Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1912-10-03
Payne over to home, volunteered La
vinia. "You know Thankful, Mr.. Ell

Payne over to home, volunteered La
vinia. you know Thankful, Mr.. FL
lery."
Lavinia confided to her pastor that
Mr.. Pratt made the best shoes in Os-
table county. He could fit any kind of
feet, she declared, and the minister
ought to try him sometime She added
that he had money in the bank
Spring once more; then summer.
And now people were again speaking
of Captain Nat Hammond. His ship
was overdue, long overdue. Even in
those days, when there were no cables
and the telegraph was still something
of novelty, word of his arrival should
have reached Trumet months before
this. But 1t had not come, and did not.
Before the summer was over, the wise
heads of the retired shippers were
shaking obviously. Something had
happened to the Sea Mist, something
serious.
AS the weeks and months went by
without news Of the missing vessel,
this belief became almost certainty.
At the Come-Outer chapel, where Eze-
kiel Bassett now presided, prayers
We're offered for the son of their for
mer leader
One afternoon Keziah came into Ell
lery's study, where he was laboring
with his next Sunday sermon, and sat
down in the rocking-chair. She had
been out and still wore her bonnet and
shawl.
John" she said, 81 ask your par
don for disturbin' you. / wanted to
ask If you knew Mrs. Prince was
sick?"
mo. Is she? I'm awfully sorry.
Nothing serious. hope?"
''No, guess not. Only she's got q
cold and is kind of under the weather.
thought p'r'aps you'd like to run up
and see her. She thinks the world
and all Of you, cause you was so good
when she was distressed about her
son. Poor old thing! she's had q
hard time of 1t. just heard that she
was ailin' from Didama Rogers. Di-
dana said she was all but dyin', so
knew she prob'ly had a little cold, or
somethin'. Il she was really very bad,
Di would have had her buried by this
time. SOS to be sure her news was
ahead Of anybody else's. / amt been
up there, but / met her t'other morn.
in"
"Didama?"
NO; Mrs. Prince. Shed come down
to see Grace"
oh"
Yes. The old lady's been awful
kind and sympathizin' since-since
this new trouble. 1t reminds her of
the loss of her own boy, l presume
likely, and so she feels for Grace.
John. what do they say around town
about-about him?"
Captain Hammond? Why, If you
mean that they've all given up hope,
should hardly say that. Captain
Mayo and Captain Daniels We're speak.
ing of it in my hearing the other day
and they agreed that there was still
chance"
"A pretty slim one, though, they
callated, didn't they?'
We'll, they were-were doubtful, OF
course. There was the possibility that
he had been wrecked somewhere and
hadn't been picked up. They cited
several such cases. The South Pa.
citic is full of islands where vessels
seldom touch. and he and his crew
may be on one Of these"
John" she answered. with sigh
sometimes l think you'd better get
another housekeeper..
What? Are you going to leave
me? You?"
"Oh. twouldn't be because wanted
to. But 1t seems almost as II there
was kind Of fate hangin' over me
and that" she smiled family, "as II
twas sort Of catohin,, a. you might
say. Everybody ever cared for has
had somethin' happen to 'em. Ny
brother died; my-the man I married
went to the dogs: then you and Grace