Marble Hill press., 1920-12-16

reached the forecHsic. She could not have
plain"d TO herself What impulse took her there
Il was something ogrsld, herself some strange
power working detached yet compelling her TO
obey its h.hests
She croucbed up IN The bows watching the
sparkle of water spring gursug from thc fore
foot. watching the froihng bubbles stream away
on either side the black hlrN bow
Nalnlr she shook herself and assured her own
heart Of its fcollshness Na'uly she tried to drHs
herself away from her sslf.appointed post Tie
air chIll with me beginnings of me dawn
wind; she shivered repeatedly and remained
Mrs. Ilnpshott lifted her eyes and searched the
seas far rim. Her saz" returned. only 10 he
lifted again: suddenly she s'lIrueI where she
stood. and her ears strained
she spraug upon the rail and stood there erect.
her eyes p"erlng Iutcutly Was Il fancy or could
she actually somcihlugi
There. In the middle distance ycrtaule
spcck IN the waste ~ wHfer--was Il a shadow.
was Il the on of O lurking shark or was twas
IT. Two seconds she looked then she ran at,
the men watching her IN wonder.
"Irau-out therc--wha; Is It. what Is III
Hiram heard q cry!"
she was clutchlns ut him Historically and
pointing with trembling finger. To humor her he
fetched hts binoculars and focused them. Mad
denlngly slow she thought him. lie searched
IDLY far moment. then his Hgure became rigid.
Back the maInyari be roared IN mighty
voice From the forcpcak. whittier he had de-
sccnded the mate came aft at run; the men
following fast
There's n raft out there--some one on IT,"
said Hapshott slowly. his voice almost drowned
by the catter ~ the swinging yards
II was Captain HapShott himself who sprang
into the boat that was hastily lowered It was he
who urged the roWers onward Mrs. Hapshott
now tha, the thing was done was possessed by
a curious calmneSs. that yet held expectancy
something strange was happening out there he
yond the range Of her vision: but oil was work.
ing together for good She tried to focus the
binoculars on the boat and on the fragment that
aoated ahead but she was all unused TO the task.
and could make out nothing but blur.
The boat turned-hung motioness those
aboard were busy at some task Then the oars
shot ont Ike the limbs OF a gigantic spider; Mrs.
Hapshotts heart beat faster and faster--so fast
that only with difficulty could she draw her
breath.
"Shall We haul you up, sir1" hailed the mate.
reaching far outboard and from Captain Hap
shott's lips came a 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 nooked on. men SNarmed
up them and added their weight TO the falls; the
boat lcaped upward. was swung inhoard.
"Bear a hand here" she heard her husband
say and then the miSts vanished from her eyes
and she saw clearly, Captain Hspshott was COM
Ing aft talking earnestly to the mate And In
his arms he carried little child
Mrs, Hapshott acted exactly II she had been
expecting this gift from the sea. She held out
her arms and took the waiiing mite hushing II
yae.t ,ho
coaxing IT, smiling down into Its crumpled face.
II mattered nothing to her how the babe had
come-it was there. Its tiny fingers around her
finger; its little head nestled against her heart.
"A dead woman and a living child--no signs OF
Identification" The words came TO her ftfuliy
forcing themselves through the strange hallowed
10Y that filed her being. "No telling what's hap
pened-must be wife OF some skipper-sole sur
vivors--who knows2 The woman's dead. poor
he later"
"If we'd been sailing yesterday we'd have
passed II In the dark likely" said the mate
"wed never have seen II. God look at Mira
Hapshott; she's grown younger"
The skipper walked across to his wife
wen have to advertise" he said shakily |
toying with the little grasping hands. "But like |
ly no one viii claim tits as much ours as any !
one's-rl tell the steward to make some milk
ready"
"Unto m q child is given.'" said Mrs. Hap-
shott solemny. Hiram this is Gods Christmas
present to you and ma"