Excerpt from An Isle in the Water

Question

Katherine Tynan


Read the excerpt from the short story below to find out how the people of a small community respond to a person who returns to their town after a long absence.


1 Margaret Laffan was something of a mystery. While young, she had disappeared for six years, but she had turned up on the small island community one day in a starched, blue and white checked dress, which looked suspiciously like workhouse or asylum1 garb. She had greeted the neighbors with a nod, as if she had seen them yesterday.

2 Over time, a rumor spread that Margaret, who lived alone, must be saving money; her clothes were worn practically threadbare. Grim and dour, Margaret chose to remain isolated from nearly everyone.

3 Jack Laffan, Margaret's brother, was a sociable man, quite unlike his sister. Jack had a wife known to all as Mrs. Jack. Jack was rather fond of idling with his companions, but, being well under Mrs. Jack's thumb, this habit was unlikely to be tolerated for long.

4 Mrs. Jack was known for being a domineering woman. There was never much love lost between her and Margaret, and Mrs. Jack's guesses were perhaps the most ill-natured as to the reasons for Margaret's silence and her curious, checked clothing.

5 For twenty-five years, Margaret lived alone, untroubled by her relatives. Then, there was talk about money, and this gossip grew like a snowball from little beginnings. This talk fired Mrs. Jack with a curious excitement, for she believed any extravagant story. She blamed Jack for long ignoring Margaret. When he stared at his wife, dumbfounded, she shook him until his teeth rattled.

6 That very day Jack stupidly went to try to bridge the gulf of thirty years of ignoring his sister. Margaret watched him with grim enjoyment while he wriggled miserably and tried to talk naturally. Finally, he jerked out his wife's invitation to dine with them the following Sunday, which Margaret accepted without showing any pleasure; then Jack bolted from the house.

7 Margaret came to dinner on Sunday and was well entertained, for the Laffans were prosperous. Though hardly speaking, Margaret thoroughly enjoyed her dinner. When she left, Mrs. Jack declared her "a flinty-hearted old maid." Nevertheless, Margaret dined each Sunday with the Laffans, and Mrs. Jack noticed that the dinners were putting a roundness on Margaret that might give her a new lease on life--perhaps not a desirable result.

8 The neighbors regarded Mrs. Jack's "antics" as scandalous behavior. They met to discuss it, concluding that Mrs. Jack was shameless in her pursuit of Margaret's money. In fact, most women on the island thought they had as virtuous a right to Margaret's money as her newly-attentive kinfolks. The neighbors, Mrs. Devine and Mrs. Cahill, might agree in the morning that Mrs. Jack's avarice and greed were loathsome. Neither seemed pleased, however, to see the other one a little later in the day, when Mrs. Cahill climbed the hill with a full basket and met Mrs. Devine descending with an empty one. These pilgrimages to Margaret's cottage became routine. All of this "friendship" for Margaret created curious divisions and much animosity.

9 After a time, Margaret grew feebler. One Sunday she attended mass, walking with a stick and looking quite ill. After mass, she spoke privately with Father Tiernay and then went slowly to Jack's house for the usual dinner. Both Jack and Mrs. Jack walked her home in the afternoon, and she said quietly, "I'm thinkin' I'll make no more journeys to mass; Father Tiernay'll have to come to me instead."

10 When news spread of Margaret's failing health, attentions to her became more urgent. Neighbors passed each other on the way to their visits. Mrs. Jack spent her days quivering with indignation at the meddlesomeness of the other women. She woke Jack up once in the night with a fiery declaration that she'd speak to Father Tiernay about the pursuit of her moneyed relative, but Jack threw cold water on that scheme. He commented that the reverend would be as glad as anyone to get the money himself to build the schoolhouse he wanted.

11 Each day several offerings were laid at Margaret's feet. Suddenly, she changed her stereotyped thanks to say mysteriously, "You may be feeding more than you know, kind neighbors." This mysterious statement caused the women to speculate about Margret's sanity.

12 One day, everything changed. A big, angular girl with Margaret's suspicious eyes and cynical mouth arrived with a trunk. The reverend claimed to know all about the woman named Mary, saying, "Indeed, I've been trying to restore Margaret's daughter to her. You never knew your sister-in-law was married, Mrs. Jack? Long ago, she dropped her married name."

13 Mrs. Jack, with an emotion which even the reverend's presence could not quell, let out what the neighbors described afterwards as a "screech fit to wake the dead," and fled into her house, where she fell hysterically onto her bed. She only recovered when Mrs. Devine and Mrs. Cahill ran in and proposed to drench her with cold water. Mrs. Jack stood up and suggested they tend to their own business.

14 The townspeople heard the news that Margaret had once married on the mainland, and after the birth of her daughter Mary, had suffered from a mental disorder, and was placed in the county asylum. In time, she was declared cured, and her husband was coming for her, but Margaret, having had enough of marriage and its responsibilities, left quietly and moved to the island. She had been content to be regarded as a spinster2 until she felt her health failing; then, she had entrusted her secret to Father Tiernay, who had found her daughter for her.

15 Margaret lived some months after that and left thirty pounds3 to her daughter. Some curious neighbors visited Mary, but the door was shut in their faces, for Mary had Margaret's suspiciousness, but it was even more intensified. After the Laffan family had recovered from the first shocking disappointment, they made various approaches to Mary at mass on Sundays, and even sent her jewelry at Christmas. The gift was returned with a curt suggestion that Mary had no use for it. Margaret's money did not even remain on the island, for Mary fled with all of it early one morning before the neighbors awoke. And there the matter ended.

1asylum - an institution that cares for the mentally ill, orphans, or others who need assistance
2spinster - a woman who has never married
3thirty pounds - a British term for an amount of money, today equal to almost forty dollars in U.S. currency

Tynan, Katherine. An Isle in the Water. Adam and Charles Black. 1896. London. In the public domain. Adapted by Educational Leadership Solutions, Inc.

Read the prompt and then write your response.

You have read “Excerpt from An Isle in the Water,” about a woman who moves back to her old town and its residents’ schemes to obtain her money.

Imagine you are one of the town’s residents. What would you do when Margaret Laffan comes back to town? Would you try to pursue her money? If so, how would you go about doing so? Include descriptive details and dialogue between you and other characters, and use details from the passage in your story.

Your writing will be scored based on the development of ideas, organization of writing, and language conventions of grammar, usage, and mechanics.

Answer 1

Title: The Return of Margaret Laffan

As the sun began to set, casting a golden hue over the small island community, I, Agnes McCarthy, leaned over my garden fence and looked across the lane towards Margaret Laffan's worn-down cottage. The sight of her in that peculiar blue and white checked dress brought back memories of whispered rumors and sideways glances. Ever since she returned after her six-year absence, the townsfolk had been abuzz with speculation.

"Did you hear, Agnes?" my neighbor, Sally Finnerty, said, her voice a conspiratorial whisper as she joined me at the fence. "That old maid must be sittin' on quite a fortune, the way Mrs. Jack is fussing over her. I’m tellin’ you, she’s up to something.”

“Of course she is,” I replied, trying to sound nonchalant even as my curiosity piqued. “Mrs. Jack practically drools whenever she mentions Margaret. It’s the money they’re after.”

Sally smirked, her eyes gleaming with mischief. “What if we organized a visit? You know, a friendly gathering of sorts. The neighbors would certainly chatter like sparrows if we all showed up.”

I thought for a moment, realizing that perhaps Sally’s idea wasn’t so far-fetched after all. With Margaret living so isolated, she might appreciate the company—and we could gauge her intentions. “Gathering?” I mused out loud. “But what if all we do is frighten her away? I’ve heard she’s a bit... peculiar in her ways.”

“Peculiar?” Sally scoffed. “What’s peculiar about wanting to live one’s life without being hounded? No, what we need is to go in with charm, confidence. Show her we mean well. And if we’re kind enough, who knows? Maybe she’ll open her purse strings.”

The thought sent a thrill down my spine. “Imagine the relief,” I said. “A little kindness could charm secrets from her. Why, just the other day, Mrs. Devine mentioned her own daughter could use a few coins for her schooling.”

“Precisely! We show her we are a community that looks after our own,” Sally said, her eyes sparkling. “You lead the charge, Agnes. You’re good with words.”

Somewhat emboldened, I set about arranging our gathering, spreading the word among our neighbors. On the appointed day, with baked goods and flowers in hand, we trooped to Margaret’s cottage—my heart racing with excitement and a touch of trepidation.

As we approached, I noticed how the hulking shape of her home seemed to represent her withdrawn nature, but I pressed on, knocking on her door. Moments later, Margaret appeared, stooped but strong-eyed, her checkered dress somehow even more faded.

“Good afternoon, Margaret! We’ve come to visit,” I greeted, forcing a smile.

Margaret blinked, her gaze shifting from one neighbor to another. “A visit? To me?” She eyed us skeptically, as if we were a group of foxes coming to pluck her chickens.

“Yes, indeed!” Sally chimed in, stepping forward. “We thought it’d be lovely to share some tea and a few treats. We’ve missed you about the community.”

Margaret’s lips curled slightly, either in disdain or humour—I couldn’t quite tell. “Missed, have you? I hardly think so.”

Her remark stung, but we pressed on, offering her the baked goods and inviting her into our small circle. As the afternoon sun streamed through the windows, we shared stories of the community. In turns, the laughter and warm conversation seemed to chip away at the ice surrounding her heart. I could see her shoulders relax just a touch.

By evening’s end, as we sipped our tea, I decided to be bold. “Margaret, do you ever think of what you may want to do with your life, now that you’re back among us?”

Her dark eyes narrowed, and in that moment, I could see the years of isolation had sculpted around her like a shield. “What life? You think I owe you anything? Or this community?”

“Not owe, dear Margaret,” I replied earnestly. “But think about it; surely there’s something you yearn for. We know you lived a life different from ours—there’s no shame in sharing it.”

She was silent for a long moment, and I felt the tension of the space between us. All my neighbors, sensing the change, leaned in closer, their ears eager to catch the secret of her past.

But Margaret simply shook her head, a bittersweet smile gracing her lips. “You’re a clever lot, trying to wish for a bond while thinking of coins. I’ll not be the hand that fills your empty pockets.”

And just as quickly as she had allowed a glimpse into her world, she shut the door as gently as she had opened it, leaving us standing by the front porch, stunned.

As we trooped back to our homes, I couldn’t help but reflect on Margaret Laffan’s independence and strength. Perhaps she was more than just a mystery to solve; she was a woman reclaiming her life, no matter how guarded she was about her past and her possessions.

The hunger had shifted from avarice to respect, and as much as we desired her fortune, what stood before us was a solid woman of resilience—a lesson learned amidst the ego and envy that laced the atmosphere of our small island.