ite ran up to Shawn, giving him both her hands 139

[Illustration: Shawn and Coaly.]

SHAWN OF SKARROW

CHAPTER I

"Oh Shawn!"

It was a shrill voice calling from the bank above the river.

"You can holler till dark, but I ain't goin' to answer you while a
blue-channel cat is nibblin' at this line."

Through the short and chubby fingers a stout sea-grass line was running
out to the accumulated driftwood in the eddy below the wharf-boat.
Suddenly there came a spasmodic jerk of the line.

"He bluffed that time."

The front finger tapped the line, as an expert telegraph operator taps
his key.

"He's coming back for that crawfish tail now." The line went taut. The
freckled arms executed a series of lightning-like movements and the
catfish lay on the shore, a five-pounder, beating the sands with his
flashing tail.

"Oh Shawn!"

"I'm a-comin' now; come on, Coaly." The little brown dog wagged his tail
and got up from his resting place in the sand. They went up the hill
toward the little frame building on the bank.

The boy's mother met him at the door. She was a frail-looking woman,
upon whose face was a sorrowful and melancholy expression.

"Shawn, Mrs. Alden has sent for you, and wants you to come up to the big
house; get on your cottonade pants and wash your face and comb your
hair, and when you go up there, don't scratch your shins together, and
don't forget to say _yes mam_."

It was a matter of but a few moments for Shawn to array himself in his
best clothes. As he turned to go, his mother wearily took his face
between her hands and kissed him on the lips. The black eyes beamed
tenderly upon her, and over the sun-tanned features flashed a smile of
cheerfulness and love.

"Take that fish to Mrs. Alden, Shawn."

"It's for you, mammy."

"No, take it to her."

Shawn climbed the hill and went up through the alley, going around to
the side entrance of the Alden home. There was something about the great
house which always filled him with a spirit of awe, and as he glanced
over toward the long garden and orchard, there came into his heart a
yearning such as he had never known before.

A servant opened the door, and Shawn held up his fish: "This is for Mrs.
Alden; she sent for me." The servant took the fish and said, "You will
find Mrs. Alden in the next room. Leave your dog outside." Shawn walked
into the room. A woman with a sweet spiritual face sat in an invalid's
r