The herald., 1894-11-24

ed one of the bystanders. "She isn't
here. Yen haze to take it up to the
house
"I'll save ye the wax, said Andrew.
stepping forward. Pm bound that
way, an I'll see she gets it.
Don't tell her O. the goings on o.
that Grimsby chap" cried the fishwife
before mentioned. It'll drive her clean
daft Conscience sake. Audrey. don't
tell her that
During the period we are dealing with
education at Port St Bede was at q
woefully low ebb Not 30 people in the
whole thorp conld write their names
or recognize them when penned. Few
could read anything but ''print. Fewer
still were able to puzzle out written
characters. Among this community An
drew Copley was recl1oned "6ne
scholardp 8" and by virtue of this reputa-
ton his services were in frequent de-
man0 by those who having passing
need of the farming" CHANGED to he in
the bad books of the rector OF the Wes-
leyan minister.
With tho ''gammer's" injunction
echoing in his ears, Andrew stole quick
ly toward the cottage occupied by Hilda
Kellett and her widowed mother
" Miss Kellett, Port st. Bede, said
he, furtively scanning the superscrip-
ton. ''It's fro that scamp, as I live.
AID now, belize, she'll haze me to read
il 60 herr Slackening his pace, he add.
ed grimly; ''Shall tell't to her--shall
II It'll kill her, say they, an they're
right--it will.
He stuffed the letter into his jacket
pocket long before he came abreast of
the cottage Rapping a tattoo on this
door, he lifted the latch, and--as was
tho custom walked straight III. 4.
slim. fair haired girl peeped into tho
room from side door. "Oh, it's you,
Andrew" she said, coming forward.
faye, it's me. cam just to ask how
your mother is today"
''She's piece better this morn, but
she rested i'll last night Nellie an me
sat up wi her most all night, but she's
dropped off asleep now. TAX q chair,
Andrew"
Andrew perched himself on the edge
of the nearest rush bottomed chair and
fumbled hesitatingly with his cap be-
tween his knees. Il was doom by tho
Trawlers' when the letters came, he
said after strained interval There
was one for ye, Hilda. an / made fr~e
to say I'd bring it. Here it's.
For me!' and Hilda's eyes bright
eued as she stretched out her hand.
"Then it's fro Ben, isn't it. Andrew"
Its the Grimsby mark replied
Andrew shortly.
Then it must be fro Ben. He said
he'd let me know as soon as the brig
got back to Grimsby. An how l trem-
bled for him all through that storm o.
Monday But he's safe-this shows he's
safe, Andrew. A plaintive look of
alarm crept into her blue eyes as An
drew, never answering, kept his gaze
clamped to the floor. ''This shows hes
safer' she repeated quaveringly.
"Praps that letter may contradict it
all, but there was deal O. nasty talk
about the vampire-as how she's gone
doom i the''-
Read it to me-" cried Hilda, thrust
ing the missive into his hands. "Ye
know can't mysen. Read it, Andrew. !"
Taking firm grip of his lips, Andrew
opened the letter and glanced at the
signature. 'It's moan fro him.. he
said. "Its wrote by Peter Worsley, the
skipper O. the Vampire
mot fro Benz exclaimed Hilda
Andrew nodded. 'Drownedi' he
murmured huskily.
Clutchipg at her throat, Hilda sank
into chair and hid her face in her
palms Presently she looked up, her
lips paliid, her eyelids scarlet II can
bear it now, Andrew" she said "Read
it all to me.
The caligraphy of the Vampires mas
ter must have been all but illegible,
Judging from the difficulty Andrew had
in deciphering it. He read slowly, hum
ming and having through the whole
epistle. Here is the gist of it. In the re-
cent heavy gales the Vampire-a crazy,
undermanned timber ship-had sprung
q leak, her crew being eventually com
PEELED to abandon the laundering vessel
and take to the longboat Their perilous
case was little bettared thereby, foI
twice the boat had been oapsized. When
she was righted the second time, only
four of the sailors succeeded in scram'
bling into her. OF the two men missing,
the mate, Ben Webb, was one. The sur
vivors were picked up on the following
day and landed at Grimsby. 1t was in
fulfillment of pledge made at the out
set of their peril and in fateful antioi-
patton Of its outcome that Captain Wcr-
sley now broke the sad news to the dead
mans sweetheart.
Even in the intensity Of her grief
Hilda had thought of her mothers much
needed slumber, and not cry escaped
her lips Andrew, the big. clumsy, scft
hearted general, saw that no sympathy
of his could socthe her distress. She
must just "fret her DOLE And 20 he
left her with her sorrow.
II had to dot" he mutterad, strid-
ing backward IAN it's betteI that
nor t'other--it's bettess" Fervently he
added, s'Ged SEND she doesn't let any
body else read iti''
He might have been at peace on that
score. To Hilda the shippers letter was
as the last words of her drowned lover
"a sacred thing, not lightly to be fin
gered Or spoken Of She packed it away
with the sundry ribbons. gloves and
cheap gewgaws Ben had given her, to
be treasured with them throughout this