The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1920-12-16

and to walk brisky along the deck until she
reached the forecastle. She could not have eX-
planned to herself what impulse took her there;
it 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.
Vainly she shook herself and assured her own
heart of its foOShnesS. Vainly she tried to drag
herself away from her sef-appointed post. The
air 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 peering intently. Was it fancy could
she actually something?
There in the middle distance-a veritable
speck in the waste of waters-was it a shadow,
was it the fin of lurking shark, twas
it? Two seconds she looked then she ran aft,
the men watching her in wonder.
"Hiram-out there-what is it, what is It'll
Hiram, 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
denfngly slow, she thought him. He searched
idly for a 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 run; the men
following fast.
"Theres a raft out there-some one on it,
said Hapshott slowly his voice almost drowned
by the clatter of the swinging yards.
It Captain HapshOtt himself who sprang
into the boat that was hastily lowered; it was he
who urged the rowers onward. Mrs Hapshott
of DOSSoSS00
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 the boat and on the fragment that
loated 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 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.
"Shall we haul you up, sir?" hailed the mate,
reaching far outboard and from Captain Hap
shOtt's lips a hOarSe, unreal crya that Jones
took affirmative.
The boat shot alongside; still the captains wife
did not from her position by the mizzen-
mast The tackles were hooked on, swarmed
up them and added their weight to the falls; the
boat leaped upward, swung inboard
"Bear hand here" she heard her husband
say, and then the mists vanished from her eyes
and she clearly. Captain Hapshott was COM
ing aft talking earnestly to the mate. And in
his he carried a little child
Mrs HapshOtt acted exactly if she had been
expecting this gift from the sea. She held out
her and took the wailing mite, flushing it
deity against that broad maternal bosom of hers.
coaxing it, smiling down into it's crumpled face,
1t mattered nothing to her how the babe had
come-it there; it's tiny fingers around her
finger; its little head nestled against her heart.
"a dead woman and a living chd-no signs Of
Identification" The words came to her ftfully.
forcing themselves through the strange, hallowed
JOY that filled her being mo telling what's hap
pened-must be wife of some skipS~r-sole sur
vivors-who knows? The woman's dead poor
thfng-but the child seems strong enougt-will
be later
eff we'd been sailing yesterday we'd have
passed it 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.
'WeH 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
one's-Tn tell the steward to make some milf
ready"
"'Unto, a child is given," said Mrs Hap
shott solemnly. Hiram this is Gods Christmas
present to you and me-"