The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1907-04-18

No doubt you have seen an account
OF the disaster in the papers"
His remark was received in dead
silence. Looking up, he found that
the couple were staring at him. Their
faces, in the lamplight, were gray
and pallid. Something in their ex-
preston knocked at his heart, and
in the stiffness he could hear the
ticking of the clock.
MY son was on that boat" said
the man after a pause.
Railsford could make no answer:
he was looking at the woman. Tears
had gathered in her. eyes, and one
trickled down her left cheek.
He is dead" the man continued
in the same level tone. 1--WE have
read the lists of ire SURVIVES, but his
name was not among them. And yet,
we hope; we know that he is dead,
yet we cannot help hoping. When
your knock came-but no matter.
You could not know it, but you gave
that he used to do
The poor woman broke out into
lamentations and buried her face in
her hands.
My boy!' she sobbed. my beau
tiful brave boy! He is dead. He is
lying out in the cold sea tonight,
and shall never see him any more
never any more!''
The man stood up fiercely.
And to think" he cried, .'that so
many lives were lost that could have
been saved. I read the accounts in
the papers, and it made my blood
boil. To think that I should have
lived to be ashamed of my profession.
Yes, sir, | have followed the sea, butt
never have known such thingi
towards! towards all! The brave
are dead" He turned upon RailB-
ford with quick suspicion. "You have
eaten my Bread" he cried. "Swehr
that you did what lay in your power.
This house is a seaman's house, dhd
that food was earned upon the la.
If you have played the coward Think
it would have choked you"
Railsford stood up and looked his
host in the eyes. ID
Il was picked out of the seal he
said, simply. II die what I kould.
Would to God that others had done
the same" ut
His host returned his ga4e, and
read truth in it. He held but his
hand. XII
II knew it," he said. II cj6uld not
think that I was harborinA one of
those towards. God would hot have
permitted it. You are welcome"
Eyes, you are welcome, Icried the
woman, "for the sake of kmy brave
boy who is dead. He, tdb, did his
duty. He has come to lie since in
dreams, and he has toldfm me so. |
have seen him-almost Every night
and always the same. There was a
boat near him and he Nlbuld not en-
ter it. He would not enter it be-
cause of the women and children.
My boy! My brave boY! He thought
always of others. OH, why did he
not think of me? Why did he not
save himself-if onlyffor my sake?''
"Hush!" said the Nan sternly, eff
he had done as you(Nhave said and
have come here STRIVING / would
have spat upon himkEend turned him
from the door" III
what matter?" 4etorted the moth
er with fercenes& strangely at var
lance with her fusual gentleness.
What matter-Nhen I could have
gone with him."
Her husband went over to her and
patted her hand I with a little move
ment of affectib n that was very
touching.
THE boy hays died as he should
have done." h3 said. LET us take
our comfort inj that
He was s4ch a handsome lad
she said, sobbing. did you know
him, sir? HIS name was Foster
Cyril Foster. Perhaps you met him
on the ship.1
NO." said Railsford slowly. 81
do not know the NAME
Perhaps you knew him by sight?
she persisted. There is photo
graph THERE on the mantelpiece. Will
you look alt it?"
Railsfotd turned in the direction
indicated and took the photograph
in his hands. He bent over it in or
der to permit the lamplight to illumi-
nate it's Isurface.
For al moment his heart stood still.
He knew the face. He recognized
the sharp features and the long dark
hair THAT hung across the forehead.
Hisffngers frightened on the frame
and he kept his face obstinately low
cred, lest the black hatred which
boileH within his heart should show
itself on his face.
TIL was all coming back to him; the
sceIhe around the boat, the agonized
girl, the cruel blow which had de-
prifved her of her chance of life-and
yeb, the sound of the pistol shot and
THE thought, nay the certainty that
the scoundrel was dead. !
With that conviction part Of hik
life seemed torn away. Vengeance
WAS gone from him, and existen4e
fSoomed utterly amnty