bould Tad. 'I must make it
honestly.' And he settled his head between his hands and gazed
reproachfully at the clane floor. So I saved me money and sat till eight
o'clock exchangin' complimints with Misther Sheldon. Thin the bell rang
on the hill beyond the station and he pulled his cap off the dresser,
kissed his wife and the five gur-rls and wint out to his watch and a
good sleep. While he was gone I stood in the doorway and Missus Sheldon
tould me of the little Carsons and how Missus Carson had sworn niver to
marry again excipt in the life-saving service. 'She says the Governmint
took away her husband and her support,' says the good lady, 'and she'll
touch no money excipt Governmint checks, being used to thim and Uncle
Sam owin' her the livin' he took away.'

"'With five childher she shud look up and marry one of the men in the
establishment,' I informs her. 'They are good husbands and make money.'

"'Though a widow, she has pride,' she responds sharply; and I left, with
young Tad follerin' at me heels till I let him overtake me and whisper:
'If ye'd buy some clams off of young Carson it wud help the widow.'

"'I am starved for clams,' I whispers back like a base conspirator for
the hand of the lovely gur-rl in the castle. 'Show me the house of me
bould Carson.' He pointed to a light through the thin woods.

"They thought I was crazy whin I returned to the hotel with a hundred
pounds of clams dripping down me back. 'I dug thim with me own hands
this night,' I tould the man in the office. 'Cook thim all for me
breakfast.'

"'Ye're a miracle of strength and endurance under watther,' says he;
'for 'tis now high tide and the surf is heavy.'

"'I found their tracks in the road and followed thim to their lair,' I
retorts. 'Do I get thim for breakfast?'

"And in the mor-rin', whin I was that full of clams that I needed a
shell instead of a weskit, I walked on the beach with the admirin'
crowds of summer tourists and lovely women. It was fine weather and the
little ones were barefooted and the old ones bareheaded, and the wind
was gentle, and the life-savers were polishin' their boat in full view
of the wondherin' throng; and I thought of this ould tub out here on the
ind of a chain and pitied thim all. Thin I sthrolled around the point to
the bay and found me bould Tad dhrillin' his gang in an ould skiff, with
home-made oars in their little fists and Tad sthandin' in the
stern-sheets, with a huge steerin' sweep betwe