A Silver Brand — page 35: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A SILVER BRAND, ay The neighbors would only shrug their shoulders and say, “Nat’s off again on a tramp,” and-because the thing was so frequent an occurrence, forbore to be curious in the matter. But we are lingering at the taxidermist’s cabin and neglecting the great house on the hill, which no one of the humble inhabitants of the place would - think of doing, for however careless they may re- gard Nat’s comings and goings, no member of the Foss family stirs an inch without being followed by curious glances and numberless queries. | The house is a large rambling affair, originally built by a rich merchant, from the distant city, who took the notion to enjov the advantage without the discomfort and crowd of a fashionable watering- place. So the building was perched upon the high- est ground, with long piazzas fronting the sea, and with wide doors that could be set open so that the keen salt air should circulate in every room. The merchant had spent but two seasons at the house, and then had tired of the place, and it had stood tenantless, except for afew weeks in the warmest weather, year by year, until a queer, foreign-looking man had come over to the island, seen the empty building, and making inquiries, found out that the place was for sale. A week from that day, the - fishermen and their wives were electrified by the information that “Rock House,” as it was called, had been sold. Be sure there was inattention to nets and housework, when the,boat loads of furn1- ture arrived, and were carried up to the mansion. But the most intense interest concentrated on the boat that finally brought a group of half a dozen people to take possession. Two men and three women. Tall, thin, dark-haired, all of them, and with a marked family likeness, so that for a long . time the people below could not tell when they were speaking to Mr. Paul or to Mr. Urbanus Foss; nor be sure whether it :-was Theodosia, or Rhoda, or © Penelope, when they saw the tall, straight figure of. a woman emerge sedately from Rock House, and — take the path down to the landing. | There was a great deal of speculation and gossip- ] (eoy Gomicbooks