Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1913-01-07
Spring once more; thea summed

cpIiuS once more, IneH sumulCG
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 a novelty, word of his arrival should
have reached Trumet months before
this. But it had not come, and did not.
Before tie 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-
KEEL 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 rocking-chair. She had
been out and still wore her bonnet and
shawl
John" she said, 81 ask your par
don fo- disturbin' YOU / wanted to
ask if you llnew Mrs. Prince was
sick?"
mo. Is she? I'm awfully sorry.
Nothing serious, hope?"
mo, l guess not Only she's got
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
hard time of it. just heard that she
was ailin' from Didama Rogers. Di-
dana said she was all but dyin', SO l
knew she prob'ly had a little cold, or
somethin'. If 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. bus l met her t'other morn
in"
"Didama?"
mo; Mrs. Prince Shed come down
to see Grace"
"Oh."
Eyes. The old lady's been awful
kind and sympathizin' since--stEsae
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?"
aTontoir uampooDdo Ubv ~ Won
mean that they've all given up hops,
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
cal'lated, didn't they?"
well, 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
cific is full of islands where vessels
seldom touch, and he and his crew
may be on one of these"
John" she answered, with a sigh
sometimes 1 think you'd better get
another housekeeper."
What? Are you going to leave
me? Your"
ooh, 'twouldn't be because ] wanted
to. But 1t seems almost az IL there
was kind Of fate hangin' over me
and that" she smiled family, "as If
twas sort of catchin', as you might
say. Everybody ever cared for has
had somethin' happen to 'em. MY
brother died; my-the man married
went to the dogs; then you and Grace
had to be miserable and had to help
make you SO; sent Nat away and he
blamed me and"
mo, no. He didn't blame you. He
sent you word that he didn't Aunt
Kezah, you're my anchor to wind.
ward, as they say down here. If
lost you, goodness knows where l
should drift. Don't you ever talk OF
leaving me again"
Thank you, John. I'm glad you
want me to stay. / won't leave yet
awhile; nevertheless / have to. John,
l had another letter t'other day"
"You did? From-from that mann"
"Yup, from" For a moment it
seemed as II she were about to pro-
nounce her husbands name, some
thing she had never done in his pres
ence; but if she thought OF it, she
changed her mind.