The age-herald., 1899-03-12

among the dozen or more pleasure boats
 that lay at anchor in the Inlet when l.
 who was tightening the jib sheet, saw her
 master, Captain Martin, doff his old yacht
 ing cap and bob his grizzled head.
 Dye see that thar lady an gentleman?' | asked he, indicating with a wag of his | head, some people on board an ugly little | brown sloop to port of us.
 l "Yes," l said, what of them?"
 Wall, that thars Miss Beemis an her
 father, MT Frederick Beemis, as lost his
 money on Wall street spring afore last.
 "1t is, indeed" said I, looking admiringly l at the 1.-the, graceful figure and beautiful
 face of the girl, who at that moment was
 swinging out on the bowsprit ropes, un-
 flashing the jib sail. "Its pity she hasn't l better boat'
 "A better boat than the Ugly Duckling!
 exclaimed the captain, chuckling, "Wal'
 that aint none in these waters"
 l We were at the mouth of the inlet now
 and looked back at the Ugly Duckling
 and her crew. They had hoisted her sails
 and pulled up her anchor and the girl ran
 along the deck and sprngng down into the | cockpit, took the tiller A tremor ran | through the yacht as the sails filled ana
 presently she leaned her brown body down
 and sped across the water like shadow. | We were going at a fair speed, but the
 Ugly Duckling rushed by us and swept
 out over the blue wind-ruffied waters ot the | bay I stood and gaped after her LII the I | phant:
 'Thar, wasn't I right about that thar | boat?"
 How do you account for her speed?' l | asked.
 l "I don't altogether-boats Is like vim
 men, yer can't allus tell how they're goin' | ter act, nor jist why. Yer never seen MT | Beemis' other boat, the Mermaid? l 'No; but I've heard you mention her. l eve ain't goin' ter jibe fer good spell now so we kin set quiet an I'll tell yer l bout her."
 q wish you would" said I, settling my | self in my favorite position stretched along | the top of the cabin with my head on l cushion.
 1 "Ye sec" began the captain, "I've know | ed MT Beems sence he war young man; | an Miss Eleanor, sence she war baby, | an they seats a heap O store by my Judg- | ment-leastwise in nautical matters. It | came about, wen Mir. Beemis' riches tux | an put wings themselves an flown | away, that MT. Cronin-the young gentle | man as owns the big car works up Black l port way-bought Mel maid off'n him. It | was my 'pfnfon at the time that it ud be | better fer MT. Crinon ter stick to his keers l an not try sailin' as he war never lntend- l ed by natur' fer the water-though good l looking enough fer that matter-but e tux ] the Mermaid, howsomever, an as she sail ed away with him on board heard the gal say to 'er father: Never min daddy, never | mind' says she, we'll have some sortn | craft ter sail in, won't we? An me a.
 standin' ahind 'em, says ter myself Yer | will fer I knowed neither of 'em couldn't | keep from the water, they bein' born sail | ors both.
 "Twarn't long arter this, MT. Beemis l come ter me one day an asked CT | knowed a good boat e could get cheap. l We'll I didn't jist then, but I said I'd look I but atween the time I foun' the Brownie | which was the Ugly Ducklng as is, an the l time Mir Beemis spoke ter me, Cronin come | over an tux him an Miss Eleanor out oh l the Mermaid mighty often He had man | ter sail 'er fer as I says, he knowed more l about keerS than boats, an oluh tahe l kind ter the water.
 Wall, one day I run acrost q lau ds l come up from Boston waterss an nao d pit l O brown boat he wanted ter sell. She neeo7s | ed repair an war as ugly as blue muo' Due' | he stud to it. she war seaworthy an a tlue l sailer Mir Cronin on the Mermaid hadn't | ben roun fer almost two weeks then, an I I knowed the Beemiss, father and darter,
 was nigh sick ter be on the water agin | So says ter MT. Beemis, Yer Kin put try | the boat an he says all right | Wall, the upshot O 1t war, we tux thal | thar ugly little brown thing out one day Ter | a trial trip-me and MT. Beemis an his dar- | ter-an' we handn't much moren cleared | the inlet, wen they was wild to nave CT. | An Miss Eleanor says wen we was accom- I In home, Sne TlOSl ihc u iieeio | duck ter look at. We'll call her the Ugly | Duckling.' An that's how she come by CT | name An how they come ter git CT.
 "Wall. Mr. Beemis used ter git me ter l take the gal a-sain' wen he couldh so
 long, an many's the little v1ges we tux | together her an me. We seen the Mer- | maid hangin roun' quite frequent; put | Miss Eleanor didn't never seem partlc lar l pleased I will say, an didn't never pay
 no mount O 'tention ter MT. Cronin's sa7s 1 lutes. MT. Cronin, he was a-try1n ter learn | ter sail his boat hisself, but, e war mighty | dumb about it, an didn't see as e i'm | proved none; an specially, wen he seen the l Duckling a-heavin' in sight, he'd handle | that thar Mermaid like she war a four In | ham, till she'd pitch an toss like plung-
 In hoss. l year. I got my arm broke an my leg in- 1 iured by gettin' caught in the boom Of a l big cat boat a greenhorn was a-tryin' ter l sail, an I was laid up fer three weeks Tn | my bed. The first day war out, ree'lect, | was regular fall day, with mist a-lyin over the bay an a soft light on the water. | I limped down ter the float, an was a. l standin' a-lookin at the Ducklng a-bobbin' | an a-bowin' Ter ugly little brown body up an down in the light swell; an as l stud thar Miss Eleanor come along, an says l she:
 l "'Oh, cap'n, I'm so glad yer better an l able to be roun az in. I've missed ye aw- | ful bad. 1 ain't ben out on the ,Duckling | fer a week; my fathers away an there's | ben no one ter go with seen by her face | that she was a-longin' fer the water, an | felt mighty like 1t myself, so l says: l Would yer like ter go this arternoon? l Her eyes got big an bright an could see l the sea-yearnin' in 'em moren ever. oh, | yes, says she, but 1t wouldn't be right ter | take ye out an you so weak I'm all | right, says I; an yer kin manage the sails
 as wei as any man, an eff yer a min ter, | we'll go an I'll help all kin.
 "It was a purity sight ter see that gal | climbin about gittin' them thar sails ready
 ter hist. She wore one O them bicycle | skirts like ye seen Ter In ter day, an lit | tie yachtin' cap, an Ter face was rosy with l the sun an the wind; an the loose hair | was a-blowin' roun' 'er temples in little | rings like-but yer seen Ter, an wot's the | use in me tellin' yer 1 Wall, wen we war ready we got under | way, the Duck1ing a-dippin' an a-boundin' | ahead, without no noise but the sweep O
 the wind through Ter riggin', an the wash l Y1tI 1.x.