Page:Cornelia Meigs--The island of Appledore.djvu/40

24 she and her brother played there among the trees, where her father’s land ended, and  where Captain Saulsby’s began.

“The Captain owns almost all of this end of the Island,” she said. “His father or maybe his grandfather built the mill and used to run  it. There were grain fields over most of Appledore then, and people farmed more and fished less. Captain Saulsby doesn’t do anything with the land except the little piece his house is on; he has not really lived here a  great many years. He ran away when he was a boy and sailed all over the world, and only  came back to settle down when he got too old  to go to sea.”

Her talk did not remain long on the subject of the Captain, however, but presently, in response to a question of Billy’s, wandered away  to Johann Happs.

“Yes, I know him, and I like him too. He comes every so often to fix our clocks, mend  the locks and things that won’t work, sharpen  up the tools and put us in order generally. He’s so cheerful and honest: there’s not a person on the Island that doesn’t admire Joe and trust him.”

Billy shook his head silently; he could make