The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-05-13
THE UGLY DUCKLING.

The yacht Maisie was picking her way
among the dozen or more pleasure boats
that lay at anchor In the inlet when /,
who was tightening the jib sheet, saw her
master, Captain Martin, doff his old yacht
ing cap and bob his grizzled head.
"D'ye see that thar lady an gentleman
asked he indicating with wag Of his
head some people on board an ugly little
brown sloop to port Of us.
yes" said. "What Of them?''
"waal, that thar's Miss Beemis an her
father, Mr.. Frederick Beemis, as lost his
money on Wall street spring afore last. -
We were goinelat q fair speed, but the
brown boat rushed by us and swept out
over the blue winti ruffied waters OF the
bay I stood and capped after her until the
captain recalled me to myself with tri-
umphant "Thar, warnt right about
that thar boat?'1r
"How do you account for her speedf"
asked. N31|
II don't altogether. Boats is like vim
men, Ye can't allus tell how they re
goin ter act nor jist why. Ye never seen
Mr. Beemis' other boat, the Mermaid"
"No, but I've heard you mention her. +"
Eye see, I've knowed Mr.. Beemis sence
he war q young man an Miss Eleanor
sence she war babby, an they sets heap
of store by my jedgment-leastwise in
nautical matters. II come about wen Mr..
Beemis' riches TUX an put wings on their
selves an flew away that Mr.. Cronin-
the young gentleman as owns the big car
works up Blackport way -bought Mer-
maid off n him. It war my 'pinion at the
time that it u d be better fer Mr.. Cronin
ter stick ter his keers an not try sailin, as
he war never intended by natur' fer the
water, though good lookin enough, fer
that matter, but he TUX the Mermaid how
somever, an as she sailed away with him
on board heard the gal say ter her father,
Never min, daddy, never mind says
she we'll have some sort'n q craft ter
sail in, won't we?' An me, a-standin
ahind 'em, says ter myself, 'Ye will, fer
1 know'd neither of 'em couldn't keep
from the water, they bein born sailors
both.
'Twarn't long AFTER this Mr.. Beemis
come ter me one day an asked eff knowed
a good boat he could git cheap. Waal,
didn't list then, but said I'd look. WAL,
one day I run acrost a lad as come up from
Boston waters an had bit of brown boat
he wanted ter sell She needed repair an
war as ugly as blue mud, but he stud ter
it; she war seaworthy an tidy sailor.
Mr. Cronin an the Mermaid hadn't ben
foun' fer almost two weeks then, an
knowed the Beemises, father an darter,
war nigh sick ter be on the water ag in.
So says ter Mr.. Beemis, 'Ye kin but try
the boat An he says, All right
"Waal, the upshot of 1t war we tux that
thar ugly little brown thing out one day
fer a trial trip-me an Mr.. Beemis an his
darter-an we hadn't much more n cleared
the inlet W zen they war wild ter have her.
An Miss Eleanor says W en- We war a-comin
home She's most like a little brown duck
ter look at, but she sails like fust class
yacht Well call her the Ugly Ducklin. ;
An that's how she come by her name an
how they come ter git her.
'Waal, Mr.. Beemis used ter git me ter
take the gal a-sailin W EN- he couldn't go
long, an many's the little VICES we TUX
tergether her an me. We seen the Mer
maid hangin roun' quite frequent, but
Miss Eleanor didn't never seem partic lar
pleased, I will say, an didn't pay no
mount of 'tention ter Mr.. Cronin's sa-
Iutes Mr.. Cronin, he war a-tryin ter
learn ter sail his boat hisself, but he war
mighty dumb about it, an didn' t see as he
improved none, an specially when he seen
the Ducklin a-heavin in sight he'd handle
that thar Mermaid like she war four in
han till she d pitch an toss like plungin
boss.
y "IIong about the middle of August last
year got my arm broke an my leg in
jured by gittin caught in the boom of a
big catboat a greenhorn war a-tryin ter
sail, an war laid up fer three weeks in
my bed The fust day war ont, rec
Iect, war regular fall day. with q mist
a-lyin over the bay an soft light on the
water. umped down ter the float an war
a-standin a-lookin at the Duoklin a-hob-
bin an s-bowin her ugly little brown body
up an down in the light swell, an as I
stud thar Miss Eleanor come along, an
says she;
able ter be roun' Agin. I've missed 70 aw
full bad. amt ben out ON the Ducklin
fer week; my fathers away, an there's
ben no one ter 60 with. seem by her faoe
that she war a-longin fer tho water, an I
felt mighty like 1t myself, 80 I says,
Would ye like ter 20 this arternoonP'
Her eyes got big an bright, an could see
the sea yearnin In EN- more'n ever. oh,
yes, says she, but 1t wouldn't be right
ter take ye out an 70 20 weak I'm all
right, says /, AN ~ oan manage the sails
as well a. any man, an, Of yer q min ter,
we'll 60, an III help all I kim
1T was a purity sight ter SEQ that gal
climbin about gettint them thar sails ready
ter hist. She wore one Of them bicycle
skirts ye seen her inSterday, an little
yachtin cap, an her faos war rosy with the
sun an the wind, an tho loose hair war
a-blowin roun' her temples In little rings
like-but ye seen her, an wot's the use in
me tellin ys--
"waal, wen We war ready We got under
way, the Duoklin a-dippin an a-beaadin
ahead, without NO noise but the sweep OF
the wind through her riggin an the wash
of the water roun' us. We'd got we'll
down Staten Island sound wen I seen
thar war storm a-oomin, an says ter
Miss Eleanor, We'd better be a-turnin
back, an she says, AN right An I
brought the Duoklin's head roun', an we
scooted away t'ward home. An all of a
suddint we seen the Mermaid ahead of us,
an Miss Elsanor's mouth set hard imme-