The goodbye seemed more like a farewell in Uncle Ike's case,
for he had aged much in the last year and was really very feeble.
Alice told him that Mr. Gay had promised to call upon him in a few
days.
When they reached Boston, Quincy said:
"Maude, you must take the train at once for Redford and see what the
trouble is. I will leave Alice at home and run down to see you this
afternoon."
Maude found Florence in her room, her nose red and her eyes filled
with tears.
"Now, Florence, what is it all about?"
"Oh, it is horrible," and there was a fresh flood of tears.
"Are you sick? Mother says she is well and so is father."
"It's all about Reggie."
"Capt. Hornaby? Is he dead?"
"Worse. I wish he was. No, I don't mean that. But the disgrace."
Maude was getting impatient. "What has he done? Married somebody
else? But he never proposed to you, did he?"
Florence wiped away her tears. "No, not exactly. But we understood
each other."
"Well, I can't understand you. Why don't you tell me what he's done?"
"Well, you know that father loaned him some money when he lost his
pocketbook in the pond."
Maude sniffed. "I imagined he did--nobody told me so."
"Father gave him a check for five hundred dollars."
"And the Captain's run away and won't pay. Those foreign fellows
often do that. What an appropriate name Hornaby Hook is.
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