The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1920-12-16

Mrs Hap>hott lifted her eyes and searched the
seas far rim. Her gaze returned, only to be
lifted again; suddenly she stiffened where She
Stood and her ears strained
She sprans upon the rail and stood there erect,
her eyes pcerng intcnty. Was 1t fancy or could
She actually see something?
There. in the middle distancc-a veritabe
speck in the waste of watcrs-was it n shadow,
was it the fin Of a lurking shark or was twas
it? Two seconds she looked then she ran aft,
the men watching her IN wonder.
"Hram-out there-what Is it, what is It?
Hiram l heard a cry"
She was clutchng at him Historically and
pointing with trembling finger To humor her he
fetched his binoculars and focused them Mad
deningly slow. she thought him. He searched
idly for a moment then his figure became rigid.
Back the mainyard he roared in mighty
voice From the forepeak whittier he had de-
scended the mate came aft at run; the men
following fast.
There's a raft out there-some one on IT,"
said Hapshott slowly, his voice almost drowned
by the catter Of the swinging yards.
1t was Captain Hapshott himself who sprang
into the boat that was hastily lowered; It was he
who urged the rowers onward. Mrs Hapshott,
now that the thing was done, was possessed by
a curious camness that yet held expectancy
yond the range Of her vision; but all was work
ing together for good. She tried to focus the
binoculars on the boat and on the fragment that
foated ahead but she all unused to the task,
and could make out nothing but blur.
The boat turned-hung motiOnless; those
aboard were busy at some task. Then the oars
shot out like the limbs Of a gigantic spider; Mrs
Hapshott's heart beat faster and faster-so fast
that only with difficulty could she draw her
breath
"ShaI we haul you up slr?" hailed the mate,
reaching far cupboard, and from Captain Hap
shotts lips came hoarse, unreal cry that Jones
took as an affirmative
The boat shot alongside; still the captains wife
did not move from her position by the mizzen-
mast. The tackles were hooked on, men swarmed
up them and added their weight to the falls; the
boat lcaped upward was swung inboard
"Bear hand here" she heard her husband
say, and then the mists vanished from her eyes
and she saw clearly Captain Hapshott was COM
ing aft, talking earnestly to the mate And in
his arms he carried a little chlld
Mrs. IIapShott acted exactly as if she had been
expecting this gift from the sea. She held out
her arms and took the wailng mite hushing it
deity against that broad maternal bosom Of hers
coaXing IT, smiling down into its crumpled face
It mattered nothing to her how the babe had
comet was there; It's tiny fingers around her
nngeFi It's utIe head nestled against her heart.
"a dead woman and a living child-no signs Of
Identification The words came to her htfully
forcing themselves through the strange halIowed
Joy that filed her being. "No telling what's hap
pened-must be wife Of some skpper-sole sur
viyors-who knows? The womans dead poor
thng-but the child seems strong enough-wiI
be later
III we'd been sailing yesterday we'd have
passed # IN the dark likely" said the mate
wed never have seen 1t. God look at Mrs
IIapshott; she's grown younger
The skipper walked across to his wife
Gwen have to advertise" he said. shalilr.
toying with the little grasping hands "But like.
~ no one win claim tits as much ours as any
ones-Pr tell the steward TO make some milk
ready"
"'Unto US child IS gigen'" said Mrs Hap
shott solemnly. "IIiram, this is Gods Christmas
present 10 you and me"