Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1922-06-08

manded. Answer me; it was the
Martha Corvet?"
The wheelsman struggled ; he seemed
suddenly terrified with the terror
which, instead of weakening, supplied
Infatuated strength. He threw Alan off
for an instant and started to flee back
toward the ferry and Alan let him go,
only following a few steps TO make
sure that the wheelsman returned to
Number %.
Because of the severe cold the
watches on the ferry had been short
rned. Alan would be relieved from
time to time to warm himself, and
taen he would return to duty again.
tld Burr at the wheel would be re-
lleved and would 60 on duty at the
same hours as Alan himself. Benjamin
COrvet! The fancy reiterated itself to
him. Could he be mistaken? Was that
nan, whose eyes turned alternately
from the compass to the bow of the
ferry as it shifted and rose and fell,
the same who had sat in that lonely
chair turned toward the fireplace in
the house on Aston street? Were those
hands, which held the steamer to her
course, the hands which had written
to Alan in secret from the little room
OFF his bedroom and which pasted so
carefully the newspaper clippings con-
coaled in the library?
Alan faced the wind with mackinaw
blttoned about his throat; to make
certain his hearing, his ears were I'M
protected. They numbed frequently,
and he drew hand out of the glove
to rub them. The windows to protect
the wheelsman had been dropped, as
the snow had gathered on the glass;
and at intervals, as he glanced back,
ne could see old Burr's face as he
switched on a dim light to look at the
compass. The strange placidity which
usually characterized the old mans
face had not returned to it since Alan
had spoken with him on the dock; its
look was intent and queerly drawn.
Was old Burr beginning to remember
that he was Benjamin COrvet? Alan
did not believe it could be that; again
and again he had spoken COrvet's name
to him without effect. Yet there must
have been times when, if he was actual
ly COrVet, he had remembered who he
was. He must have remembered that
when he had written directions to some
one to send those things to Constance
a Gtp a
come to Alan, had he written those in
structions himself? This certainly
would account for the package having
been mailed at MantOwoc and for
Alan's failure to find out by whom it
had been mailed. 1t would account,
too, for the unknown handwriting upon
the wrapper, if some one on the ferry
had addressed the package for the old
man.
What could have brought back that
| moment of recollection to COrvet, Alan
wondered the finding of the things
which he had sent? What might bring
another such moment? Would his see
ing the SherrillS again-or Spearman-
act to restore him?
For half an hour Alan paced steadily
| at the bow. The storm was increasing
nOticeably in tierceness; the wind
driven snOwflakes had changed to hard
and stung the face; and 1t was growing
colder. From cabin window came the
blue flash of the wireless, which had
been silent after notifying the shore
stations of their departure. 1t had
commenced again; this was unusual
Something still more unusual followed
| at once; the direction of the gale
seemed slowly to shift, and with II
the wash of the water; instead Of the
wind and the waves coming from dead
ahead now, they moved to the port
beam, and Number 25, still pitching
with the thrust through the seas, also
began to roll. This meant, of course
that the steamer had changed its
course and was making almost due
north. 1t seemed to Alan to force its
engines faster; the deck vibrated more
Alan had not heard the orders for this
change and could only speculate as tC
what it might mean.
His relief came after a few minutes
more.
where are we heading?" Alar
asked.
Radio" the relief announced. "Tht
II. c. Richardson calling; she's up by
the Mantous."
what sort of trouble"
"She's not in trouble; it's another
ship"
What shipY
"NO word as to that"
Alan, not delaying to question fur
ther, went back to the cabins.
These stretched aft, behind tn,
bridge, along the upper deck, som,
score on each side of the ship; the,
had accommodations for almost a hun
dred passengers; but on this crossin;
only few were occupied. Alan hat
noticed some half-dozen men-busines
men, no doubt, forced to make thu
crossing, and one of them, CathOli,
priest, returning probably to some mis-
sion in the north he had seen no WON