been wondering, but she had no idea.
When Alex came in that evening he said the Cynthia ’s return voyage from Honolulu had been unfortunate. Her journey out had been quick—only seventeen days—and the voyage back had begun well. But on the way she had met a storm, which had blown her off course and lengthened the voyage to twenty-three days.
Eva said this must have been the reason for Captain Pollock’s dejection, but Kendra did not think so. She could understand that Pollock would be disappointed, but she could not believe the storm alone would have made him so depressed. Pollock had been twenty years at sea. He knew the noblest ship ever made could not defy the wind. Besides, this did not explain his break with Loren. Certainly Loren had not blown up the storm.
The next morning brought that rare delight, a day of unclouded sun. The wind had cleared the sky; the bay was a great wide glitter of water, and the dingy little town of San Francisco looked liked a smudge on a golden world. Kendra and Eva rode down the hill escorted by Morse and Vernon.
Both men were talking eagerly. They were planning another dance, and Eva had promised to help with the decorations. Vernon told her the New York Store had Chinese lanterns and other Oriental ornaments, brought over on the Eagle. Wouldn’t she like to see these?
Indeed she would, Eva exclaimed. “Shall we go to the New York Store?” she asked Kendra.
“Why don’t you go there,” Kendra suggested, “and leave me at Chase and Fenway’s? They have a much better selection of groceries, and Mr. Hodge is so helpful.”
She said it with a bright smile, to hide the fact that this was not her real reason. Her real reason was that at Chase
“Won’t you come to dinner,” asked Kendra, “one evening soon?”
Captain Pollock shook his head. “You are very kind, but I must say no. I’ll be in port only a short time, and I have much to do.”
He spoke so crisply that Kendra felt uncomfortable. It seemed clear that he had made this call solely for the sake of good manners and would be glad when he could get it over with. Eva was saying pleasantly,
“But you’ll come back to San Francisco, I hope, before you leave the Pacific entirely?”
Captain Pollock said yes. His plan was to go on to Canton and several other Oriental ports, and call at San Francisco again next spring, before returning to New York.
Eva said she would be glad to see him then. There was some conversation about what ports he expected to visit, but he was so ill at ease that even she could not help feeling chilled. There was an awkward pause. To fill it in Kendra asked,
“Captain Pollock, how is Loren Shields?”
As she spoke Loren’s name the captain gave a start. His answer was almost gruff.
“Mr. Shields,” he said, “is no longer with us.”
Kendra caught her breath in astonishment. Loren was a man who did his work well. Light-hearted he was, but not fight-minded. He would never have broken his contract. Nor could he have been dismissed except for some outrageous breach of duty, and she could not believe him guilty of any such thing. Something had certainly gone wrong.
Eva too was startled. She asked if Loren had stayed in Honolulu.
Captain Pollock said no. Loren had returned to San Francisco on the Cynthia, but upon arrival their contract had been dissolved by mutual consent.
His answer was brief to the point of terseness. Observing that he did not care to discuss the matter, Eva tactfully changed the subject by asking if he would not take a cup of tea, with some cinnamon wafers Kendra had baked yesterday.
Captain Pollock declined. He said he must leave them now. As master of a ship newly arrived he had many imperative duties.
When he had gone Eva spoke to Kendra, mystified. “What is the matter with him?”
Kendra said she too had been wondering, but she had no idea.
When Alex came in that evening he said the Cynthia ’s return voyage from Honolulu had been unfortunate. Her journey out had been quick—only seventeen days—and the voyage back had begun well. But on the way she had met a storm, which had blown her off course and lengthened the voyage to twenty-three days.
Eva said this must have been the reason for Captain Pollock’s dejection, but Kendra did not think so. She could understand that Pollock would be disappointed, but she could not believe the storm alone would have made him so depressed. Pollock had been twenty years at sea. He knew the noblest ship ever made could not defy the wind. Besides, this did not explain his break with Loren. Certainly Loren had not blown up the storm.
The next morning brought that rare delight, a day of unclouded sun. The wind had cleared the sky; the bay was a great wide glitter of water, and the dingy little town of San Francisco looked liked a smudge on a golden world. Kendra and Eva rode down the hill escorted by Morse and Vernon.
Both men were talking eagerly. They were planning another dance, and Eva had promised to help with the decorations. Vernon told her the New York Store had Chinese lanterns and other Oriental ornaments, brought over on the Eagle. Wouldn’t she like to see these?
Indeed she would, Eva exclaimed. “Shall we go to the New York Store?” she asked Kendra.
“Why don’t you go there,” Kendra suggested, “and leave me at Chase and Fenway’s? They have a much better selection of groceries, and Mr. Hodge is so helpful.”
She said it with a bright smile, to hide the fact that this was not her real reason. Her real reason was that at Chase
Similar Books
