Lucky Piece A Story of the North Woods-Albert Bigelow Paine
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What happens when the stage stops at the cottage and the boy offers his lucky piece?
THE LUCKY PIECE. A TALE OF THE NORTH WOODS. there is a sharp turn just above the hill the north elba stage sometimes hesitates there before taking the plunge into the valley below but this was late september the morning was brisk the mountains glorified the tourists were going home the four clattering snorting horses swung into the turn and made straight for the brow the stout ruddy-faced driver holding hard on the lines but making no further effort to check them THEN THE BOY IN THE FRONT SEAT GAVE THE USUAL, HEY, LOOK THERE, AND THE OTHER PASSENGERS, OBEYING, AS THEY ALWAYS DID, SAW SOMETHING NOT SPECIALLY RELATED TO ALGONQUIN, OR TO HAWS, OR WHITEFACE, THE GREAT MOUNTAINS WHOSE SLOPES WERE ABLAZED WITH AUTUMN, THEIR PEAKS ALREADY TIPPED WITH SNOW, THAT WAS NOT INDEED ALTOGETHER ADARONDAC SCENERY.
WHERE THE BEND CAME, AT THE BRINK, A LITTLE WEATHER-BEATEN COTTAGE CORNERED, A PLACE WITH APPLE TREES AND SOME FADED SUMMER FLOWERS. IN THE ROAD IN FRONT WAS A BROAD, FLAT STONE, AND UPON IT A SINGLE FIGURE, A LITTLE GIRL OF NOT MORE THAN EIGHT, HER ARM EXTENDED TOWARD THE APPROACHING STAGE, IN HER HAND A SAUCER OF BERRIES. THE TOURISTS HAD PASSED A NUMBER OF CHILDREN ALREADY, BUT THIS ONE WAS DIFFERENT. THE OTHERS HAD BEEN MOSTLY IN FLOCKS, SOILED, STRINGY-HAIRED LITTLE MOUNTAINEERS WHO HAD GATHERED TO SEE THE STAGE GO BY. THE SMOOTH, OVAL FACE OF THIS CHILD, RICH UNDER THE TAN, WAS CLEAN, THE DARK HAIR CLOSELY BRUSHED, HER DRESS A SIMPLE GARMENT, THOUGH OF A FASHION UNFAVORED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE
All this could be comprehended in the brief glance allowed the passengers. Also, the deep, wistful look which followed them as the stage whirled by without stopping. A lady in the back seat, she had been in Italy, murmured something about a child Madonna. Another said, poor little thing. But the boy in the front seat had caught the driver's arm and was demanding that he stop the stage. i want to get out he repeated with determination i want to buy those berries stop the driver could not stop just there even had he wished to do so which he did not they were already a third of the way down and the hill was a serious matter so the boy leaned out looking back to make sure the moment's vision had not faded
and when the stage struck level ground was out and running long before the horses had been brought to a standstill you wait for me he commanded i'll be back in a second then he pushed rapidly up the long hill feeling in his pockets as he ran the child had not moved from her place and stood curiously regarding the approaching boy he was considerably older than she was as much as six years her wistful look gave way to one of timidity as he came near she drew the saucer of berries close to her and looked down then puffing and panting he stood there still rummaging in his pockets and regaining breath for words say he began i want your berries you know only you see i-i thought i had some money but i haven't not a cent only my lucky piece my mother's in the stage and i could get it from her but i don't want to go back he made a final wild hopeless search through a number of pockets looking down meanwhile at the little bowed figure standing mutely before him
look here he went on i'm going to give you my lucky piece maybe it'll bring luck to you too it did to me i caught an awful lot of fish up here this summer but you mustn't spend it or give it away cause some day when i come back up here i'll want it again you keep it for me that's what you do keep it safe when i come back i'll give you anything you like for it whatever you want only you must keep it will you he held out the worn spanish silver piece which a school chum had given him for luck when they had parted in june but the little brown hand clung to the berries and made no effort to take it oh you must take it he said i should lose it anyway i always lose things you can take care of it for me likely i'll be up again next year anyway i'll come some time and when i do i'll give you whatever you like in exchange for it she did not resist when he took the berries and poured them into his cap
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What happens when the stage stops at the cottage and the boy offers his lucky piece?
0:00–2:56:10
2
How does the heroine finally find shelter with the hermit and what happens there?
2:56:10–3:44:02
3
What are the hermit’s last words and wishes before he dies?
3:44:02–4:32:14
4
How do Frank and Constance discover the deadly mushrooms and try to save Edith?
4:32:14–5:12:51
5
What resolution do Frank, Constance and Robin reach at the end of the story?
5:12:51–6:03:32