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Johnny was trying to get out of his hammock.
"Get up, you fool," he said, "or I'll kill you with this inkstand.
That's Rosine and her father. God! What an idiot old postmaster is!
Get up, here, Billy Keough, and help me. What are we going to do?
Has everybody become crazy?"
Keough rose and dusted himself.
"The first thing to do is to get them comfortable rooms. I'll run
to Goodwin's and see if Mrs. Goodwin won't take them. They have
the best house in town."
"I knew you wouldn't desert me, Billy!" said the consul.
Keough went to Goodwin's house. Johnny put on his coat and
hat. He took up the brandy lying on the table, put it down again
immediately without drinking, and went down to the beach.
Near the custom-house he found Mr. Hemstetter and Rosine
surrounded by a crowd of citizens. Rosine blushed a little when she
saw her old admirer. Mr. Hemstetter shook hands with Johnny in a
very friendly way. He was an oldish, unpractical man — one of the
numerous class of business men who are never satisfied, and looking
for a change.
"I'm very glad to see you, John — may I call you John?" he
said. "Let me thank you for your immediate answer to our
postmaster's letter. I asked him to write to you. I was looking for
some business in which the profits would be greater. I had noticed in
the papers that this coast was receiving much attention from
investors. I am much thankful for your advice to come. I sold out
everything that I possessed, and invested the money in a fine stock of
shoes. You have a beautiful town here, John. I hope business will be
as good as your letter promises."
Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Keough,
who said, that Mrs. Goodwin would be much pleased to let Mr.
Hemstetter and his daughter have some rooms. So Mr. Hemstetter
and Rosine were at once taken to the house and left to rest after the
voyage, while Johnny went down to see that the cases of shoes were
safely stored in the customs warehouse until their examination by the
officials. Keough went away to find Goodwin, to instruct him not to
tell Mr. Hemstetter the true state of Coralio as a shoe market until
Johnny had been given a chance to save the situation, if such a thing
were possible.