Part 6 (1/2)
She went about some little work at the side of the house, and in a moment Charlie Potter appeared He was short, thick-set, and weighed no less than two hundred pounds His face and hands were sunburned and brown like those of every fisherray trousers clothed his form loosely Two inches of a spotted, soft-brimmed hat were pulled carelessly over his eyes His face was round and full, but slightly seae, his walk uneven, and rather inclined to a side swing, or the sailor's roll He seee a fame
”Is this Mr Potter?”
”I'm the man”
”I live on a little hummock at the east of Mystic Island, off Noank”
”You do?”
”I came up to have a talk with you”
”Will you come inside, or shall we sit out here?”
”Let's sit on the step”
”All right, let's sit on the step”
He waddled out of the gate and sank comfortably on the little low doorstep, with his feet on the cool bricks below I dropped into the space beside hireeted by as sweet and kind a look as I have ever seen in a ood nature--void of all suspicion
”We were sitting down in the sailboat maker's place at Noank the other day, and I asked a half dozen of the old fellohether they had ever known a contented ht a while, and then they said they had Old Mr Main and the rest of thereed that Charlie Potter was a contented man What I want to know is, are you?”
I looked quizzically into his eyes to see what effect this would have, and if there was no evidence of a orously restrained I was veryseeazed vacantly at nothing He breathed heavily, then drew hi hands, as if to touch me, but refrained
”Yes, brother,” he said after a ti a slight mental exception to the use of the word brother ”What makes you contented?”
”I don't know, unless it is that I've found out what I ought to do You see, I need so very little for ht you to do?”
”I ought to love my fellowmen”
”And do you?”
”Say, brother, but I do,” he insisted quite simply and with no evidence of chicane or make-believe--a simple, natural enthusiasm ”I love everybody There isn't anybody so low or so mean but I love him I love you, yes, I do I love you”
He reached out and touched me with his hand, and while I was inclined to take exception to this very moral enthusiasm, I thrilled just the same as I have not over the touch of anyeffective and electric about hilance which accompanied it spoke, it seemed, as truthfully as his words He probably did love ht he did What difference?
We lapsed into silence The scene beloas so charaze at it in silence This little house was very simple, not poor, by no means prosperous, but well-ordered--such a hoht have After a while I said:
”It is very evident that you think the condition of soht to be Tellto do
Whattheir condition?”