the butcher shop was also the country store where groceries, dry g

Abner's company, while he

out it, 'cause some of our men were over to help out," he added, in a low tone, taking advantage of Darry straying off a bit to ex

ck a craft. I seen Dilks there, with his crowd, an' yuh know he's under suspicion o' havin' lured that schooner ashore with a false light last year. Time's comin' when them rascals air goin

living from salvage after a vessel has gone to pieces on the reefs, or else in boarding the wreck when the storm has gone d

e a scarce article around here-some go to sea, others are in the service, and more get drowned; while tho

that befalls so many young men of the shore;

hen the missus gets to know him she can't help but like him. He's the clear quill. Take t

little enviously, as though something about t

his doings. But his father has a grip on the worst elements here, and everyone seems afraid to rile up the old wrecker. Some say he used to be a smuggler years back, and even blacker stories are told of his life in Cuba,

w friend walked briskly al

e things he could tell were doubly interesting to this simple life

puts that lamp there. It's a big thing, Darry, to have a light in the windy, ashinin' only fur you. Makes a feller feel li

thank you, Mr. Peak

t away. Seems like she jest can't ever git over it. I seen her cryin' the last time I was over. No use tryin' to comfort the pore o

nd of Abner's call, and two rather unkempt little girls r

, for strangers were uncommon in this neig

. Here's the missus,"

eeting Abner, looked with a little

s a survivor of the last wreck, on the shore

. With the death of that captain went his only friend. I liked the lad,-he somehow made me think of our Joe. Jest the same si

le in the eyes of his wife, and

o the loss of her only boy, and always declared Heaven had dealt unjustly with her when

a good-for-nothing like Jim Dilks, and will only make us trouble right along. Keep him over at the station if you want,

rently thought

drew the half resisting lad ov

itizen as took him home to his wife. What kinder reception do yuh think he'd get? Could any woman look in Joe's face an' send him away fr

er will she was

no guile, for that gaze of the surfman's "missus" was searc

dded her he

him s

y more; but the husband nodded his head a

done. Seems to me yuh kin make good with the ole woman. Don'

r his wife immediately placed the meat on the frying pan, and the odor

new how to interest them in certain ways, and it was not long

elf as agreeable as poss

tranger coming among them, and was watching Darry out of the corners

goes hard with those of her sex in this c

ied after having lost her only boy so suddenly a year or so back; and he dete

d in washing up the supper dishes, and was withal so obliging that ere long t

n the breakers might have done, for he had a se

y smile over at where Darry was sitting, with one of the twins on either side, entranced with some figur

re Darry was given a shak

man's wife, and that after all she might not prove so hard to win

ost peaceful he had

she found a bright fire burning in the kitchen, plenty of wood on hand, a bucket of water fro

had a suspicion tha

remarked to Abner, as he appeare

, "yuh see, the poor critter ain't never had no home before, an' he

store, where a supply of edibles was laid in according to the list written out

ng off, Darry felt as though another link c

yed his feelings, for

hat yuh mean to share an' share alike with her in the money yuh get. That'll please her, 'cause yuh see cash is some skeerce with we-'uns all the time. Ten dollars a week don't go far. Sometimes Nancy hunts roots in the marshes, or picks up a few turkles that sells for a dollar or two eac

h to wave his hand to the boy; after which Darry turned away to get the articles Mrs. P

the ne'er-do-well son of the notorious wrecker, Dilks, for even as Darry entered the village st

r on the featur

ing storm when he saw them; and if ever the signals were set for trouble they certain