"They hadn't really told the whole story, and I think it helped to frame their responses and put it in a package, " said Mr. Brandon, of Keene, N.

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Peter Island began life as a resort in the 1960s, when a Norwegian millionaire bought it, put up chalet-style A-frame cottages, and built a marina.

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On the other hand, if you can put yourself in the right frame of mind, it does liven up the experience of fetching yourself a glass of tap water.

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