The Chanute times., 1913-03-14

mo, sir, she amt" replied Ryan.
"Laviny, she's sort Of diff'rent lately.
She aint nigh $3.50 down on a fell
ler as she used to be. / can get out
once In while by myself nowadays,
when she wants to write a letter or
somethin'. Writes one about every
once in week. I don't know who
they're to, nuther. She's talkin' Of
goin' up to Sandwich pretty soon"
She Isl Alone?"
so she says"
ITO leave you here! Whyl well, I'm
surprised"
"Godfreys mighty! 30 be I. But she
says she b'lieves she needs a 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.. Ellery7"
Probably"
Lavinia got herself elected a dele
gate and went, In company with Cap
tain Elkanah, Mrs. Mayo, and others,
to the confefence. She was a faithful
attendant at the meetings and seemed
to be having a very good time She
introduced the minister to one Caleb
Pratt. resident Of Sandwich, whom
she said she had known ever since
she was a girl.
"Mr. Pratts cousin of Thankful
Payne over to home" volunteered La
vinia. you know Thankful, Mr.. FL
lery."
Lav1nia conflded 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.
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 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 dubiously. Something had
happened to the Sea Mist.
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 El-
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, II ask your par
don for disturbin' you. l wanted to
ask II you knew Mrs. Prince was
sick?"
mo. Is shei 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 thingl she's had a
hard time Of 1t. / Just heard that she
was ailin' from Didama Rogers. d.
dana said she was all but dyln', so l
knew she prob1y had little cold. 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. I amt been
up there. but met her t'other morn
in"
"Didama"
mo; Mrs. Prince. She'd come down
to see Grace"
"Oh."
Yes. The old ladys been awful
kind and sympathlzin' 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
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
4 chance"
"A pretty slim one. though, they
didn't they?"
well, they were-were doubtful, Of
There was the possibility that
be had been wrecked somewhere and
hadn't been picked up. They cited
several such cases. The South Pa
,ifio is full Of islands where vessels
seldom touch, and he and his crew
nay be on one Of these"
John" she answered, with sigh.
sometimes think you'd better get
mother housekeeper."
What? Are you going to leave
net Your"
"Oh, 'twouldnt be because I wanted
o. But It seems almost as II there
vas a kind Of fate hangin' over me
md that" she smiled family. "as II
twas sort Of catchin', as you might