Happy Island

his rough suit and slouch hat and the week’s growth of beard on his thin cheeks and pointed chin. His

hing him, chuckled a little. “An

“They’re your claws, Willi

’bout that. You just eat all you want and I’ll pa

for anything you’ve go

th opened on it. Then she bent her head and growled a little, and crouched over it, crushing it under her paw and moving her tail in swift, restrained joy... to eat was good—but to hold it—there under her paw—caught fast—and growl a little.... Up above Uncle William rumbled on—about the weather and fishin

her,” he said, “for some t

e and stood beside

e night and remembered Benjy was there—before he heard the sound of the waves on the beach or the wind coming across the moor behind the house.... This

, looked at them with grudging e

and sat down and looked contentedly at the unt

m. “The last one I’ll have thi

t, Benjy and me.” The tall man had come back from the wind

ght vanish in his thinness. “You set down, Benjy,” he said, “I

rd—?” asked t

as gone, and it’s to both

uno, with her back to the stove, licked her paw and rubbed it down her

set store by lobster,” he said, “much as anybody I ever see

th disapproving glance. “I

ch’s I can do to find things myself—when they get under here—” He emerged from the depths with serene face. “I see some t

whimsically. “I thought perhaps you could work that con

am placidly, “The dishes can wait a spell—some of ’

“You might do t

pe,” said Uncle W

t his assent was cheerful. “All right, William, I’ll do my part—You help m

ught to have George Manning to help you about y

at him with lifted eyebr

ass the way he does when he’s thinking. But he’s old enough. He’s built a good many houses on the Island,

y house isn’t a

be a nice house—when you ge

d threw out an

rge about it,” he added hopefully, “‘Twon’t hurt any to talk to him—he’s chuck full of ideas. He’s about th

!” asked Bodet with a

ried,” said U

ut. “Neither ar

ou ain’t married. But that

ng around,” l

ce—and lost it.... That’s what’s happened to us.” He was loo

t’s happened to us. And G

—set it kind o’ modest, you know. But George don’t see ’em. He just goes around looking at the sky and things—kind o’ thinkin’ in his mind—might bump right up against a girl and not know she was there—” U

self. “Did you say there wa

rom his pocket, regarding it fondly. “You re

nted a chair and reached for the map on its na

him with open mouth. “Now tha

n idea?”

uess. I was just a-thinking.” He chuckled softly. “We’ve got a girl,” he

coming?” d

slowly from the chair with hi

m. “Then you ain’

bout—down to New York?” He looked at Andy over his spec-tades. “She’s a nice girl,”

er well enough telling you about her one day—down to your house—when Harr’

do remember,” s

day—if there was a place to sleep. Benjy’s in the other room and I’m in this one—and the’ ain’t any other—”

p down to my ho

d sleep down to his house,

d then the other. Then a smile came into his face. “The Lord bless you, Andy

ipe ’em, Benjy,” said U

and it’s all righ

ittle suthin’,”

ponded the tall man. “Now let’