The Dolores star., 1920-12-17

and to walk brislily 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, strange
power working detached, yet compelling her to
obey its behests.
She crouched up In the bows watching the
sparkle of water spring gurclng from the fore
foot, watching the frothing bubbles stream away
on either side the black bluT bow.
Fainy 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 strained
She sprang upon the rail and stood there erect.
her eyes peerng intently Was it fancy could
she actually see something?
There. in the middle dlstance--a veritable
speck in the waste of waters-was it a shadow.
1t :hc fin of lurking shark, or was twas
it? Two seconds she looked then she ran aft,
the men watching her In wonder.
"Hiram-out there-wha. is it. what is It?
Hiram, heard a cry!"
She was clutchng at him Historically and
pointing with trembling finger. To Sumor her he
fetched his binoculars and focused the..'. Mad
denngly SLOW she thought him. He scaIc',ed
idly for moment. then his figure became rgio.
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 n raft out there-some one on It,"
said Hapshott slowly, his voice almost drowned
by the clatter of the swinging yards
1t Captain Hapshott himself who sprang
into the boat that hastily lowered; 1t was he
who urged the onward. Mrs. Hapshott
that the thing was done, was possessed by
n curious calmness that yet held expectancy
something strange 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
floated ahead. but she all unused to the task
and could make out nothing but blur.
The boat turned-hung motionless; those
aboard busy at some task. Then the oars
shot out like the limbs of n 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, sir?" hailed the mate.
reaching far outboard, and from Captain Hap
shott's lips came hoarse, unreal cry that Jones'
took affirmative
The boat shot alongside; still the captains wife
did not move from her position by the mizzcn-
mast The tackles We're hooked on men swarmed
up them and added their weight to the fails: the
boat eaped upward, swung inboard
"Bear a hand here" she heard her husband
say, and then the mists vanished from her eves
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 husbiny n
defty against that broad maternal bosom of hers
coaxing 1t, smiling down into its crumpIea face
1t matte:ed nothing to her how the babe had
come-lt was there: its tiny fingers around bcr
hnger; Its little head nestled against her heart
"A dead woman and living child-no sipns ~
ldentihcation' The words came to her ftfuIi,,
forcing themselves through the strange boIIowod
Joy that filed her being. "No tellin. what's han.
pened-nust be wife of some skipper-soIe sur
vivors-who knows? The woman's dead. moor
thing-but the child seems strong enoupb-v,i,I
be later" "
IF we'd been sailing yesterday we'd have
passed 1t In the dark likely" said the mota
wed never have seen 1t. God look at Mr.,
Hapshott; she's grown younger"
The skipper walked across to his wife
"Well have to advertise" he said sber,
toying with the little grasping hands, "But Iika
1y no one will claim tits as much ours n. ~.
one's-1ll tell the steward to make soro ,n,,i.
ready" A
"'Unto us child is given,'" said Mrs u,,
shott soemnly. Hiram, this Is Gods Cbr.tn,a
present to you and me-"