Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1920-12-10

and to walk briskly along the deck until she
reached the forecastle. 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 spriBg gurglng from the fore
foot watching the sfrothng bubbles stream away
on either side the black bluff bow.
Vainly she shook herself and assured her own
heart Of its fooishness. 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 ears strained.
She sprang upon the rail and stood there erect,
her eyes peerlng intently Was it fancy or could
she actually see something?
There, in the middle distance-a vertable
speck In the waste of waters-was it shadow,
was it the fin of lurking shark or was twas
it? Two seconds she looked, then she ran aft,
the men watching her in wonder.
"Hram-outr there-what is it, what is it?
Hiram heard a Cry!"
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 mainyard!" he roared in mighty
voice. From the forepeak, whittier he had de-
scended, the mate came aft at rum the men
following fast
"There's raft out there-some one 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 ; 1t was he
who urged the rowers onward Mrs. Hapshott
now that 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 all was work.
ing together for good. She tried to focus the
binoculars on the boat and the fragment that
1oated 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 some task. Then the oars
shot out like 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, sr?' 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, swarmed
up them al added their weight to the falls the
boat leaped upward, was swung inboard.
"Bear a 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 as If she had been
expecting this gift from the sea. She held out
her arms and took the wailing mite, hushing it
deftly against that broad maternal bosom of hers,
coaXing it, smiling down into its crumpled face.
It mattered nothing to her how the babe had
come-it there; its tiny fingers around her
finger; its little head nestled against her heart.
"a dead woman and living chlld-no signs Of
Identification" The words came to her f1tfuy,
forcing themselves through the strange, haowed
joy that filled her being. mo telling what's hap
pened+-must be wife of some skipper-sole sur
uvors-who knows? The woman's dead, poor
thing--but the child seems strong enough-will
be laterl' N..
"If 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.
"We'll have to advertise" he said, shakily
toying with the little grasping hands. "But like
ly no one will claim tits as much ours as any
ones-Tll tell the steward to make some milk
ready"
"'Unto us child is given,'" said Mrs. Hap
shott solemnly. "Hiram, this Is Gods Christmas
present TO YOU and me-"