The morning call., 1892-01-15
BRSSLE'S COUSIN
QUINNIX.
BY FRANCES ELLEN wADLEIGH.

"OnIy my oar. Please lend ne your
croOk-handled parasOl and lean easily reach
IT,"
Did You ever lose your oar overheard? II
40, YOU know that reaching IT. is easier
said than done. The tide was running out
quite swiftly. ard when she handed her
uaras0l TO her daughter Mrs Perry uucOn-
ScIouslv pulled the tiller ropes sharply TO
The left tshe had OeeE steering, Ida and
Helen rowing, aud so turned the boat away
from the Il a.In5 car.
When she saw that the oar was beyond
her sisters reach, Lucy, tlmld child, be-
gan 20 sob aud say,
''Oh der, wish we were home! know
weshall lee GrUwned.'
Nonsense. Lucyp said her mother,
IaushinzIv. I'VE are safe enough; it is not
as if We were out % a pond or outside Deer
Isle Here in the reach, where there never
are rough waves; all we have 70 DO IS TO sit
quietly in cur boat and DRIFT about until we
see another boat II is early in the day;
there soon Will be plenty OF people within
nail" .r.,.-,-
see a little boat now just coming round the
corner If Clam-b3ke Island. Aunt Adeline,
YOU tie a handkerchief TO your rasOl and
wave It as a Inal of distress, and Lucy,
you shout, as loud as you can, SHIP ahoy.
and see il that Will not attract the people in
the boat
This suggestion amused Lucy and made
her forget her fears. After while Mrs.
Perry's Imprumptu flag seemed TO be noticed
by those in the distant boat, for they changed
their course and rOwed directly toward our
shipWrecked mariners. Helen was not
sorry TO ind that all was coming, toT though
her aunt and older cousin dld not appear 20
be al all nervous. she had 70 own TO herself
that three women and oDeltt.e girl In row.
boat with only one oar, and nall nile from
shore, with the tide ebbng, were not ID an
enYiab.e situation.
When LGey saw that the approaching
craft held two young men she Ielt quite
" I'm glad it isn't just full of girls; girls
amt one bit Of good when anything hap
pens" she observed Sagely, and Helen
privately agreed with her
As soon is the young men came within
hailinE distance hey asked what was amlsS,
and on being informed, one OF them said
ebeerfully-
ais that all? Wen take you in tow"
"If the aides don't object BnnkeTs," in
teTposed his companion, the best-l00king Of
the two Il think we'd better get INTO lEeir
boat and tow ours; I'm none too confident
about tie strength II cur painter. What
DO you say, madam"
As he looked al Mrs. Perry when he
spoke she answered that she thought his
suggest u a good one. 50. in few seconds
NEI tlUL IS as AD lEuEFA tHL Am "a El4Acs
as Lucy had expressed II, but two pairs II
sturdy masculine arms were making it fly
over The water.
(which way shall we take you?" asked
the taller OF the two men.
Back to Blackberry Beach, please, re-
piled Mrs. Perry.
The young men exchanged glances, then
the first speaker laughed and said:
I'm sorry &c say We are not up IN the
geography Of this locality, and Blackberry
Beach IS an unknown land TO Us. We-my
cousin, Tom Randolph and myself-have
just come OF the Bar IaTbOr boat, and tails
IS our ETstYisit here"
do you see three white tents glimmering
among tie trees over tlpTe?' said Mrs.
Perry, pointing % a spot on the shore a lit
tie t. the left. That Is Blackberry Beach,
where We and some friends from Bangor
are camping for tie summer Bid yUn
leave tie steamer al BROOKLYN"
" Yes: the place 10 1ked attractive, 50 we
suddenly decided 10 stop Of there a while;
the captain tod Us we could get good board
there and a room ia some one Of the pretty
cottages.
when we get tired Of cooking for our
selves we 20 10 there u dinner sometimes,
70 lJnte6Ted Lucy,
Do you cook ?" was the natural question
mo, l don't 'Zackly cook, but [ help set
the table and wipe tie dishes; I'm going to
learn to cook some time, though. Can you
cook?"
"Not very well, but Blinkers here can
make tiptOp bread"
"What makes you call him that name?"
Both the young men laughed; the one
spoken Of as Bliukers said:
" Ii is a hOTTid name, isn't il? But l get
even with him; give him worse one than
that; ! call him Quiunix."
Haven't you cot any real names, like
other boysY' persisted the child, 10 her
mothers dismay.
Hush, Lucy" size said. The gentle
men will think yOu very rude"
Don't TeprOve her, madam; we are used
70 little folks" lateTpOSed the one spoken #
Q1inniX. In fact, it was for my question
asking abilities l received the nickname
Tom gave me. When we were quite small
grandmother exclaimed, after answering
perhaps thousand Of MY questions: Oh,
you inquisitye boy, do keep stilp Tom
tried 10 repeat her long word, but all he
could make out Of 1t was 'QuinniX' So
when he had trouble with his eyes, few
years later, and had to wear glasses, I re-
taliated by calling him Blinkers."
MY name is Lucy Isabelle Perry. and I
call myself DOOtsy," Chartered the child.
"And used TO call NY sister Witty, didn't
l, Ida?"
When they reached their destination Mrs.
Perry felt that she could not do less than
ask the young men 10 cOWe ashore with her
and join her party In a cup Of coffee and a
luncheon, which Tom and Fred Randolph
were not sorry to do, for time babe fair tn
hang heavy on their hands. One of them
was trying to get rid Of a sharp attack Of
malarial fever which he had contracted
during stay In Virginia the preceding
spring, and the other was travelling with the
invalid partly out Of affection for him and
partly because he was tired of gay life and
wanted quiet summer for a change.
During the course of the day Fred found
an opportunity TO tell Mrs. Perry something
of Hiutgp III and his constr n sbQyv har a
few letters OF Introduction which be had
from some prominent people In Bangor,
adding:
"Tom and I are both fairly good artists,
but Tom has too much money ever TO be
successful at any sort OF real work"
Satisfied from their manner and general
tone Of conversation that tie two were re-
liable men Mrs. Perry urged them 10 come
and see her and the girls whenever they felt
so disposed Her oldest daughter, Ida, was
engaged 10 a physician al home, so she had
no fear or any compromising romance for
her, and as for her niece, Helen Eyeleth,
Mrs. Perry knew that she was too well bred
to ''hlgt with any chance conner Just be-
cause lie was Of the opposite sex.
Days passed and grew into weeks, and
yet the young men fingered at Blackberry
Beach. There was something planned for
each day; now il was clambake, or a fish
Ing expedition, or a long blackboard ride
I'D 10 Walkers Lake, or, if il Tained, Fred
would give the girls lesson In sketchiug
Time hung heavily on no ones hands
But the hapUest hours must have an end.
One day Tom Randolph came over from
BTOOklin, where he had been to get the
afternoon mail, aad throwing a letter to his
cousin, said:
Heres stale news from California for
you; letter from our little Bessie, which ,
TO Judge from the postmarks, has been fol-
lowing me around for the past four OF five
weeks"
"What has starred Bessie to write to you
now?'' asked Fred, lszily; he was making
spirited sketch Of Lucy, as she swung in
the hammock, and did not want to be dis
tuTbed.
She has come East on a visit" replied
Tom; then, turning TO Mrs. Perry, he
added, Bessie is our only feminine cousin,
and we are very fond of her. She came
IA to Nisif frinrds 4 h. IL