Homepage
Login
Profile
BookClubs
dmBox
Read this ebook for free! No credit card needed, absolutely nothing to pay.
Words: 55291 in 28 pages
This is an ebook sharing website. You can read the uploaded ebooks for free here. No credit cards needed, nothing to pay. If you want to own a digital copy of the ebook, or want to read offline with your favorite ebook-reader, then you can choose to buy and download the ebook.
scolding the dirty children in the gutters beneath.
But after a time, the lane-like streets gave place to wider ones, the air grew purer, and soon a breath from the salt water beyond refreshed them all. Almost at once, it seemed, they had arrived; and Dorothy eagerly sought to tell which of the various craft clustered about the Point was her coveted house-boat.
The carriage drew up beside a little office on the pier and a man came out. He courteously assisted Aunt Betty to descend, while he promptly pointed out a rather squat, but pretty, boat which he informed her was the "Water Lily," lately the property of Mr. Blank, but now consigned to one Mr. Seth Winters, of New York, to be held at the commands of Miss Dorothy Calvert.
"A friend of yours, Madam?" he inquired, concluding that this stately old lady could not be the "Miss" in question and wholly forgetting that the little maid beside her might possibly be such.
Aunt Betty laid her hand on Dolly's shoulder and answered:
"This is Miss Dorothy Calvert and the 'Water Lily' is a gift from Mr. Winters to her. Can we go on board and inspect?"
The gentleman pursed his lips to whistle, he was so surprised, but instead exclaimed:
"What a lucky girl! The 'Water Lily' is the most complete craft of its kind I ever saw. Mr. Blank spared no trouble nor expense in fitting her up for a summer home for his family. She is yacht-shaped and smooth-motioned; and even her tender is better than most house-boats in this country. Blank must be a fanciful man, for he named the tender 'The Pad,' meaning leaf, I suppose, and the row-boat belonging is 'The Stem.' Odd, isn't it, Madam?"
"Rather; but will just suit this romantic girl, here," she replied; almost as keen pleasure now lighting her face as was shining from Dorothy's. At her aunt's words she caught the lady's hand and kissed it rapturously, exclaiming:
"Then you do mean to let me accept it, you precious, darling dear! You do, you do!"
They all laughed, even Ephraim, who was close at his lady's heels, acting the stout body-guard who would permit nothing to harm her in this strange place.
The Water Lily lay lower in the water than the dock and Mrs. Calvert was carefully helped down the gang plank to its deck. Another plank rested upon the top of the cabin, or main room of the house-boat, and Dorothy sped across this and hurried down the steep little winding stair, leading from it to the lower deck, to join in her aunt's inspection of the novel "ship."
Free books android app tbrJar TBR JAR Read Free books online gutenberg
(0)More posts by @FreeBooks
