CHAPTER XXVII

A RIFT IN THE CLOUDS

This was no day to wander about out of doors, either for pleasure or exercise. Nor was Joe Helmford bent on either. Nevertheless he kept on along the deserted road on which the summer colony houses fronted, until he had passed the wall and gates of the Tapp estate.

There, as he confronted the waste of the wind-swept bluff, he halted as 'Liphalet Truitt had halted, to peer ahead. Now and then a rift in the storm revealed to him the ugly, narrow pathway beaten hard by the feet of the life saving patrol.

As 'Liphalet had caught a glimpse of a snow wraith in the storm, so Joe Helmford chanced to see a figure stand out clearly upon the brink of the cliff, and for a single moment.

"What's that fellow doing there?" exclaimed the young man. And then: "Great heavens! he's gone over."

For in that flash, before the snow curtain shut down again, he had seen 'Liphalet Truitt slide over the brink of the cliff and, clinging to Suz Montevedo's new line, drop out of sight.

There was no hesitation in Joe Helmford's actions at this juncture. Putting away those troubles which had obsessed his mind, in an instant he was alive to the peril of the man--if it were a man--he had seen go over the edge of the cliff. He started for the spot, charging recklessly through the storm.

He was familiar with this surfman's path. In this direction lay Salt Creek and the fish hatchery.

In a few breathless minutes he came stumbling to the spot. He could not miss it, for he tripped and fell, sprawling across the taut halyard which was looped over the crowbar. The crowbar was canted forward toward the cliff's brink and the frozen ground all about it was broken and loose.

Helmford heard no cry from below; but he saw the rope slipping and realized that there was a burden on it that was doomed, unless he interfered, to be dashed into the breakers clawing so madly at the face of the bluff.

With a shout he leaped upon the slipping hemp with both feet, just as the crowbar tore loose. That was the moment when 'Liphalet Truitt felt himself and Miss Sue drop a sudden, nerve-racking foot down the wall of the precipice.

"She's goin'!" the ex-steward repeated as the broken earth rattled about them. That an avalanche had started--that the entire face of the cliff was about to fall into the sea--he had little doubt. He tore his hands painfully in lifting himself and Miss Sue up again to the edge of the caving bank.

They would never have made it had not two muscular hands seized 'Liphalet's coat collar and dragged him up to the path. He lost the rope, scrambling blindly on hands and knees, the woman still clinging to him. The crowbar broke loose entirely and, with the rope, hurtled over the brink of the cliff.

With a burst of sound that rose above the clamor of both gale and sea, the landslip broke away from the brow of the precipice. The men and the woman almost hung over the ragged break for an instant. Then Helmford pulled the others farther in and raised Miss Sue gently to her feet.

"Miss Sue? Great heavens!" cried the young fellow. "What does this mean?"

"By Hannah!" ejaculated the ex-steward, scrambling up, "there goes old Suz Montevedo's new line and crowbar."

"Oh, 'Liphalet!" cried Miss Sue. "Are we safe?"

"You ain't--not yet," he declared. "Nor you won't be till we get you home an' 'tween blankets. Who's this? By Hannah, 'tis Mr. Helmford! You sartainly was a friend in need, Mr. Helmford. If it hadn't been for your help we'd have gone down along o' the line _an'_ the crowbar."

"How can we thank him?" murmured Miss Sue, still clinging to 'Liphalet's coat sleeve.

"You can postpone that," laughed Helmford, experiencing a great revulsion of feeling. "We must take her right along to Cap'n Abe's store, 'Liphalet. That is about the nearest shelter, isn't it?"

"It's the best place, anyhow," said the ex-steward. "We can get a buggy to get her home in, from there."

"Oh, I can walk, 'Liphalet," said the little woman softly.

But she was thankful for the support of a strong arm on either side as they started along the path with the gale behind them.

"This experience, Susan, is enough to give you your never git over," said the anxious 'Liphalet.

"Why, I'm neither sugar nor salt, 'Liphalet. I have the use of my limbs yet. And there's a lot to do to-day. There's the chapel to trim yet, and the Christmas tree."

"Christmas----" He could not say it. The disgusted snort which had become almost an involuntary ejaculation when he was reminded of the Yuletide season, was cut off on his lips as Miss Sue continued:

"Were you not going to the chapel to help, Mr. Helmford? I asked Pearly to go and take charge."

"She was not there an hour ago," the young man replied, his countenance falling into somber lines again. "In fact, nobody was there. I got the key from 'Liphalet's porch and unlocked the vestry door and lit the fire. But nobody came."

"Dear me! I must see about that," Miss Sue said more briskly. "I wonder where Pearly can be?"

They were glad to get into the partial shelter of I. Tapp's wall and there take breath. Helmford suggested that Miss Sue stop at Mrs. Lawford Tapp's to rest, but she would not hear to this.

"I was Cape born and raised, and there's no difference between me and my forebears save that I have lived a little softer," she declared. "If it was Betty Gallup you boys had saved from death, would you expect her to faint on your hands?"

"'The Able Seaman'?" chuckled Helmford. "No, Miss Ambrose. I should not expect Mrs. Gallup to display many of the ordinary feminine weaknesses."

Nevertheless he and 'Liphalet all but carried Miss Sue between them as far as Cap'n Abe's store. Here, as the trio approached through the steadily falling snow, came Milt Baker and Amiel Perdue, bound homeward for dinner.

"What in tarnation!" ejaculated Milt, almost swallowing his usual cud of Brown Mule in his amazement. "Life Truitt? And the Doc's sister? Sufferin' swordfish! There ain't been no elopement, has there?"

Fortunately the noise of the wind and sifting snow drowned most of this unguarded speech, from Miss Sue's ears at least. But 'Liphalet heard enough, and if a glance would have drowned the Shell Road humorist that look with which the ex-steward favored Milt would certainly have sent him to a watery grave.

The exhausted trio stumbled into Cap'n Abe's store. The usual company about the stove had scattered. They heard the storekeeper's voice from the living room in the rear. 'Liphalet led the way to the flap in the counter, which he lifted to let Miss Sue and Helmford pass through.

As they crossed the entry between the store and the living room they heard another voice in reply to Cap'n Abe's. The storm-beaten callers came to the open door to see Cap'n Jonah and Pearl Holden with the old store-keeper. Pearl had dropped into the rocking-chair usually favored by Diddimus, the cat, and had a handkerchief to her eyes. But Cap'n Jonah was on his feet, his southwester pushed back on his head, his mahogany face alive with emotion, his snuff-box in his hand.

"No, Mr. Silt, I warn't never cut out for actin' a part, I don't guess, and it sarves me right. I'd never ought to have tried to fool them Pettys into believin' I had a fortune when I ain't got none."

"Sh!" warned Cap'n Abe, seeing the newly arrived visitors.

Cap'n Jonah wheeled and saw them too. But his countenance did not change from its stern and determined expression.

"They might's well know it here an' now," he declared. "'Liphalet does know, anyway. And I reckon young Helmford there thinks he has reason to be glad I ain't got a fortune. Yes, friends, I been gullin' all on you. I ain't got a penny but what I'm carryin' right now in my pocket--there! I don't reckon there's a much poorer man on this here Cape than Cap'n Jonah Hand."

"Oh, Cap'n Hand!" cried Miss Sue in sympathy. She crossed to his side and rested a gentle hand upon his coat sleeve.

'Liphalet, from the doorway, saw and appreciated the picture they made--the sturdy, stern-faced old seaman looking down upon the petite Miss Sue with beaming eyes, while she gazed up into his face in full sympathy for his misfortune. 'Liphalet Truitt had been stirred to the very depths of his being during the past two hours; but the heart-pang that smote him now was more severe than anything he had heretofore suffered.

Nobody noticed him as he retired from the living room and closed the door. He passed out of Cap'n Abe's side door and went home. Once there he stoked his dying fire, changed into dry garments, and made himself a huge bowl of "composition tea"--a never-failing Cardhaven remedy in case of chill.

But the chill at 'Liphalet Truitt's heart was not so easily cured.

* * * * *

Cap'n Abe's and Miss Sue's attention for the moment was fully given to Cap'n Jonah. But Helmford approached Pearl Holden's side. He stooped and drew her hands from before her face and lifted her up by the wrists to stand before him.

"Is--is this true, Pearly?" he asked. "Is it really _so_? Hasn't Cap'n Jonah a fortune?"

"He--he says he hasn't!" she sobbed.

"And are you disappointed? I am sorry, Pearl."

"What you sorry for?" she demanded, raising dewy eyes to his. "Cap'n Jonah is going to be all right. I can work for him if he gets laid up by the rheumatism--and I'd be glad to. He's been awfully kind to me."

"But you will be no heiress," Helmford said, smiling.

"'Heiress'?" repeated Pearl. "What do you mean, Mr. Helmford? My! do you s'pose I thought two minutes about Cap'n Jonah's fortune?"

"But I have been thinking about it," the young man said. "And--forgive me for saying it--I am glad you are not going to be rich, Pearly."

She was still looking at him. They had forgotten the others in the room. Now that the great moment had arrived Pearl Holden showed no false modesty.

"Why don't you want me to be rich?" she asked him. "Though goodness knows, I never expect to be!"

"Because _I_ am poor. And _I_ never expect to be rich," he said, his voice shaking with suppressed feeling. "As you are not an heiress, Pearly, I can tell you something that I have wanted to tell you for a long while and have not dared. It is----"

"Say!" exclaimed the harsh voice of Betty Gallup from the kitchen door. "Shall I dish up the chowder for all hands, Cap'n Abe? It's sp'ilin' to be et."

"Sure-_ly_!" replied the hospitable storekeeper. "This ain't no time to be starvin' ourselves. Bring it in, Betty. An' afterwards you git two cabins ready upstairs for guests. Cap'n Jonah and Pearly can stay here just as well's not till they git located to suit 'em.

"Hi-mighty!" he added, rubbing his hands together, his benignant old face glowing with kindliness. "I guess you'll find, Cap'n Jonah, that you've got plenty friends along the Shell Road, if the Pettys _have_ turned sour. But Orrin an' Sarah allus was near 'bout like vinegar, when all's said an' done."