The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-12-24

returned only TO be lifted again. sud-
denly she stiifened where she stood.
and her ears strained
She sprang upon the rail II stood
there erect. her eyes peering intent
~. Was It fancy or could she actually
see something?
There. In the middle distance-a
veritable speak III the waste Of va
ters-was it a shadow. was it the tn
OF q lurking shark or was twas
it? Two seconds she looked. ttets
she ran aft. the men watching her in
wonder.
'Hiram-out hefe-what IS it.
what is it,"
She was cIutching at him aysteTic-
ally; he would have al.aken her OF
with a laugh at her self-deinsien. hHu
there was that ii her face which held
him serious against his will.
What Is it? Where" He woulu
humor her, he said, TO-: never a man
had a better wife.
There" The finger pointed st.ad-
lily. Hiram. { heard q cry" I4a
fetched his binoculars ana focused;
them. M~addeniagiJ Slow, she though.
hin. He searched idly for . III
hen his figure became rigid.
Back the ~nainyard," he reared il.
a mighty voice. From the fnrepcak.
whittier he had descended. the mate
carne aft at a run: the men follow
ing fast.
There's = raft ou theTc-Sntnf nna
on it, said Eapshott slowly. his rnic.
almost drowned by the chatter OF tina
swinging yards.
It was Captain HElrshott hinl~cir
who sDrang into the boat that w..s
hastily lowered: it WAS ne VII" urged
the roWers OF ward. Mrs. lIap~hott.
now that The thina; waa done. WAS pos
sesSed by & curious that W!
held OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES strange
was happening out there beyond the.
range Of her vision; but al was work
ing together for good She tried ~
focus the binoculars on the boat ana
on the fragment that tinaI-t aapiti,
but she was all unused to the task.
and could max out Hothin~ bat |
blur.
The boat tnrned-hnng ~nntiun-iess
those aboard Were busy at some TASK
hen the oars shot out. like tn. limbs
OF g, gigantic spider: Mrs. ftapshott's
heart beat faster and faster-so fist
hat only with difficulty could I'll"
draw her breath.
We haul you up. sir" htli
ed the mate. reaching far outltotri.
and from CaptitlH HapShottS APPS
came a hoarse, unreal cry that innss
took as an affirmative. The boat shot
lloEgside: still the captains wifi did
not move from her position ~ the
-nliZZenmast, The tackles were hnok-
ed on. men swarmed up them and
dAN faNi SiS ~ IL tIft~ Niit@
boat leaped upward. WIS Sut}1.s :u-
board.
Bear a hand here" she heard Aer
husband say: and then the mists van-
lshed from her eyes and she saw
clearly. Captain Hapshott was com
ing ait, talking earnestly to the mate.
And IN his arms he carried q littt.
child.
They said afterwarl that Mrs. Tap
shott might have been expecting this
gift from the sea.
She held u her arms and took the
Walilng mite. hushing it deity against
that broad maternal bosom OF hers.
coaxing it, smiling down INTO its
crumpled face. IT mattered nothing
to her how the babe had comc-it
was there; it's tiny fingers around her
finger; its little head nestled against
her heart.
"A dead woman and a living chi'd
no signs Of Identification The
words came to her %ftfuliy. forcing
themselves through the strange. hal
lowed joy that flied her being. mo
, telling what's happened-snust be
wife OF some skipper-sole survivors
, who knows? The wouaan's dead,
poor thing-but the child seems
strong enough-wiH be later"
If we'd been sailing yesterday wed
: nave passed it in the dark likely
said the mate; we'd never have seen
. It. God. look at Mrs. Hapshott; shes
; SroWn younger The skipper walk
ed across to his wife.
Wen have to ADVERTISE" he said
shakilv toying with the little graspine
hands. But likely no one will claim
TITS as much ours rs anyone's-itl
tell the steward to make some mills
ready
Unto us a child is given SAID
!, Mrs. fiapShett SOlemuIy- Hiram
This Is God Christmas present to yor
and ne"
!, What we can do today depends or
what We did yesterday. RAM
Horn.