Uncle Terry: A Story of the Maine CoastMunn, Charles Clark
General
Uncle Terry: A Story of the Maine Coast
Munn, Charles Clark
Maine -- Fiction
"I guess you're not much acquainted with the interior of Southport
Island," put in Albert; and then going forward he brought back Uncle
Terry, and introduced him to the crowd. By this time the "Gypsy" was
almost down to the Cape, and under one bell, and the direction of Uncle
Terry, she slowly steamed in. That worthy man had been looking over her,
and his admiration was evident.
"A purty slick craft, boys," he said to the party, as the "Gypsy's"
anchor ceased rattling out of the hawse-hole,--"a purty slick craft, an'
must 'a' cost a heap o' money."
Then as he pulled his own weather-beaten dory that had been towing
astern along to the gangway, Albert stepped up to him and said in a low
voice:
"Will you excuse me a little while, Mr. Terry? I want to change my
clothes, and in an hour or so I will come ashore, and not only thank
you for all your kindness, but make you a visit."
When Uncle Terry had gone Albert related his experiences for the past
eighteen hours to the party--that is, all but one incident, or rather
surprise, and that he omitted for reasons best known to himself. Then
nothing would do but they must all go ashore, and look the quaint little
village over.
"I wish you would keep away from the lighthouse, boys," Albert said, as
they were getting into their boat. "Mr. Terry's family are rather
sensitive people and may not like to have a lot of us trooping around
their place. I am going over there this afternoon to make a sketch, and
then I'll ask permission, and we'll all go there some other day."
He had whispered to Frank to remain on the yacht, and when the rest were
gone he said to him: "Frank, I am going to confide something to you, and
I want you to promise me on your honor not to hint it to any of our
friends." When that astonished young man had promised to keep mum,
Albert continued, "The fact is, Frank, I've tumbled into an adventure,
and fallen in love with a girl on sight, and without having exchanged
ten words with her! She is Mr. Terry's daughter, and has eyes that take
your breath away, and a form like the Venus of Milo. She paints
pictures that are a wonder, considering she never has taken a lesson,
and has a face more bewitching than any woman's I ever saw. It is like a
painter's dream."
"Well, you have gone daft, old man," replied the astonished Frank,
breaking into a laugh in which Albert joined, and then adding with
mischief in his eyes, "Does she take good care of her teeth and
fingernails, Bert?"
Albert frowned. "Don't for heaven's sake mention her in the same breath
with those cigarette-smoking blemishes on their sex!" he answered; and
then he added more pleasantly, "But you haven't heard it all yet. This
unique old man, who saved me from sleeping all night in a thicket of
briers, and who has opened his heart and home to me, has fallen into the
clutches of--Nicholas Frye!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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