The Casting Away of Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine Read online

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  THE CASTING AWAY OF MRS. LECKS AND MRS. ALESHINE

  "THESE TWO WORTHY DAMES SPENT THE GREATER PART OF THEIRTIME ON DECK."]

  THE CASTING AWAY OF MRS. LECKS AND MRS. ALESHINE

  BY

  FRANK R. STOCKTON

  WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY FREDERIC DORR STEELE

 

  NEW YORK THE CENTURY CO. 1903

  COPYRIGHT, 1886, 1892, 1898. BY THE CENTURY CO.

  THE DEVINNE PRESS.

  LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

  PART I PAGE

  THESE TWO WORTHY DAMES SPENT THE GREATER PART OF THEIR TIME ON DECK _Frontispiece_

  DO YOU SEE THAT BOAT THERE? 6

  MRS. ALESHINE PROVED TO BE A MORE DIFFICULT SUBJECT 11

  WE WILL PULL AFTER THEM 15

  STAND UP STRAIGHT, AND DON'T TALK SO MUCH 23

  VIGOROUSLY WINKING AND BLOWING 25

  THEY GOT ON REMARKABLY WELL 27

  THERE'S NOTHIN' LIKE SAUSAGES FOR SHIPWRECK 31

  PART II

  MRS. LECKS WALKED BOLDLY UP TO THE FRONT DOOR AND PLIED THE KNOCKER 45

  I CLIMBED UP ONE OF THE COLUMNS 48

  I GUESS YOU'LL BE COMFORTABLE, MR. CRAIG 52

  THAT YELLER FROCK 55

  MRS. ALESHINE HAD BEEN HARD AT WORK ALL THE MORNING 61

  "THERE'S ANOTHER THING," SAID SHE, "THAT I'VE BEEN THINKIN' ABOUT" 67

  MRS. LECKS AND MRS. ALESHINE STANDING ON THE END OF THE LITTLE WHARF 72

  PART III

  MR. ENDERTON WAS A PERSON OF ANOTHER SORT 83

  I DID ALL THAT I COULD TO MAKE MISS RUTH'S TIME PASS AGREEABLY 87

  THEY WERE EVIDENTLY WAITING FOR ME 91

  SMOKING THEIR PIPES IN PEACE 99

  IT WAS PERFECTLY SAFE 102

  I KNOWED IT WAS ALL RIGHT 105

  THEY ASSISTED RUTH TO ARRAY HERSELF 111

  PART IV

  THE ASCENT OF THE MOUNTAIN WAS SLOW AND TEDIOUS 121

  "WHAT HAS HAPPENED?" I EXCLAIMED 123

  MRS. LECKS WAS SITTING ON A STONE 129

  I SOON HAD A CRACKLING FIRE 135

  COULD YOU LEND ME A SMALL IRON POT? 141

  WE WERE ABOUT TO SEND HIM A BASKET 150, 151

  PART V

  WE BEGAN TO SLIDE DOWNWARD 163

  OH, WHICH IS EMILY, AND WHICH IS LUCILLE? 167

  WE DREW UP ABOUT THE FIRE 174

  REVEALING THE FAMILIAR FAT LITTLE GINGER-JAR 186

  RUTH AND MISS LUCILLE STRUCK UP A WARM ACQUAINTANCE 191

  PART VI

  THE IMPIDENCE OF HIM! 204

  ELIZABETH GROOTENHEIMER 215

  "YOU MAN!" SHRIEKED MRS. LECKS 218

  HE RESPECTFULLY TOUCHED IT WITH HIS LIPS 227

  THE GREATEST WORK OF DECORATION WAS RESERVED BY THE RED-BEARDED COXSWAIN FOR HIMSELF 231

  THE CASTING AWAY OF MRS. LECKS AND MRS. ALESHINE