"I wanted to ask if you knew Mrs. Prince was sick?"

"No. Is she? I'm awfully sorry. Nothing serious, I hope?"

"No, I guess not. Only she's got a cold and is kind of under the
weather. I thought p'r'aps you'd like to run up and see her. She thinks
the world and all of you, 'cause you was so good when she was distressed
about her son. Poor old thing! she's had a hard time of it."

"I will go. I ought to go, of course. I'm glad you reminded me of it."

"Yes. I told her you hadn't meant to neglect her, but you'd been busy
fussin' with the fair and the like of that."

"That was all. I'll go right away. Have you been there to-day?"

"No. I just heard that she was ailin' from Didama Rogers. Didama said
she was all but dyin', so I knew she prob'ly had a little cold, or
somethin'. If she was really very bad, Di would have had her buried by
this time, so's to be sure her news was ahead of anybody else's. I ain't
been up there, but I met her t'other mornin'."

"Didama?"

"No; Mrs. Prince. She'd come down to see Grace."

"Oh."

"Yes. The old lady's been awful kind and sympathizin' since--since
this new trouble. It reminds her of the loss of her own boy, I presume
likely, and so she feels for Grace. John, what do they say around town
about--about HIM?"

"Captain Hammond?"

"Yes."

The minister hesitated. Keziah did not wait for him to answer.

"I see," she said slowly. "Do they all feel that way?"

"Why, if you mean that they've all given up hope, I should hardly say
that. Captain Mayo and Captain Daniels were speaking of it in my hearing
the other day and they agreed that there was still a chance."

"A pretty slim one, though, they cal'lated, didn't they?"

"Well, they were--were doubtful, of course. There was the possibility
that he had been wrecked somewhere and hadn't been picked up. They cited
several such cases. The South Pacific is full of islands where vessels
seldom touch, and he and his crew may be on one of these."

"Yes. They might, but I'm afraid not. Ah, hum!"

She rose and was turning away. Ellery rose also and laid his hand on her
arm.

"Aunt Keziah," he said, "I'm very sorry. I respected Captain Hammond, in
spite of--of--in spite of everything. I've tried to realize that he was
not to blame. He was a good man and I haven't forgotten that he saved my
life that morning on the flats. And I'm so sorry for YOU."

She did not look at him.

"John," she answered, with a sigh, "sometimes I thi