Happy Island
He regarded her kindly as she stood in the doorway, her curls freshened i
ance at the disorde
you got here," he said. He gathered in an armful of boots and shoes and
You put those right down and bring me a pail of water and some wood-" she looked in the box, "-and a littl
with slow content and moving in supreme restfulness toward the well. When he returned the room was in order,
He glanced toward the inner doo
kly. "I called
him sleep," repl
ed a dipper of water and carried it
kfast with us?" asked Uncle W
in the kindling-wood myse
opened and Benjy came out-yawning, but brisk. "Well, we've g
"I thought you 'd kind o' min
mind getting up-It's waiting
le-"Guess George is going out." He glanced behind him. The girl had stepped outside the door a minute and Uncle W
akfast, William-and be than
of deep craft was in his eye. When B
u go tell Ordway what you want and I'll talk to him 'bout it when I
and Uncle William pottered abou
up quickly. "I th
tend to." He strayed into the bedroom and when he came out she was seated by the window paring
am. He glanced past her, out of the win
d not
ing's going out,"
ished another potato, with efficiency, and
est young man on the Island, I gue
h flitted at
the window and re
ned. "He 'd make a dretful
ed. She held the knife in her hand, and she w
k reproachfully. "You don't ha
omptly. She took up another potato
n' to be married?" he asked happily, "I mig
not engaged any more," s
thy. "I didn't know 't you 'd lost any
d line between her eyes, "He wasn't
e died?" asked
nd threw out her hands in a quick ges
y so?" demande
he returned, a little g
liam look
ry him-nor anybody!" She lifted her
mean you promised him and then wouldn't-?
. "I only loved his hair anyway," she said. There was silence
and it was yellow-like gold-and
," said Uncle William h
ve got you to take care of and that's enough!" She glanced at him, almost tenderly, and carried the potatoes to the sink. "It makes you feel foolish," she said, splashing the
ut at the sun. "It's g
et married, Celia-" he said slowly, "I like to think about homes and buildin' 'e
htfully. "I don't know's I do," she
real home," said Un
her hands on the towel, looking down at them. "I know what you mean, Mr. Benslow-about 'little ones'-I guess every woman knows about that-and wants 'em," she added
d anything I said, Celia. I'm kind o' old and foolish, like enough." The girl did not reply. But when he had gone, she