Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-10-17

direction. "I'm main sorry for him too.
He al'ays were sweet on her, ye knaw.
an I do believe she'd "a had him if that
man fro Grimsby hadn' come this way
wi his pert, weel favored face"
Further tattle was cut short by the
appearance of the letter bag. In all there
must have been close ON dozen letters
"a goodly batch for Port st. Bede. II
was one of the last which the postman
held aslant to catch the light "Misa
Kellettp' he called out wheezily.
''Why, that nun be Hilda," exclaim-
ed one of tho bystanders. "She isn't
here. Yell haze to take it up to the
house
"I'll save - the wax" said Andrew,
stepping forward. "I'm 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 a
woefully low ebb. Not 20 people in the
whole thorp could 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 reckoned "fne
scholard," and by virtue of this reputa-
tion his services were in frequent de-
mand by those who, having passing
need Of the tanning" chanced to be in
the bad books of the rector or the Wes-
leyan minister.
With the "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-
tion. "It's fro that scamp, as live.
An now, belize, she'll haze me to read
it to her. Slackening his pace, he add
ed grimly: "Shall tell't to her-shall
I? 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 tattoo on this
door, he lifted the latch, and-as was
the custom-walked straight in. A
slim, fair haired girl peeped into the
room from side door. "Oh, it's you,
Andrew she said, coming forward.
'''Aye, 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 chair,
Andrew
Andrew perched himself on the edge
of the nearest rush bottomed chair and
fumbled hesitatingly with his cap be-
tween his knees. II was doom by the
Trawlers' when the letters came" he
said after strained interval. ''There
was one for ye, Hilda, an I made free
to say I'd bring it. Here tits. -
For mel" and Hilda's eyes bright
ened as she stretched out her hand.
"Then it's fro Ben, isn't it, Andrew"
"It's 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 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 he's
safer' she repeated quaveringly.
''P'raps 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 I 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. cts wrote by Peter Worsley, the
skipper O. the Vampire -
'sNot fro BENZ exclaimed Hilda
TREMENDOUSLY. ''He isn't-dead?"
Andrew nodded. "DrownedW he
murmured huskily.
Clutching at her throat, .Hilda sank
into chair and hid her face in her
palms. Presently she looked up, her
lips pallid, 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 illegiblo,
Judging from the difficulty Andrew had
in deci ipheringit. 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
a leak, her crew being eventually COM
PEELED to abandon the foundering vessel
and take to the longboat. Their perilous
case was little bettered thereby, for
twice the boat had been capsized. 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
fulfllment of pledge made at the out
set of their peril and in fateful antici-
patton of it's outcome that Captain Wor-
sley now broke the sad news to the dead
mans sweetheart.
Even in the intensity of her griei
Hilda had thought of her mothers much
needed slumber, and not cry escaped
her lips. Andrew, the big, clumsy, soft
hearted general, saw that no sympathy
of his could soothe her distress. She
must just 'sfret her dole" And so ht
left her with her sorrow
81 had to dot" he muttered, strid
ing backward can it's better that
nor 'other-it's better" Fervently he
added, ''God send she doesn't let any
body else read it!''
He might have been at peace on that
score. To Hilda the skipper's 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. tc
be treasured with them throughout this
side of time.
They who. best know the Port st.
Bede folk will least accuse them Of
want of heart. Out Of sheer mercy fol
| the girl they avoided all allusion tc
! Ben Webb, and Oh her side Hilda kept
her woe to herself. The blow was fol-
her shoulders alone, and she bore its
smart bravely. Besides she and her