Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-06-23
CAROLS
ISLAND
Or the Mystery Solved
By cLARISSA MACKIE

II
4-a-ss-;-ssssssss-s-s-s-s-s-ssssssssss
Carol Atwood watched Captain Hus-
seq as he slowed her suit case and the
covered basket In the bow Of the little
motorboat; then she took her place,
while the captain pushed away from
the landing steps and grasped the
wheel all in one agile motion, born OF
long experience on the waters Of Gull
lake.
"Where is the island?' asked Carol
after they had fairly started on the
blue water.
aye can't glimpse it till we turn
Pine Tree pint; kinder queer that your
cousin, or-was Steve Atwood your
cousin, did We say?" asked the captain
inquisitively.
"He was my fathers cousin" replied
Carol, with an air of reserve.
"Well, was saying it's mighty queer
that out Of all his money lie should
leave you nothing but Pine island here.
You can't do nothing but sell 1t. miss.
l hear you're from New York city.
Work there?"
"Yes."
$50 l heard. 1t was all printed In
the newspaper when Steve Atwood
died-how he left Pine island to little
cousin who was bookkeeper or some
thing like that In the city. The paper
said 1t was too bad that Mr.. Atwood
| hadn't left sum Of money 50 his
orphan cousin could do something with
| it. but l dunno-yOu can sell the island
| IL YOU want to. There's summer folks
would like 1t for camp.
Carol made no reply. Her blue eyes
were dreamily fixed Oh Pine Tree point
but her thoughts were far from Gull
lake and the odd inheritance left by
her eccentric relative, Stephen Atwood
the many times millionaire. How easy
II would have been had Cousin Stephen
only left her a sum Of money instead
| of the valueless island In this Maine
lake! She sighed bitterly as she re-
membered the clause in Stephen At
woods will which said that the island
was not to be sold within five years
| after his death.
II he had left her sum Of money
she might have given up that Office po
sition and gone away to seek the health
| that was 30 necessary to her successful
| future. She was pale and delicate look
ing, city born and bred. and the strug
| gle to earn her bread and butter was
| growing more difficult every day. She
had craved her allotted vacation. Sh,
was taking her annual two weeks va
| cation In the month Of May instead OF
August. SO that she might LOCK Ovel
the property.
The breeze rutlied the placid surface
of the lake, pickerel leaped now and
then, and occasionally from the bushy
thicket along the shore mild eyed deer
peered ut the speeding boat and its pas
sengers.
There's Pine island" pointed the
captain as they rounded Pine Tree
point into the upper end Of the beauti
full lake.
1T is beautiful" cried Carol, breath
less with delight, as she gazed at the
small green island that was her very
own.
| 1t was set like an emerald In the blue
Of the lake, and from amid the thick
growth Of pines Carol could glimpse q
red roof
You be'ant going to stop there
alone" argued Captain Hussey as be
brought the boat up to small stone
landing.
"For q few days." said Carol prac
tically. I'm not afraid up here in this
beautiful country. Why, there is more
to fear in the big city where / have al
ways lived"
That's all very WELL" decided tn,
old man, but I guess III leave old
Watch with you. He can have littl,
vacation here along with you and hunt
rabbits to his hearts content. You
can bring him back with you"
Watch, the big collie. who had beel
asleep at his masters feet, pricked his
beautiful ears Mt the sound Of his name
and leaped ashore to jump around
Carol, who had reached the landing
without assistance.
"Now, that is kind Of you, Captain
Hussey" cried the girl, taking his re
luctant hands into her little white ones
II believe that you brought Watch
along on purpose"
1.-THE missus made me do It," protest
I'd the captain as he picked up the
basket Of provisions packed by his
wife for the young stranger. ''Sht
thinks you're crazy to stay here al
lone for two weeks, and l amt telling
what think about 1t. You know
done all could to keep YOU away, but
amt never found the woman yet that
would listen to reason-no, ma'am
But I'll try and run over every day
and see how you get along. And now
I'll look into the bOathOuse and see II
that tidy little skiff is still there. II II
is you can use 1t to run away from the
island II things get too lonesome fol
you. Can you row."
"Oh. yes!" laughed Carol. "Ive
learned to do that on my summer vaca
tons"
Good! Well, II anything bothers you
Or you get lonesome you jest pack into
the skiff and come over to the main
land. You'll find the latchstring always
out on the Hussey house"
"Thank you thousand times" cried
Carol gratefully.
First Captain Hussey took the bunch
II keys from Carol and unlocked the
boathouse. Here everything was III
perfe,. order, the cedar trimmed row
boat, the oars, the fishing nets and
poles all arranged with a careful hand
Captain Hussey dropped the skid
into the water beneath the penthouse
laid the oars In 1t and showed Caro-
how in a moment Of emergency she
might run down the short fight OF
steps, get into the boat and emerge
through the swinging doors into the
lake.
cts all lovely" murmured Carol as
they walked through the pines toward
the little log house among the trees.
aIt,s lind NJ n tidy 1tftla nlacpv az