The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1920-12-18

and to walk briskly along the deck until she
reached the forecastIe She could not have ex-
planned to herself what impulse took her there;
1t was something outside herself some strange
power working detached, yet compelling her to
obey its behests.
She crOuched up in the bows, watching the
sparkle of water spring gurgling from the fore
foot, watching the frothing bubbles stream away
on either side the black bluff bow.
Vanly she shook herself and assured her own
heart Of it's foolishness Vainly she tried to drag
herself away from her self-appointed post. The
air was chill with the beginnings of the dawn
wind; she shivered repeatedly and remained
Mrs. HapShott 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 strained.
She sprang upon the rail and stood there erect,
her eyes peering intently. Was 1t fancy could
she actually something?
There in the middle dstance-a veritable
speck in the waste of waters-was 1t a shadow,
was 1t the fin of a lurking shark, or twas
it? Two seconds she looked, then she aft,
the watching her in wonder.
"Hiram-out there-what is it, what Is it?
Hiram, | heard a cry!'
She was cutching at him Historically and
pointing with trembling finger. To humor her he
fetched his binoculars and focused them. Mad
denngly slow, she thought him. He searched
idly for moment then his figure became rigid.
"Back the mainyardl' he roared in mighty
voice. From the forepeak. whittier he had de-
scended the mate came aft at a run; the men
following fast.
There's raft out there-some one on It,
said Hapshott slowly, his voice almost drowned
by the clatter 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 DONE was possessed by
a curious calmness. that yet held expectancy
something strange was happening out there be-
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
f1oated ahead but she was all unused to the task,
and could make out nothing but blur.
The boat turned-hung motiOnless; those
aboard were busy at task. Then the oars
shot out like the limbs of gigantic spider; Mrs.
Hapshott's heart beat faster and faster-sO fast
that only with difficulty could she draw her
breath.
"Shall we haul you up, sr?' hailed the mate,
reaching far cupboard, and from Captain Hap
shott's 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,
up them and added their weight to the falls the
boat eaped upward, swung inbOard.
'Bear hand here" she heard her husband
say and then the msts 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 little child
Mrs Hapshott acted exactly If she had been
expecting this gift from the She held out
her arms and took the wailing mite, hushing it
deity against that broad maternal bosom of hers,
coaxing it, smiling down into its crumped face.
1t mattered nothing to her how the babe had
comet was there; It's 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 to her ftfulIy,
forcing themselves through the strange, hallowed
Joy that filed her being. mo telling what's hap
pened-must be wife of skpper-sOle sur
vivors-who knows? The woman's dead, poor
thing-but the child seems strong enough-will
be later"
"1f we'd been sailing yesterday we'd have
passed 1t in the dark likely" said the mate
wed never have seen it. God look at Mrs.
Hapshott; she's grown younger"
The skipper walked across to his wife.
"We1l have to advertise" he said shaky,
toying with the little graspfng hands. "But like
ly no one will claim tits as much ours as any
one's-Tll tell the steward to make some milk
ready"
"'Unto us a child is given" said Mrs. Hap
shott solemny. Hiram, this is Gods Christmas
present to you and me-"