Course I ain't interferin' in your affairs, you know, but I just wanted to explain about Bos'n--Emmie, I mean. She ain't a common child; she's got too much head for the rest of her. If you'd lived with her same as I have you'd appreciate it. Her health's delicate.""Is it? She seems strong enough to me. I haven't noticed any symptoms.""Course not, else you wouldn't have kept her in. But _I_ know, and I think it's my duty to tell you. Never mind if she can't do quite so much writin'. I'd rather she wouldn't; she might bust a blood vessel or somethin'. Such things HAVE happened, to extry smart young ones. You just let her trot along home with me now and--""Cap'n Whittaker," Miss Dawes had risen to her feet with a determined expression on her face.
"Yes, ma'am," said the captain, rising also.
"Cap'n Whittaker," repeated the teacher, "I'm very glad that you called. I've been rather expecting you might, because of certain things I have heard.""You heard? What was it you heard--if you don't mind my askin'?""No, I don't, because I think we must have an understanding about Emily. I have heard that you allow her to do as she pleases at home; in other words, that you are spoiling her, and--""SPOILIN' her! _I_ spoilin' her? Who told you such an unlikely yarn as that? I ain't the kind to spoil anybody. Why, I'm so strict that I'm ashamed of myself sometimes."He honestly believed he was. Miss Phoebe calmly continued.
"Of course, what you do at home is none of my business. I shouldn't mention it anyhow, if you hadn't called, because I pay very little attention to town talk, having lived in this county all my life and knowing what gossip amounts to. I like Emily; she's a pretty good little girl and well behaved, as children go. But this you must understand. She can't be spoiled here. She whispered this afternoon, twice. She has been warned often, and knows the rule. Ikept her after school because she broke that rule, and if she breaks it again, she will be punished again. I kept the Edwards boy two hours yesterday and--""Edwards boy! Do you mean to compare that--that young rip of a Ben Edwards with a girl like Bos'n? I never heard--""I'm not comparing anybody. I'm trying to be fair to every scholar in this room. And, so long as Emily behaves herself, she shall be treated accordingly. When she doesn't, she shall be punished. You must understand that.""But Ben Edwards! Why, he's a wooden-head, same as his dad was a fore him! And Emmie's the smartest scholar in this town.""Oh, no, she isn't! She's a good scholar, but there are others just as good and even quicker to learn."This was piling one insult upon another. Other children as brilliant as Bos'n! Captain Cy was bursting with righteous indignation.
"Well!" he exclaimed. "Well! for a teacher that we've called to--""And that's another thing," broke in Miss Dawes quickly. "I've been told that you, Cap'n Whittaker, are the one directly responsible for my being chosen for this place. I don't say that you are presuming on that, but--""I ain't! I never thought of such a thing!"
"But if you are you mustn't, that's all. I didn't ask for the position and, now that I've got it, I shall try to fill it without regard to one person more than another. Emily stays here until her lines are written. I don't think we need to say any more. Good day."She opened the door. Captain Cy picked up his hat, swallowed hard, and stepped across the threshold. Then Miss Phoebe added one more remark.
"Cap'n," she said, "when you were in command of a ship did you allow outsiders to tell you how to treat the sailors?"The captain opened his mouth to reply. He wanted to reply very much, but somehow he couldn't find a satisfying answer to that question.
"Ma'am," he said, "all I can say is that if you'd been in South America, same as I have, and seen the way them half-breed young ones act, you'd--"The teacher smiled, in spite of an apparent effort not to.
"Perhaps so," she said, "but this is Massachusetts. And--well, Emily isn't a half-breed."Captain Cy strode through the vestibule. Just before the door closed behind him he heard a stifled sob from poor Bos'n.
