The Delta independent., 1913-03-07
CHAPTER XIV,
In Which TIumet Talks of captain
Nat.

| iSis HrSt winter In Irumet. Fish
welrs were taken up, the bay filled
with ice, the packet ceased to run.
and the village settled down to hiber-
nate until spring. The stage came
through on its regular trips, except
when snow or slush rendered the
roads impossible, but passengers were
very few. Twice there were wrecks
one of a fishing schooner the crew of
which were fortunate enough to es
cape by taking to the dories, and an
other, British bark, which struck on
the farthest bar and was beaten to
pieces by the great waves, while the
| townspeople stood helplessly watching
from the shore, for launching a boat
In that surf was impossible. Mr.. Pen
per made no more calls at the parson-
age, and when the minister met him.
at church or elsewhere, seemed anx-
ious to avoid an interview.
We'll. Abishai," asked Ellery. on
one of these occasions. how are vo,
getting on at home? Has your sister
locked you up again?"
mo. sir. she amt" replied Kysn.
"Laviny, she's sort OF dif'rent lately.
She amt nigh $3.50 down on a fell
Ter as she used to be- / can get out
once in a while by myself nowadays.
when she wants to write a letter or
somethin'. Writes one about every
once in a week. don't know who
they're to, nuther. She's talkin' of
goin' up to Sandwich pretty soon"
She is? Alone?"
so she says"
ITO leave you here? Why! we'll I'm
surprised"
"Godfreys mighty! SO be !. But she
says she b1ieyes she needs change
and there's church conference up
there. you know. and she figgers that
she amt been to conference she don't
know when. l s'pose you'll go. won't
you. Mr.. Ellery?"
Probably"
Lavinia got herself elected a dele
gate and went. in company with Cap
tain Elkanah. Mrs. Mayo, and others,
10 the conference. She was a faithful
attendant at the meetings and seemed
to be having very good time. She
introduced the minister to one Caleb
Pratt. resident OF Sandwich, WHOM
she said she had known ever since
she was girl.
"Mr. Pratt's a cousin of Thankful
Payne over to home." volunteered La
vinia. you know Thankful, Mr.. Ell
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
End 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 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 EI-
lery's study, where he was laborlng
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, II ask your par.
/ Il Fx.. 4.
ask If you knew Mrs. Prince was
sick?"
No. Is she? I'm awfully sorry.
Nothing serious. ] hope?"
No, / guess not. Only she's got
cold and is kind of under the weather.
l 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 1t. l 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'. III 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 tother 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, / presume
likely. and 30 she feels for Grace,
John. what do they say around town
about-about him?"
Captain Hammond? Why. IL you