possibly get it before tomorrow, I told myself. But I kept thinking of what she must be going through with nothing to do but wait. That wasn’t all, either. I was wild to talk to her.
I happened to glance out the front door of the office and saw a phone booth just inside the gate on the other side of the driveway. Why not wire an anniversary telegram? It would be faster, and safe enough. No, I thought; they’d see it delivered and just the fact she’d received one would make them watch her that much more closely.
“. . . install new starting and lighting batteries,” I went on to the super. “Put up a twenty-by-fifteen-inch shelf above that starboard settee for a radio receiver, and run a cable to the lighting battery for power for it. As soon as she’s back in the water, run a check on that engine, and make what repairs are necessary. As far as I can see she doesn’t need anything done topside, and as soon as I get to Boston she’ll have a general overhaul, anyway. The main thing is that pasture on her bottom. Do you think we can work out a paint schedule so we can get her back in the water tomorrow afternoon?” And then I added, “With the paint dry.”
He nodded. “Sure. You check it yourself before she goes in.”
I stood up. “Fine. I’ll be around here all the time, so if anything comes up, just yell.”
Just then the telephone rang. The girl at the desk near the door answered it, and said, “Just a minute, please.” She looked inquiringly at the super. “A Mr. Burton—”
“Here,” I said. I could feel the tingling of excitement all over me as I reached for it. “Thank you.”
“Burton speaking,” I said.
“Can you talk all right from there?” she asked softly.
“Oh, hello,” I said. “George told me he was going to wire you I was coming over. How are you?”
She understood. “Everything is the same here. Is there another phone you can call me back?”
“Yes,” I said. “Did George tell you about the boat? I’ve just bought it. And by the way, he wanted me to give you an address. I wrote it down, but it’s out in the truck. Suppose I get it and call you back?”
She gave me the number.
I walked out to the truck and stalled for a minute, and then came back and ducked into the booth just inside the gate. I closed the door and dialed, fumbling in my eagerness. She answered immediately.
“Bill! I’m so glad to hear you—”
It struck me suddenly she didn’t have to act now, as she had the other night, because there was no chance anybody could be listening. Then I shrugged it off. Of course she was glad. She was in a bad jam, and she’d had two days of just waiting, biting her nails.
“I didn’t do wrong, did I?” she went on hurriedly. “But I just couldn’t stand it any longer. The suspense was driving me crazy—”
“No,” I said. “I’m glad you didn’t wait for the card. I was worried about you, too. Has anything happened?”
“No. They’re still watching me, but I’ve been home nearly all the time. But tell me about you. And when can we start?”
“Here’s the story,” I said. “I got back around seven this morning, and wrote out a check for the Ballerina about twenty minutes ago. She’s on the marine ways now, and will be off sometime tomorrow afternoon. Let’s see, this is Thursday, isn’t it?”
“That’s right,” she said. “Then what?”
“As soon as she’s in the water we have to try out the auxiliary. Then later in the afternoon I’m going to take her outside for a shakedown for three or four hours. I hate to use up the time, but you can’t go to sea in an untried boat. I’ve got everything we need out here in the truck except the actual ship’s stores, and I’m going to make a list this morning and have the ship chandler deliver them here Saturday morning.”
“Is there any way I could go on that trip outside with you?” she asked. “I’m dying to see her, and we could plan how we’re going to get away from
I happened to glance out the front door of the office and saw a phone booth just inside the gate on the other side of the driveway. Why not wire an anniversary telegram? It would be faster, and safe enough. No, I thought; they’d see it delivered and just the fact she’d received one would make them watch her that much more closely.
“. . . install new starting and lighting batteries,” I went on to the super. “Put up a twenty-by-fifteen-inch shelf above that starboard settee for a radio receiver, and run a cable to the lighting battery for power for it. As soon as she’s back in the water, run a check on that engine, and make what repairs are necessary. As far as I can see she doesn’t need anything done topside, and as soon as I get to Boston she’ll have a general overhaul, anyway. The main thing is that pasture on her bottom. Do you think we can work out a paint schedule so we can get her back in the water tomorrow afternoon?” And then I added, “With the paint dry.”
He nodded. “Sure. You check it yourself before she goes in.”
I stood up. “Fine. I’ll be around here all the time, so if anything comes up, just yell.”
Just then the telephone rang. The girl at the desk near the door answered it, and said, “Just a minute, please.” She looked inquiringly at the super. “A Mr. Burton—”
“Here,” I said. I could feel the tingling of excitement all over me as I reached for it. “Thank you.”
“Burton speaking,” I said.
“Can you talk all right from there?” she asked softly.
“Oh, hello,” I said. “George told me he was going to wire you I was coming over. How are you?”
She understood. “Everything is the same here. Is there another phone you can call me back?”
“Yes,” I said. “Did George tell you about the boat? I’ve just bought it. And by the way, he wanted me to give you an address. I wrote it down, but it’s out in the truck. Suppose I get it and call you back?”
She gave me the number.
I walked out to the truck and stalled for a minute, and then came back and ducked into the booth just inside the gate. I closed the door and dialed, fumbling in my eagerness. She answered immediately.
“Bill! I’m so glad to hear you—”
It struck me suddenly she didn’t have to act now, as she had the other night, because there was no chance anybody could be listening. Then I shrugged it off. Of course she was glad. She was in a bad jam, and she’d had two days of just waiting, biting her nails.
“I didn’t do wrong, did I?” she went on hurriedly. “But I just couldn’t stand it any longer. The suspense was driving me crazy—”
“No,” I said. “I’m glad you didn’t wait for the card. I was worried about you, too. Has anything happened?”
“No. They’re still watching me, but I’ve been home nearly all the time. But tell me about you. And when can we start?”
“Here’s the story,” I said. “I got back around seven this morning, and wrote out a check for the Ballerina about twenty minutes ago. She’s on the marine ways now, and will be off sometime tomorrow afternoon. Let’s see, this is Thursday, isn’t it?”
“That’s right,” she said. “Then what?”
“As soon as she’s in the water we have to try out the auxiliary. Then later in the afternoon I’m going to take her outside for a shakedown for three or four hours. I hate to use up the time, but you can’t go to sea in an untried boat. I’ve got everything we need out here in the truck except the actual ship’s stores, and I’m going to make a list this morning and have the ship chandler deliver them here Saturday morning.”
“Is there any way I could go on that trip outside with you?” she asked. “I’m dying to see her, and we could plan how we’re going to get away from
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