The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1913-02-07


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 shonld
have reached Trumet months before
this. But it 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 a 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
lerys 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 il 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 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. hi.
DANA said she was all but dyin', so
knew she prob'ly had a little cold, or
somethin'. If she was really very bad,
ID 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 t'other morn
in"
''Didama?"
mo; Mrs. Prince. She'd 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 hop1,
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
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
cifc 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 l think you'd better get
another housekeeper"
What? Are you going to leave
me? You?"
ooh, 'twouldn't be because l wanted
to- But it seems almost as if there
was kind of fate hangin' over me
and that" she smiled family. as If
twas sort of catehin', as you might
say. Everybody | ever cared for has
had somethin' happen to EN-. My
brother died; my-the man l married
went to the dogs; then you and Grace
had to be miserable and l had to help
make you So sent Nat away and hs
blamed me and"
mo, no. He didn't blame you. He
sent you word that he didn't. Aunt
Keziah, you're my anchor to wind
ward, as they say down here. If l
lost you, goodness knows where I
should drift. Don't you ever talk Of
leaving me again"
Thank you, John. I'm glad you
want me to stay. l won't leave yet
awhile; nevertheless | have to. John,
had another letter t'other day."
"You did? From-from that man."
"Yup, from" For a moment it
seemed as if 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.
(TO BE CONTINUED