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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