way up the bay, and married her, and went off to Massachusetts. He
wasn't well thought of,--there were those who thought Joanna's money
was what had tempted him; but she'd given him her whole heart, an' she
wa'n't so young as she had been. All her hopes were built on marryin',
an' havin' a real home and somebody to look to; she acted just like a
bird when its nest is spoilt. The day after she heard the news she was
in dreadful woe, but the next she came to herself very quiet, and took
the horse and wagon, and drove fourteen miles to the lawyer's, and
signed a paper givin' her half of the farm to her brother. They never
had got along very well together, but he didn't want to sign it, till
she acted so distressed that he gave in. Edward Todd's wife was a good
woman, who felt very bad indeed, and used every argument with Joanna;
but Joanna took a poor old boat that had been her father's and lo'ded in
a few things, and off she put all alone, with a good land breeze, right
out to sea. Edward Todd ran down to the beach, an' stood there cryin'
like a boy to see her go, but she was out o' hearin'. She never stepped
foot on the mainland again long as she lived."

"How large an island is it? How did she manage in winter?" I asked.

"Perhaps thirty acres, rocks and all," answered Mrs. Todd, taking up the
story gravely. "There can't be much of it that the salt spray don't fly
over in storms. No, 'tis a dreadful small place to make a world of;
it has a different look from any of the other islands, but there's a
sheltered cove on the south side, with mud-flats across one end of it
at low water where there's excellent clams, and the big shell-heap keeps
some o' the wind off a little house her father took the trouble to build
when he was a young man. They said there was an old house built o' logs
there before that, with a kind of natural cellar in the rock under it.
He used to stay out there days to a time, and anchor a little sloop he
had, and dig clams to fill it, and sail up to Portland. They said the
dealers always gave him an extra price, the clams were so noted. Joanna
used to go out and stay with him. They were always great companions, so
she knew just what 'twas out there. There was a few sheep that belonged
to her brother an' her, but she bargained for him to come and get them
on the edge o' cold weather. Yes, she desired him to come for the sheep;
an' his wife thought perhaps Joanna'd return, but he said no, an' lo'ded
the bo