Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1907-01-18
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tallN WIS NNNAAitAfh
the surprise Of the ''old maids. who
could not believe there was any good
in the dog girl" They gradually seas
eel 10 urge the hoy not IN have anything
10 do with her. for the very good re'i-
son thai IN this matter their urging was
~ no avail They grew to understand
their colt better aS thr month"; passed
and they learned just how tight II rein
Il was advisable to draw.
rradlcy also grew to understand the
sisters. lie discovered that Miss l'rissy
WIS the business woman and that SHE
paid all the bills. bought all the house
hold supplies and did it without con
sulting Miss Tempy. whom she fre;>.ed
rs n sort of doll with a mechanism that
must MT he Jared.
Hradlry made friends among the VII
lage boys and did not make any virn-
lent enemies He had his interrupted
fight out with Sam Hammond and
emerged n conQueror with black eye
and Il swollen nose, which We're tie
cause of his being in disgrace nj home
for Il week. Also he joined the Jolly
club" secret society that met on Sat
urAay afternoons in "Snuppy" Blacks
barn.
During the long summer vacation
there were CiI.c' - a.. L.. ,.lcre was
also all sorts Of fun along shore. dig
ging CLANS on the fats. spearing fiat
fish along the e,.ge of the channels or
rare and much priced trips TO the fish
weirs where the nets were hauled.
Captain Titcomb came home in August
for an Intended stay of two weeks,
and he made the boy happy by taking
him for an all day sail and blue fishing
excursion OF Setucllit Point.
That firing trip had unexpected
and fatefu results. The captain had
called on Miss Prissy and her sister
the morning of his arrival in Orliam
and. as was his custom. had brought
each of them present-eXactly alike.
or-cou~se. lie had promised to dine at
the Allen house the following Sunday.
But 1t happened that Peleg Myrick
wanted to make one of his infreGuent
visits to the mainland that week. and
he seized the opportunity to hail the
catboat containing Bradley and Cap
tain Ezra as it passed his quahaug
dory and beg for passage up.
Mr. Peleg Myrick was Il hermit. He
lived alone in little two room shanty
on the beach about half Il mile from
Setuckit Point He owned Il concer-
tina that squeaked and walled and a
Mexican dog-gift of wrecked skip
per-that shivered all the time and
howled when the concertina was play
ed. Pcleg was certain that the howl
ing was an attempt at singing and
boastel that Skcezicks-that was the
dogs name-had an "ear for music
Jest like a human"
Among his other accomplishments
Mr.. Myrick numbered that of weather
prophet. He boosted that he could
"smell storm further N cat can
smell fish," It was odd, but he really
did seem able to foretell or guess what
the weather would he along the Or
ham coast, and the longshoremen
swore by his prophecies.
He was great talker when he had
any one to talk to and was gossip
whose news items We're usually about
three months old. Captain Ezra ap
preciated odd characters. and he wei
coined the chance to get little fun
out Of Peleg.
"Well, Peleg." said the captain as
the catboat stood about on the first
leg of the hOmeward stretch. whats
the news down the beach? Any Of the
sand feas got married lately?'
Don't ask me for no news, Cap'n
En- replied Mr.. Myrick. You're the
Teller to have news You amt mar
ried yit. be you?"
"No; not yet. I'm waitin' to see
which girl you pick out; then I'll see
what's left
"Well. amt fooiin' l thought you
might Ire married by now. Last time
l was up to the ge--'long in June
twas see MISSY Busted, and SHE
said twas common talk that you was
courtin' one Of the old maids"
Captain Titcomb scowled and looked
uneasiIy at his passenger.
"She did. hey?' he grunted.
"Yes told her l didn't take nc
stock in that 'Cap'n e. ! says, has
been courtn' too many times sence
can remember l says. One time
twas Mary Emma Cahoon, mother
time twas Seth Wingate's sisters gal
then ag'in twas y
All right! All right broke in the
captain, CHANGING hurricdly at Bradley
"Never mind that How's the qua
haugin nowadays? Gittin' fair
price,
"pretty fair" replied Peleg. Then
with the persistency of the born Cos
sip. not to be so easily diverted from
his subject. he went on: 81 told NJ 'lissy
that. but she said there want scarcely
a doubt that you meant business this
time. Said you fetched presents every
time you come home. Said the only
doubt in folks minds was whether
twas Prissy or Tempy you was after
on 'em, cause she as much as asked
'em one time when she was at theil
house, aud they didn't deny it."
Mr.. Myrick talked steadily on this
and other subjects all the way to the
wharf, but Captain Ezra was silent
and thoughtful. He shook hands with
Bradley at the gate of the Travellers
Rest aud said goodby in an absent.
minded way.
81 s'posf you'll be round to dinner
Sunday. Capn Ez|' said the boy.
Hey? Sunday? Well. don't know