The flivver moved rapidly away, gaining speed as it rushed for the
hill. Galusha Bangs watched its tail-light soar and dwindle until it
disappeared over the crest. Then, with a weary sigh, he picked up the
heavy suitcase, plodded across the road and on until he reached the step
and platform of Erastus Beebe's “General and Variety Store.” There was
a kerosene lamp burning dimly upon the counter within, but the door was
locked. He pounded on the door and shook it, but no one answered. Then,
remembering Mr. Pulcifer's instructions, he entered the yard behind the
store, found the door of Mr. Beebe's house and knocked upon that. There
was not even a light in the house. The Beebes had gone--as most of
East Wellmouth had gone--to the baked beans and brown-bread supper and
sociable at the church. Galusha Bangs was not aware of this, of course.
What he was aware of--painfully, distressingly aware--was the fact
that he was alone and supperless, very, very weak and tired, and almost
discouraged.
However, there was no use in standing in the wet grass of the Beebe yard
and giving way to his discouragement. Galusha Bangs was a plucky little
soul, although just now a weak and long-suffering one. He waded and
slopped back to the store platform, where he put down his suitcase and
started on a short tour of exploration. Through the fog and darkness he
could dimly perceive a signpost standing at the corner of the crossroad
where the store was located. He tramped over to look at it.
There were two signs affixed to the post. By the aid of the
pocket flashlight he read them. That at the top read thus: “TO THE
LIGHTHOUSE--1 1/2 MILES.” There was an arrow pointing along the
crossroad and off to the right. Galusha paid little attention to this
sign; it was the other nailed beneath it which caught and held his
attention. It was a rather gaudy sign of red, white, and blue, and it
read thus: “THE RESTABIT INN AT GOULD'S BLUFFS--1 MILE.” And the arrow
pointed in the same direction as the other.
Mr. Bangs uttered his favorite exclamation.
“Dear me! Why, dear me!”
He read the sign again. There was no mistake, his first reading had been
correct.
He trotted back to the platform of Mr. Beebe's store. Then, once
more dragging forth the big pocketbook, he fumbled in its various
compartments. After spilling a good many scraps of paper upon the
platform and stopping to pick them up again, he at length found what
he was looking for. It was an advertisement torn from the Summer Resort
advertising pages of a magazine. Holding it so that the feeble light
from Mr. Beebe's lamp fell upon it, Galusha read, as follows:
THE RESTABIT INN at Beautiful Gould's Bluffs, East Wellmouth, Mass.
Rest, sea air, and pleasant people: Good food and plenty of it.
Reasonable prices. NO FRILLS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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