Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1913-03-07

hnQ nOn PNOPlC WNAS ehc3eAA
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
were offered for the son Of their for
mer leader.
One afternoon KeZiah came into FL
lery's study, where he was laboring
with his next Sunday sermon, and sat
down in the rockingham. She had
been out and still wore her bonnet and
shawl.
John" she said, II 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?"
mo, / guess not. Only she's got a
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 vas so good
when she was distressed about her
son. Poor old thing! she's had a
hard time of it. Just heard that she
was ailin' from Didama Rogers. d.
DANA said she was all but dyip'. so !
knew she probly had a little coid, or
somethin'. II 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. l amt been
up there, but l met her tother morn
in"
"Didama?"
mo; 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, presume
likely, and so she feels for Grace
John, what do they say around town
about-about him?"
Captain Hammond? Why, II you
mean that they've all given up hope
should hardly say that. Captain
Mayo and Captain Daniels were speak
ing of it in my hearing the other day
and they agreed that there was still
a chance"
"A pretty slim one, though, they
cal1ated, didn't they?"
We'll, they were-were doubtful, o.
course. There was the possibility tina
he had been wrecked somewhere anC
hadn't been picked up. They citeC
several such cases. The South Pa
cific is full of islands where vessel
seldom touch. and he and his crev
may be on one Of these"
| JOHu, Sic duOWSlCdt WIN q oA6h
sometimes l think you'd better &c
another housekeeper."
What? Are you going to leav
me? You?"
"Oh, 'twouldn't be because l wante'
to. But it seems almost as II Their
was a kind of fate hangin' over m
and that" she smiled family, "as
twas sort of catchin', as you Nigh
say. Everybody / ever cared for ha
had somethin' happen to 'em. M
brother died; my-the man marie
went to the dogs; then you and GrAf'
had to be miserable and / had to hef
make you so; sent Nat away and b
blamed me and"
mo, no. He didn't blame you. H
sent you word that he didn't. Aur
Keziah, you're my anchor to wine
: ward, as they say down here. II
lost you, goodness knows where
should drift. Don't you ever talk {
leaving me again"
r Thank you, John. I'm glad 20
want me to stay. l won't leave "
b. awhile; never-unless | have to. Johl
. had another letter t'other day"
: "You did? From-from that man
I "Yup, from" For a moment
, seemed as If she were about to DIT
r nounce her husbands name, som
= thing she had never done in his pre-
D ence; but IL she thought of 1t, 81
( changed her mind.