they had decked the boat. "I am going to paint
them," she said quietly, as she turned and followed Albert up to the
house.

CHAPTER XXIII

A STRANGE STORY

Uncle Terry and Albert had just seated themselves on the point that
evening when Telly came out with a thick gray shawl and wrapped it
around her father's shoulders. "It's a little chilly to-night," she
said, "and I think you need it." Then turning to Albert she added,
"Wouldn't you like one too, Mr. Page?" He didn't in the least need any
protection, but that made no difference. "I would, thank you," he
answered, "if you have another to spare." He would have answered yes if
she had asked him to put on woollen mittens. She returned to the house
and came back, this time bearing a white zephyr wrap, and handed it to
Albert. "I will bid you good-night, now," she said, "for I presume you
will sit here long after bed-time."

Uncle Terry's eyes followed her back to the house, and then he turned to
his guest.

"I s'pose ye'd rather be talking to Telly than me, out here in the
moonlight," he said bluntly, "now that ye've got a little acquainted.
It's the way o' young folks."

"I've had a very pleasant visit with your daughter this afternoon,"
responded Albert; "she was good enough to go with me to where I got left
yesterday. I wanted to finish the sketch I began there." Uncle Terry
made no answer, but sat puffing away at one of the cigars Albert had
given him.

"We don't git cigars like this here," he said at last, "an' they must
cost a lot o' money." Albert made no reply, but waited quietly for the
revelation he felt was coming.

"Mr. Page," said Uncle Terry at last, "I've worried a good deal since
last night 'bout what you told me, an' I've made up my mind to tell ye
the hull story an' trust ye with what no one else knows. To begin with,
it's 'bout twenty years ago last March when thar war a vessel got a-foul
o' a ledge jest off'n the pint here in a snow-storm, an' all hands went
down; that is, all but a little yearlin' baby that cum ashore tied up
'tween two feather-beds. I fished her out o' the surf, an' Lissy an' me
has taken care on her ever since, an' to-day she's worth a thousand
times more'n she cost. How much she thinks o' me I'll let ye jedge by
the way she thought 'bout my comfort to-night. There was a few trinkets
came ashore with her--picturs o' her father an' mother, we knew, an' a
locket an' ring and some other things, so we knowed her name