The Press., 1893-08-24
CHAPTER III.

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 She gazed long and ,otstfully out to sea. Nell Graves looked out of the window and saw well known figure coming up the street. The snow and hail had ceased when the wind changed with the dawn, but the breeze was brisk and the temperature freezing. It was the kind of weather i'll which few men would care to loiter on their way, yet this man seemed to be moving as slowly as possi- ble. He leaned back heavily against the wind that pushed him forward and seemed reluctant to approach the house. Nell ran out to the gate, careless of cold and wind.
 "Now, John Truxill, I know you've got news for me. Give me my letter." She held out her hand. Truxill often brought the family mail from the little postofice.
 He looked down at the outstretched hand, unwilling to meet her eyes. ''Pve got no letter for you, Nell, but have got news for you" He paused to brace himself for his task. "And it's not good news either" He stopped again. He was not used to breaking evil tidings, and he hardly knew how to go on. ''We we lost-Maurice went adrift last night. We haven't found him yet" He could not soften the terrible bluntness of the words. It seemed to him that each one fell with the weight of hammer. But it was done now at any rate, and he could look up. The girl was staring at him as if petrifed.
 Truxill's eyes dropped again to the still outstretched hand. It was tightly clinched now as. he went on. ''He rowed out to catch steamer-the skif missed her-they drifted out to sea" He choked little. The wound in his own breast was so recent it would not bear touching. I've searched all night and | this morning, but couldn't find a sign of them. The other boats have gone out to look," he continued, with some vague idea that the words might convey little comfort and hope. Hope to her, herself pilots daughter! She knew as we'll as he did what the chances were. Without 8 word or sign she turned from him and entered the house with firm tread, clos ing the door behind her.
 1 Truxill followed moment later and entered without knocking, as was his wont. It was necessary to tell the oth- CTS, for certainly she could not do it.
 His story was soon told. It needed few words to place the whole scene like 8 picture before the eyes of each one cf them. The old man broke down com pletely and wept as his daughter might have done. He had come to feel toward Maurice as to his own son. His owr eldest boy, pilot also, had gone adrif during short summer squall. The skif was picked up weeks afterward 8 hundred miles at sea empty. What chance was there, then, for this other boy, gone in th' same way i'll the midst of winter storm Under the infection of their misery ever Truxill's endurance gave way at last.
 The old man checked his grief sud denly.
 "Where's Nell?" he queried.
 ''She's gone up to her room," sobbe( her sister without raising her tea, stained face. "I heard her lock the door.
 ''Some one must look after her." com manded her father, and Anna went slow ly up the narrow stairs. As she expected the door was fast.
 What do you want?' cried voic from within in answer to her knock. I was hard voice, cold voice, withou culver suggestive of tears. At any othe time or place she would not have be ieved it NelPs.
 Gan I do anything for you, Nell?
 Grief was a new thing to the girl. Sh
 wanted to comfort her sister, if onl, some one would tell her what to do O. say, but youth and inexperience wer | against her. The mother who had die( at Jim's birth could have told her. It wa l just before that that the other son ha( gone down into the sea.
 ''No. Go away and keep the res away" The coldness of the tone sent chill to Anna's heart. She crept dow1 \ the stairs like frightened child. 'Sh' won't let me in and wants us all to kee] away" she whispered to the expectan II group.
 I 'sDo you think she has been crying? inquired Truxill, turning deep crim son. It was an awkward question to ask but he remembered the girls stony fac' as she had turned from him. )l 'No. I'm sure she hadn't. Her voic, didn't sound that way.
 They gazed at one another doubtfully The old pilot seemed incapable of taking the lead. Anna was too young to know Best let her alone for awhile" sait TruHll after pause. Tomorrow, if sh, doesn't cry"-he hesitated-'.s something will have to be done." he concluded lamely.
 ] Obedient to her wish, no one went nea her room that day. On the morrow fearing they knew not what, since sh did not answer to their knocking, the, broke open the door and found her lying a white, half frozen heap, upon the floor 'l When she recovered, there was that il
 her face that forbade them to speak O what lay nearest their hearts. She at, and drank as usual, but spent the whol time wandering about the house, unrest ing. Every hour she went to the gat. and looked up the street expectantly Friends passed by, and with faces hal averted greeted her with words mean to comfort. She never seemed to hea; them. Once-it was on the morning O the third day after Maurice was lost she walked down to the beach, the faith full Jim following at a distance, ant gazed long and wistfully out to sea