Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1904-05-26

from stuns," no one ever came to uls-
turb its quietude Every morning I'm
Gle Terry, often accompanied by Telly
IN calico dress and sunbonnet. rowed
out to pull his lobster traps and after
dinner harnessed and drove to the head
OF the island to meet the mail boat;
then at eventide, after lighting his pipe
ana the lighthouse lamp at about the
same time, generally strolled over to
bascoms to have chat, while Telly
made call on the "Widder Leach" a
misanthropic but pious protegee of
hers, and Aunt Lissy read the paper.
once In about three weeks, according
to weather, the monotony Of the village
was disturbed by the arrival of a small
schooner owned Jointly by Uncle Terry,
OAKS and Bascom, and which piled be-
tween the Cape and Boston. Once in
two weeks services were held. as usual.
IN the little brown church, and as often
the lighthouse tender called and left
coal and oil for Uncle Terry. Regu-
larly on Thursday evenings the few
piously inclined, led by Deacon Oaks,
gathered in the church to sing hymns
they repeated fifty-two times each year.
listen to a prayer by Oaks that seldom
varied in a single sentence, and heard
AuAtie Leach thank the Lord for his
many mercies," though what they
were in her case it would be hard to
tell, unless being permitted to live
alone and work hard to live at all was
mercy. The scattered islanders and
the handful whose dwellings comprised
the Cape worked hard, lived frugally
and We're unconscious that all around
them was rocky shore whose cliffs
and inlets and beaches were so many
poems of picturesque and charming
scenery
This was Southport in summer, but
in winter, when the little harbor at
the Cape was icebound, the winding
road to the head of the island buried
beneath drifts and the people often for
weeks at time absolutely cut off
from communication with the rest of
the world, 1t was place cherries in
Its desolation. Like so many wood
ShoSho lllClA tuC lCSluSAlS Kept
doors or only stirred out to cut wood,
fodder the stock and shovel paths so
that the children could go to school.
The days We're short and the evenings
long, and to get together and spend
hours in labored conversation the only
pastime. 1t was one of those long even
tngs and when Aunt Lissy and Telly
were at neighbours and Uncle Terry,
left to himself, was reading every line,
including the advertisements, in the
last Journal, that the following met
his eye:
wANTED.-Informatio that will lead
to the discovery Of an heir to the estate
OF one Eric Peterson, landowner and
shipbuilder of Stockholm, Sweden, whose
son, with his wife. child and crew, was
known to have been wrecked on the coast
Of Maine in March, 1877. Nothing has
ever been heard Of said Peterson or his
wife. but the child may have been saved.
Any one having information that will lead
to the discovery of this child will be-
amply rewarded by communicating with
NICHOLAS FRYE. Attorney at Law, -
Pemberton Square, Boston.
"Waal. I'll be everlastin'ly gol darn
ed! Uncle Terry exclaimed after he
had read 1t for the third time. "If this
don't beat all natur I'm goat"
1t was fortunate he was alone, for it
gave him time to think the matter
over, and after half an hour Of aston
ishment he decided to say nothing to
his wife or Telly.
''I'N jist breathe easy an sag up"
he said to himself, 'same as though I
was crossin' thin ice. an If nothin'
comes ont nobody II be the worse for
worryin'."
Then he cut the slip out and hid it in
his black leather wallet, and then cut
out the entire page and burned it.
'Wimmin are SIGH curtis creeters
they'd be sure to want to know what
I'd cut out O. that page" he said to
himself. IAN never rest till told 'em."
When Aunt Lissy and Telly came
home Uncle Terry was as composed
as rock and sat quietly putting his
pipe. with his feet on top Of chair
and pointing toward the fire.
Were you lonesome, father?" asked
Telly, who usually led conversation in
lAo 4CLAJ we 6IOppGu Ut bdS-
CONS, and you know he never stops
talking"
He's worse'n burdock burs ter git
away FROM" answered Uncle Terry,
IAN We can't be perlite ter him unless
We want t. spend the rest O. yer life
listenin'. His tongue allus seemed ter
be hung in the middle an wag both
ways. wasn't lonesome" he contin-
ued, rising and adding a few sticks
to the fire as the two women laid aside
their wraps and drew chairs up. 1--WE
read the paper purity well through an
had spell o. livin' over bygones," and
then, turning to Telly and smiling, he
added: II got thinkin o. the day ye
came ashore. an mother she got that
excited she sot the box ye was in on
the stove an then put more wood in.
It's wonder she didn't put We in the
stove instead O. the wood!"
fro BE CONTINUED