It was her stepmother's pet grievance that "Sairay was allers at them
books," which was hardly true; for the girl took all the care of her
younger brother and sister, and much of the baby, while not a few of the
household duties devolved upon her. But she undoubtedly was apt to hurry
through her tasks, and disappear within the little attic room above the
kitchen in cold weather, or under a certain shady cove down by the sea
in summer, as soon as these were finished.
She had been netting but a short time when Morton and Mary came tumbling
in, two lively youngsters nearing eleven years, whose bronzed and rosy
cheeks betokened plenty of sunshine and fresh air.
"Say, pa!" they cried in a breath, almost stumbling over the baby in
their excitement, Mary, as usual, in advance, "is it true you're going
out for the long fish to-morrow? Jap Norris told us so on our way home
from school."
The father's kindly eyes rested upon them with an indulgent twinkle in
their depths.
"Waal, naow, if there's a bit o' news in this hull taown thet you
younkers don't pick up, I'd like to find it! Yes, ef Jap Norris said so,
I s'pose it's true; he oughter know, bein' as his fayther's the cap'n.
How long'll it take to finish up thet air net, darter?"
"Not much longer; but isn't it early to start, father? The ice is hardly
broken up, is it?"
"Waal, it's breakin' fast, Sairay; another day or two like this'll fetch
it, an' it's 'first come best haul,' ye know, nowadays, sence all
creation's got to runnin' to the Banks.
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