“How are you and your friends, Halstead? Very tired?”
“I don’t believe we’re so weary that you’d notice it unless you looked very hard,” smiled Halstead.
“If you’re not too much used up by last night’s work I have a favor to ask of you. But it’s not an order, understand?”
“Well, you see,” continued the owner apologetically, “before this trouble happened we had invited Mrs. Lester and her two young daughters to spend a fortnight with us. They had not heard of our misfortune, and so they came over on this morning’s boat. They heard in Nantucket and telephoned us, proposing to turn about and go home again. But of course we insisted that they should come to us. They are going to church, this evening, but Mrs. Dunstan is so much upset over the mystery surrounding our son that—that—well, we thought of proposing that they use the ‘Meteor’ for a little sail this afternoon. That is, in case you young men are not too tired to——”
“Why, of course we can take the boat out,” replied Halstead, breaking in upon the considerate owner. “It won’t tire us any more than lolling around the pier.”
“Mrs. Dunstan and I will both be greatly pleased if you will do it,” declared Horace Dunstan gratefully.
“But do you think any developments from shore will make it necessary to get the ‘Meteor’ on the jump over to Wood’s Hole?” broke in Joe.
“You might keep the boat within sight of our flagpole,” replied Mr. Dunstan. “That will allow you to sail some miles away if you use the glass every few minutes. In case we want you to return here in haste we’ll hoist one red pennant. If we want you to make full speed for Wood’s Hole, without first returning here, we’ll hoist two red pennants. In the latter case you can land Mrs. Lester and her daughters and they can go to the hotel at Wood’s Hole until your work with the boat is done. Then you can bring them back.”
“That’ll all be clear and easy,” nodded Tom. “Well, sir, we’re ready when you are.”
“I’ll be right back with the ladies,” promised Mr. Dunstan. Joe began to oil the engine, while Jed made a dive for his cleanest white duck suit. Tom carefully brushed his uniform; he had secured another coat, at the owner’s expense, since leaving that other behind in the tight grip of Jonas French. It was a trim, natty-looking boat’s crew that met the ladies when Mr. Dunstan brought them aboard. Mrs. Lester was a woman of forty, still young looking and handsome. The girls—Elsie, aged seventeen, and Jessie, fifteen, looked extremely sweet and dainty in their white dresses, blue reefers and yachting caps.