Vesty of the Basins | Page 7

rich, then?"
"Wal, yes. They own teown prop'ty somewhars, and they own all the
Neck here, and lays areound on her through the summer. Why, Note's
father--he 's dead neow--he and I uster stand deown on the mud flats
when we was boys, a-diggin' clarms tergether, barefoot; 'tell he cruised
off somewhar's and made his fortin'.
"I might 'a' done jest the same thing," reflected Captain Leezur aloud,
with a pensiveness that still had nothing of unavailing regret in it, "ef
I'd been a mind tew; and had a monniment put up over me like one o'
these here No. 10 Mornin' Glory coal stoves."
I too mused, deeply, sadly.

O placid, unconscious sarcasm! innocent as flowers: wise end, truly, of
all earthly ambition! How much more distinguished, after all, Captain
Leezur, the spireless grave waiting down there in the little home lot by
the sea. Since five-cent suppers do not enrich the donor, and the
treasury of the United Burying Ground is permanently low.
"Never mind, Dilly! crawl up agin. What ef ye did tunk onto yer little
head; little gals' skulls is yieldin' and sof'."
"What is the weather going to be, Captain Leezur?" I said, following
his gaze skyward.
"Wal, I put on my new felts," said he, indicating without any false
assumption of modesty those chaste sepulchres enclosing his
feet--"hopin' 'twould fetch a rain! said I didn't care ef I did spot my new
felts ef 'twould only fetch a rain! One thing," he continued, scanning
the dilatory sky with a look that was keen without being severe; "she'll
rain arfter the moon fulls, ef she don't afore."
I reluctantly made some sign of going, but was restrained. "Wait a
spall," he said; and ran his hand anticipatively into his pocket. He
brought to light some lozenges that had evidently just been recovered
from blushing intimacy with his "plug" of tobacco.
"Narvine lozenges," he explained; "they're dreadful moderatin' to the
dispersition; quiet ye; take some.
"They come high," he confided to me, with the idea of enhancing, not
begrudging the gift, as we sucked them luxuriously; "cent apiece, dollar
a hunderd. Never mind, Dilly; here 's one o' Granpy's narvine lozenges;
p'r'aps it'll help ye to set stiddier."
So, with a glad view to moderating my disposition, I sat with Captain
Leezur and the little girl on the log, and ate soiled nervine lozenges,
tinctured originally with such primal medicaments as catnip and
thoroughwort; and whether from that source or not, yet peace did
descend upon me like a river.

As I finally rose to go--
"D'ye ever have the toothache?" said Captain Leezur kindly; "ef ye do,
come right straight deown to me, and ef she 's home you shall have
her"--and he exhibited beamingly that talismanic little bone cleft from
the forepaw of a deer, "Ye pick yer teeth with 'er and ye're sartin never
to have the toothache, but ef you've got a toothache, she'll cure ye.
"Mine 's been lent a great deal," he continued proudly. "She 's been as
far as 'Tit Menan Light, and one woman over to Sheep Island kep' her a
week once. She 's been sent for sometimes right in the middle o' the
night! When there ain't nobody else a-usin' of her, I takes the charnce to
pick away with her a little myself. But ef you ever feel the toothache
comin' on, come to me direc'--and ef she 's home, you shall have her."
I thanked him with a swelling heart. We shook hands affectionately,
and I went on up the lane.
I turned the corner by the school-house. Away back there among the
spruce trees, I saw moving figures, red, green, blue, and heard low
voices and laughter.
Then I remembered how I had heard the orphan "help" of my hostess,
Miss Pray, make a request that she might go "gumming" with the other
girls that afternoon.
It was a long perspective to limp through alone, with all those bright,
merry eyes peering from behind the spruce trees. But I had not labored
over half the way, when I saw one, the tallest one, coming toward me.
Vesty.
"Won't you have some?" she said. "Strangers don't know how good it is;
it is very good for you--a little." Yes, she was chewing the gum--a
little--herself; but that wild pure resin from the trees, and with, oh, such
teeth! such lips! a breath like the fragrant shades she had issued from.
She poured some of her spicy gleanings into my hand.

And now I could see her closely.
I do not know how she would have looked at other men, strong men;
but at me she looked as the girl mother who bore me, untimely and in
terror, might have done, had she been now in the flesh,