Dreamy Hollow: A Long Island Romance

e him. A vast area of fishing ground stood just off Patchogue, then a tiny village, near which flounders were seined in enormous quantities. They were nearest in

e of him a fond and loving husband. His greatest hope was that she might bear him a male child, that the line of succession in the Barbour family should go on through another ge

hard to conceal his disappointment but the habit of brooding increase

little one, thus comforting the dying woman as she passed on to another world. From the shock of it all Alexander Barbour shrank into a pitiful state, having failed in his attempts at reinstating his prestige. Finally competitors controlling great stor

nto her father's good graces. At ten years of age she had mastered the art of housekeeping, and with a wisdom fa

him one day; "they are just thick along the inlet, and everybody is o

of she had maintained the practice of conversing with her dead mother. This she began in her eighth year, as a child would talk with its doll and answer back as its mother. The habit had continued through girlhood into young womanhood,

I can hear her voice just as plainly as I can hear yours now," said she, quite conv

she say,

rm, and she would outgrow the vagary of such dreams as she grew older, according to his belief. Then,

udy hard and becom

ear-and

ou-the last message was about you," sai

sked, bracing himself against the cho

u must find a way out of your sorrow. She asked me to give you more companionship, and to lead you into a firm bel

assuredness, a smile lighting up her face as she spok

replied her father, his voice brok

e waters of South Bay hold the solu

. Did she suggest any partic

hat," said Winifred, jubilantly. "Let us think it out some way. Perhaps she meant that you should

at South Bay at once suggested fish, oysters-wild ducks in the fall of the year, and in the early spring. These would sell to local buyers for r

Winifred-"and send our produce to market

o that very thing, with the city of New York to back us in our enterprise. We can sell all we raise, s

earnings away, too," echoed Winifred-"and, oh, wo

r arms about her father's neck. The kisses she showered upon him ele

rang up, subdivisions were platted, cottages and villas builded up on every side. Taking advantage of "the boom" the Barbours bought lots and sold them at a profit, and Barbour himself built a refreshment booth on the motor parkway near the beach, and Winifred helped in its management. No longer could she devote her time to household duties, for sales at the booth dropped off when she was away, whereupon a house

girl in charge. "Better look out, little sister, or some one will come along a

n. Nevertheless Parkins stood around, picking out this box of candy, and that bag of salted almonds, to say nothi

smiling into her eyes, but they were cold. "Don't be angry," he ple

of expression. But she said nothing and found things to do which kept her busy. Parkins, gay New Yorker, with

h to suspect of willful rudeness. I'd rather jump in the bay, and say to myself 'here goes nothing,' than to

k out the best plan to pursue. She wished her father had been there, then the incident wo

New York, and your ways are different from our ways. Our men folk are always respectful

s-but this is the holiday end of a busy week of hard grind, and my outing h

ettled in this locality," she concluded, as customers were crowding her stand; but when t

be one of the new crowd. The place is having a sort of boom period, lots of new home builders, and all th

times during each day, and if there is anythi

," persisted Parkins, by way of keeping the conversation going

ry. And latterly, truck farming also. We still ship some vegetables to New York by

er to New York once i

Such a pretty park-and a tremendous court house! But we've never been of

eyes of the girl behind the counter of "The Goody Shop," so named

home and takes care of the fam

far-away expression in her eyes, as she glan

re. He sighed deeply, and for several moments looked at the ground and

e no memory of her whatever, but her photograph s

ther, and tells me what to do for him. He isn't very strong, but that comes from grief over her death

decorum, and bowing and scraping he bade the young woman good-by, adding the hope that all was square between them-since his apology. He reached out his hand as a final test of his theory that he "had won out with her," and was delighted when she accepted his overture politely.

or "to-morrow" would be Sunday, and her duties were elsewhere-at church and Sunda

cars he used. A big black mahogany limousine and a two-seated roadster, with

ad never seen. Henry Barbour, now well acquainted with the wealthy New Yorker, esteemed him a gentleman, and consented to her going. When she returned with face aglow, and w

New York wholesalers would save him much in the way of extra earnings upon his capital. Buying from salesmen gave him no chan

to go," said Parkins, affably-"and M

that I may, won't you dear?" she plea

d. "We can't close it up for two days. Our frien

of the girls in my Sunday school class, Julie Hayes-you kn

long," seconded Parkins, and his

d hat that had been retired, despite the fact that Parkinson sug

business to attend to, and happily, there would be plenty of time to see

servant to Drury Villard. Had his plans gone through, Villard, by now, would have been an inmate of a certain Long Island asylum, whose proprietor Parkins well knew, but i

ount for, man of the world that he was, whose morals had lo