And into the Boulevard swung the Berry house. The Colt and Adams foreman
was an angry man when he saw the beams laid in that direction. He rushed
over and asked profane and pointed questions.
“Thought you said you was goin' straight ahead?” he demanded.
“Thought I was,” replied Simeon, “but, you see, I'm only navigator of
this craft, not owner.”
“Where is the blankety blank?” asked the foreman.
“If you're referrin' to Cap'n Berry, I cal'late you'll find him at
the depot,” answered Phinney. To the depot went the foreman. Receiving
little satisfaction there, he hurried to the home of his employer, Mr.
Williams. The magnate, red-faced and angry, returned with him to
the station. Captain Sol received them blandly. Issy, who heard the
interview which followed, declared that the depot master was so cool
that “an iceberg was a bonfire 'longside of him.” Issy's description
of this interview, given to a dozen townspeople within the next three
hours, was as follows:
“Mr. Williams,” said the wide-eyed Issy, “he comes postin' into the
waitin' room, his foreman with him. Williams marches over to Cap'n Sol
and he says, 'Berry,' he says, 'are you responsible for the way that
house of yours is moved?'
“Cap'n Sol bowed and smiled. 'Yes,' says he, sweet as a fresh scallop.
“'You're movin' it to Main Street, aren't you? I so understood.'
“'You understood correct. That's where she's bound.'
“'Then what do you mean by turning out of your road and into mine?'
“'Oh, I don't own any road. Have you bought the Boulevard? The selectmen
ought to have told us that. I s'posed it was town thoroughfare.'
“Mr. Williams colored up a little. 'I didn't mean my road in that
sense,' he says. 'But the direct way to Main Street is along the
shore, and everybody knows it. Now why do you turn from that into the
Boulevard?'
“Cap'n Sol took a cigar from his pocket. 'Have one?' says he, passin' it
toward Mr. Williams. 'No? Too soon after breakfast, I s'pose. Why do
I turn off?' he goes on. 'Well, I'll tell you. I'm goin' to stay right
aboard my shack while it's movin', and it's so much pleasanter a ride up
the hill that I thought I'd go that way. I always envied them who could
afford a house on the Boulevard, and now I've got the chance to have one
there--for a spell. I'm sartin I shall enjoy it.'
“The foreman growled, disgusted. Mr. Williams got redder yet.
“'Don't you understand?' he snorts. 'You're blockin' the way of the
house I'M movin'. I have capable men with adequate apparatus to move
it, and they would be able to go twice as fast as your one-horse country
outfit. You're blockin' the road. Now they must follow you. It's an
outrage!'
“Cap'n Sol smiled once more. 'Too bad,' says he. 'It's a pity such
a nice street ain't wider. If it was my street in my town--I b'lieve
that's what you call East Harniss, ain't it?--seems to me I'd widen it.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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