FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135  
136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   >>   >|  
ems to be up to me--to us, I mean," he told the girl, ruefully, when they were on their way to the widow's cottage that evening. "It's up to me most of all, however, for I'm the guilty party--I have pulled you and your father in. I'm pegged in here till I can think up some sort of a scheme." She had been working all day faithfully by his side, a tactful and indefatigable helper. He would have been all at sea regarding the women and children without her aid, and he told her so gratefully. "Both my hands and my heart are with you in this thing, Captain Mayo. And I know you'll think of some way out for them--just as you helped us out of the schooner after we had given up all hope." "Getting out of the schooner was merely a sailor's trick of the hands, Miss Candage. I don't believe I'll be much of a hand at making over human nature. I have too much of it myself, and the material down in that fish-house would puzzle even a doctor of divinity." "Oh, you will think of some plan," she assured him-with fine loyalty. "If you will allow me to help in my poor way I'll be proud." "I'll not tell you what I think of your help; it might sound like soft talk. But let me tell you that you have one grand old dad!" he declared, earnestly; but although he tried to keep his face straight and his tones steady he looked down at her and immediately lost control of himself. Merriment was mingled with tears in her eyes. "Isn't he funny?" she gasped, and they halted in their tracks and laughed in chorus with the whole-hearted fervor of youth; that laughter relieved the strain of that anxious day. "I am not laughing _at_ your father--you understand that!" he assured her. "Of course, you are not! I know. But you are getting to understand him, just as I understand him. He is only a big child under all his bluster. But he does make me so angry sometimes!" "You can't tell much about a Yankee till he comes out of his shell, and I agree with you as to the aggravating qualities in Captain Candage. I'm not very patient myself, when I'm provoked! But after this he and I will get along all right." They walked on to the cottage. "Good night," he said at the door. "And you have no plan as yet?" "Maybe something will come to me in a dream." The dream did not come to him, for his sleep was the profound slumber of exhaustion. He went down in the early dawn and plunged into the sea, and while he was walking back toward the cottage an
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135  
136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
understand
 

cottage

 

assured

 
schooner
 

Captain

 

father

 

Candage

 

anxious

 

laughing

 

strain


tracks

 
Merriment
 

mingled

 
control
 
steady
 

looked

 

immediately

 

hearted

 

fervor

 

laughter


chorus

 

gasped

 

halted

 

laughed

 

relieved

 
patient
 

profound

 

slumber

 

exhaustion

 

walking


plunged

 

Yankee

 
bluster
 

walked

 

provoked

 

aggravating

 

qualities

 

straight

 

puzzle

 

children


helper
 
tactful
 

indefatigable

 

gratefully

 

Getting

 
helped
 

faithfully

 
evening
 
ruefully
 

guilty