New Britain herald., 1925-05-22


 Domingo with cargo of dried codfsh, martin oorham, her captain and owner, was at the wheel.
 i' was an old custom in the grim, wcath. er'oeaten town for the captnin to take a rick at the wheel on all outward bound 'essels--a relic of the days when steam was not and Halifar alone sent POO hriy ahunss to the West Indian trade, and Novs scotian wooden ships, with their iron. handed masters and their bucko mates. were .no~n In every harbor of the Seven Seas. nna not for words would old Martin hay. n'aoe even the slightest change in the ac- customed program.
 our'ous eyes watched him as he stood s"n one hand resting lightly on the wheel, tue other clasped behind his back, a wid.. snouldered, massive figure in dark -blu, oroaacloth. his white hair surmounted hy ~ide'brimmed, soft felt hat which he wore with the air of man who has sDsnt inetlme trading in the quaint Old World cltles of the Spanish Main,
 There was \ black band upon hi, ,.,, arm, which had not been there on otb., susa:es' and the little group upon the wharf knew 1t.
 ine maybelle began to move slowly mast me wharf There is always little bu,h "S the sailing. vessel gathers way. On bo, a steamer, running on schedule like ar sr. press train, the casting of of inc fn., "aWser means little more than the "AIl "ooard Of the conductor as the train pulls ''' TOT the next station. But the sailing '"sscl departure is so clearly a ehallene. " me savage, untamable ocean that, in 'oInntarlly, the onlookers' voices dron to "'hor Keys and then die away altogether aS The crafts topmasts begin to .lid. alhwart the sky.
 m the case of the Maybelle the sil.ne. WIS profound. Martin Gorham had huri.d ne vile Of his youth less than twenty. TOUT hours before and the little world upon me wharf knew that his nerves wer. strained to breaking.
 he turned to the wharf where friendly sees were watching. He saw them all win curlous dlstlnctiyeness, as though A search. light had brought each into specisI view. young Mitchell, his charterer his immacu. ,ate spas d pearl gray patch against the brown dimness of the ancient wharf. len. nHsS' 'he steVedore who had learned his uade rom the famous Willis. years agon.. clerks, sailors, the hangers-on of Mitcbell's "harf, Il stray policeman, a couple of run. ners for sailors boarding houses; Mickey, the lame Irish boy, who did his erronds when the Maybelle was in port. Taking oa ms nat he swept the onlookers n slow bow Of farewell, just as he had done on dozen. Of other voyages.
 M RAE, the first mate, was now putting A'A canvas on the Maybelle with the celerity Of a man who knows how 10 get the most out Of even green crew, his grizzled head under its faded plaid cap wagging violently as ne parked his orders. WhaEves On the right hand began to flow by. On the left heorges Island, miniature Heligoland, loomed close at hand. it's grassy slopes OroTnish green in the soft haze of Indian simmer, and still old Martin stood at the wheel, silent and inscrutable. It vas not nntiI the lighthouse on MacNabs Island tad been passed and the wide expanse of the owcr harbor began to open up that he turned the wheel over to McRae.
 I've been wondering, Danny" said the o'd man slowly. If we could ever-"
 "Yes?' questioned Daniel McRae, turn lug his hard. black eyes upon his chiefs li'npid blue ones, that held in them a hint "f April skies. Wondering if we could ever do what, sir?'
 Old Martin pointed ahead where the en. trance of the harbor, five miles in width, met the broad sweep of the Atlantic, like tbe edge of huge silver saucer. Gould ever sail over the rim, |" he explained
 The first mate looked embarrassed He knew-it was an old water-s side story---how romance had touched old Martins life at Hamilton, Bermuda, more than forty years before; just a few hours ago he had stood in the old cemetery at Camp Hill when the frail body that had enshrined Martin Gorham's romance had been laid to rest. No wonder the old man was a trihe of! IL was nothing, of course. He would not even think of mentioning the matter to roung Peters, the second mate. But it should not be encouraged. 'Of course not, cir" he answered soothingly.
 Captain Gorham's eyes grew suddenly frosty. "Mr. McRae," he said sharply. I'm neither drunk nor crazy. What I've been saying is something I've been thinking of and on, since l WAS boy. What is there just over the rim? There must be something different; and I'd like to see it."
 "Oyer the rim, sir" he ejaculated, "Lord save us Just what we always have seen, I'm thnking.'
 Old Martin shook his head. "Thers must be something slse,' he said firmly, "I know what you think: sea and more sea and landfall at last But that isn't what mean" He stretched hand out toward the wide wastes of the Atlantic, touching the horizon in a far of semicircle of deep-blue. "Did you ever catch up to yon circle, Danny" he asked intently. You or any other salorman? Because yea found the rim moving away as you sailed, you'll be saying? Aye! Aye! know that, But what I've been wanting to do these many years, Danny, is to catch up to yoD circle and sail clear over the rim" He paused an instant. I'm wondering if a man could do it. Must be strange things to see on the other side be ended with a shadowy smile. "I'n be going below for kn u-tth nf