FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54  
55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   >>   >|  
"There's my drawin's," he began. "No one but meself ever sot eyes upon 'em before." "You didn't even show them to your parents or sister?" the girl asked in surprise, as she looked upon the first drawing presented to view. "Indeed I didn't. They'd only make fun of me if I did. I hate to be laughed at, don't you? It riles one all up." "It does sometimes," the girl acknowledged. "But, then, it is better not to mind what people say or do, but just go on with our work. Why, what nice drawings you have here. I can hardly believe you did them yourself without anyone to teach you." Eben made no reply, but his eyes shone with complete satisfaction. The girl was seated at the table and he was standing by her side. A thrill of joy possessed him such as he had never experienced before. This beautiful girl appreciated his drawings, and that was enough. The sketches were crude, but they showed considerable signs of promise, and this Jess realised as she carefully examined them. One bridge, especially, arrested her attention, the one which spanned the falls. "You must have made a long study of this," she remarked, "I recognised it at once." "I did, Miss. I spent a whole day there once, an' every time we go under it I see something new. I ain't got it quite right yit." For a few minutes the girl examined the drawings without speaking. There was a far-away look in her eyes when at length she pushed the book a little from her. "Your drawings are remarkably good, considering everything," she told him. "But how would you like for me to give you some lessons?" "How would I like it?" Eben gasped in amazement. "You give me lessons in drawin'!" "And why not? We shall have time, I am sure, and I have not yet forgotten all I learned." "Oh, it would be great! But what about dad? I'm afraid he won't let ye. He might think it will spoil me from bein' a captain some day. He wants me to study navigation, or something like that, which I hate." Before any reply could be made, a slight shock was heard against the side of the boat which startled them both. The girl sprang to her feet, and looked up the stairway. Then the sound of footsteps was heard upon the deck above. "They are after me!" she gasped. "Oh, where can I hide?" "Stay right here," Eben ordered, as he leaped toward the stairs. "I'll fix 'em." His foot had barely touched the first step when his father's body bulked large in the doo
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54  
55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

drawings

 

lessons

 

examined

 

drawin

 

gasped

 

looked

 

forgotten

 
length
 

pushed

 

amazement


remarkably
 

learned

 

speaking

 

minutes

 
captain
 
ordered
 

leaped

 

footsteps

 

stairs

 

father


bulked

 

touched

 

barely

 

stairway

 
afraid
 

startled

 

sprang

 
slight
 

navigation

 

Before


promise

 

people

 

acknowledged

 

parents

 

sister

 

meself

 

surprise

 

laughed

 
drawing
 

presented


Indeed

 

complete

 

satisfaction

 

spanned

 

attention

 

arrested

 

realised

 

carefully

 
bridge
 

remarked