The Project Gutenberg EBook of Judith Lynn, by Annie Hamilton Donnell

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Title: Judith Lynn
A Story of the Sea

Author: Annie Hamilton Donnell

Release Date: February 4, 2009 [EBook #27986]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK JUDITH LYNN ***

Produced by Jeff Kaylin

Judith Lynn

A Story of the Sea

By Annie Hamilton Donnell

Copyright, 1906,
By David C. Cook Publishing Co.,
Elgin, Illinois.

Chapter I.

In Tarpaulin and oilskins she did not look like a Judith. Easily
she might have been a Joseph or a James. So it was not really to be
wondered at that the little girl in the dainty clothes--the little
girl from The Hotel--should say, "Why!"

"What is your name?" the Dainty One had asked.

"Judith Lynn," had answered the boy-one in oilskins.

"Why!" Then, as if catching herself up at the impoliteness of such a
little word in such a surprised tone--"I mean, please excuse me for
thinking you were a boy," the little Dainty One had added, in
considerable embarrassment. And Judith had laughed--Judith's laughs
were rare, but the crisp, salty brightness of the sea was always in
them. The sea was in everything about Judith.

"I don't wonder!" laughed Judith. "Me, with these togs on! But I
guess _you'd_ be a boy when you went out to your traps--you can't
'tend traps in skirts. Blossom calls me Judas with these on!"

It was strange how suddenly the rather big voice--a voice has to be
big to compete with the voice of the sea--grew soft and tender at the
name of Blossom.

In Judith Lynn's rough, hard, salt-savored life Blossom was the one
thing sweet and beautiful. Blossom was the little frail wisp of a
child that Judith loved. This other child, here on the sand, watching
her with friendly wonder, reminded her a little of Blossom. Anyway,
they were both sweet and beautiful.

"Traps?" queried this other child. "I didn't know there were mice in
the ocean!--you were going out on the ocean, weren't you?"

Again Judith's rare, bright laugh. Children were such funny
things!--Blossom was, too.

"Lobster-traps," she explained, when the laugh had laughed itself
out. "I'm