Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1890-02-13
Lewiston Journal
Uncle Ebos's Revenge.


H., ~ nd blew hart from the northeast.
Although ilcr" wa~ uulS ripple 10 tie
close little Mauh-Eau hsrbur, The outer -ra
Ma 10 .iuniu. tu Ea~tcu with White crc-t>
and was hcaitu. against the north hedges
With roar 4 gray and threatening Ky
hung low over IT., island
Mr Imfu had gone out ina worse
uluw but b. hc,idrd that he wouldn't >rt
Ml> tfAn4 an ihl> hui-trruu> April evening.
uat .o much "u a,cnunt ~ mat the wealth
rr was A. because OF What hc feared II
Nuu.i ~
M, chances are. wife" said he. that
II -,t Id. ! can't get out 10 under run IL
ta morrnw and Who wants To catch hakc
for the dog ti>h 70 eat:
So he slowed hi, thick. gr1lnlcather
boots under the stove and sat down to eat
H. supper.
MIR Trufln was the chairman Of the
Mpnhegan ~-lcctmen, y justice OF the peace
and a constable
Strange t. >av. nobody envicd him his
disuljic> and responsibilities, and the post
master would have been glad 10 resign in
hi favor. Separated from the rest of the
world ~ eighteen miles Of sea, this quaint
Maine island escapes much of the ambition
and discomfort that make u 80 uncomiort-
ahlc in other parts uf the planet
Mrs Truiiin wa- pouring Mr. Truhins
tea and he was huttering his johnny cake,
when their front door. which opened di-
reclly into tie kitchen, let in startling
spparitlon.
ltwa> bent and white haired old man,
his bare head wet with the storm, his eyes
staring and hi> lImn> trembling with eH-
element.
He's keenipped her, Hes keenipped
her. he ga-pcd. falling into chair
Huh" cried Mr TRUTH, jumping to his
feet.
He, got her at last jess Truitin an
| want ter know what yer agoln ter do
about II ="
Good Lord. = exclaimed Mrs Trullin.
..you don't mean thrs're gone
Gone said the old man. with groan,
"Gnuc. arter all the pains I've look ter
hrlug her up right and ct good provision
for A-r That ra>hiil managed Ter get
boat up ter Clam C"ve Pint. an she stood
thar waItiu' iur him. an he took her
shoar,i an sailed on with hcr-the Lord
knows whsr!"
Tie f,rply arose and dragged hiu>ef TO
the south window.
There they he--that'> um :. he mutter-
ed. pointing with his skinny finger
la the twilight they could see the faint
gl,am Of sail. rising now and then fr, IN
the oceans dark hoiluws.
Mis- Truttin was too amazed to lay much,
but had sufficient presence of mind To clap
on her shawl. Tragic r. the poor Old
man. grief was, the ur"- gave her thrill
Of pleasure which She WA, too un>elish to
monupOllLe.
II must run over to Mis- Colby's, Jesse" Z"
said She, fev-ri-hly tying her hood>trlngs.
--WrH Uncc Enos," said Mr. Trutlin,
returning 10 his supper, II guess IL All for
the best"
IAN fur the best? What dye mean, jess
Truttiu: Amt ye soin' ter do nothin'?''
Cant do it. Uncle Eno,."
II order ye ter do it, order We ter git
out warrant an 20 an take her, | want
MY darter back
Jesse Truftiu was neither learned 10 the
law nor skilled In the art If "Xpounding il.
He was only fisherman. like everybody
else on Monhegan. In his patient and
homely way. he tried his best Ia convince
the old man that he had no right to inter
fere in this case-that it was beyond the
jurisdiction of constable or a justice "f
the peace-and, indeed that no power un-
der Heaven could take the girl away from
Tom Nickerman after they had been legal
ly married.
Ii was well known among the islanders
that Tom Nickerman and Nancy Flint had
longed to wed for many months. and that
the match had been for idden by the "od
folks"-meaning Nancy's old folks, for
Tom had none.
He was a waf who had drifted from
Nova Scotia TO Monhesan, three or four
wears before. lie had earned living by
working on shares for the fishermen but
had not saved money enough to get boat
of MS own. This deficiency was sufficient
reason in the opinion of Uncle Enos Flint
and his wife (whose opinions were always
the mere shadows of his) why Tom
shouldn't have their Nancy.
All their lives they had worked and
scrimped till they had become what their
neighbors called pretty forehanded.'
4 The aspirations Of this pennile>s young
I fisherman ran counter to all their cherished
plaus. and the inevitable unhappIness re-
v suited. The contest had come Ia the usu-
7 al clmax-the victory of love and the
I overthrow of prudence. With Nancy sit
I ting nv his sid. in the stern Of little lap
streak sluop that he had borrowed. Tom
WAS steering over the rough sea for the lit
y lie village of ST George on the main.
] The wind drove the spray into their fac
es and the stanch little craft now and then
dipped her nose under q wave that nung
/ itself upon them in sheets; but they had
no bridal fnery to spoil; Tom wore his oil
skins while Nancy was buttoned up In q
fisbermans rubber coat.
| You amt afraid, are you, Nancy" Tom
I asked anxiou-ly.
Afraid! what Off" said Nancy with a
\ laugh.
Tom laughed too-then suddenly grew
Y sober and asked with the same shade of
| anxiety in his voice, You Amt sorry, are
/ your"
Sorry? what for?" laughed Nancy.
God bless you, Nsnr cried Tom, let
I ting 90 the tiller and behaving in most
I uuseamanlike manner.
| The boat was close hauled. with her
rail under water; IL a flaw had happened
to strike her just then, the ST. George par
son never would have got the silver dollar
that Tom put into his hand few hours ls-
ter.
Contrary to the expectations OF the
wrather-wi,-, the wind went down, during
the night. and the next forenoon, Tom
stood ON the Monhegan beach in his old
black barvil, placidly splitting hake, while
I i'm nr5aP the half of